Is it just me, or does it seem like Twitter and Facebook are squeezing the small business owner out of their networks as they chase ad revenues from companies like American Express, Nike and Coca-Cola?
I think Facebook’s recent addition of timeline for pages, and some new premium advertising platforms, that guarantee news feed distribution for up to 75 percent of a page’s fans, are going to benefit big brands because they have the deep pockets to sustain an ad campaign.
Now, Twitter is offering more incentives for its advertising partners. Last year, it introduced brand pages for advertisers like Coca-Cola that gave them the ability to prominently feature content at the top of their page, as you see in the screenshot below.
A new article in Ad Age says Twitter plans to let its advertising partners add e-commerce, contests and sweepstakes to their “brand pages.” The article notes that, “Brand pages are available only to Twitter advertisers and may have the potential to drive revenue by making organic and paid content more connected.”
So, where does this leave the small business owner or entrepreneur with a limited marketing budget and staff? I think it’s a golden opportunity for some enterprising soul with deep pockets to come up with a new social networking site that is geared strictly for small businesses and their customers! Maybe one is out there already. If you know of one, comment below, and maybe we can spread the word that it’s time to abandon Facebook and Twitter to Corporate America and let small business owners connect and engage with their customers in a different venue. What do you think?
© Copyright 2012 Gloria Rand
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Gloria Rand is an Entrepreneur, Speaker, Copywriter & Marketing Consultant who works with entrepreneurs and small business owners to implement SEO strategies and social media marketing for online visibility, profits and success. Leveraging her background as a writer and producer for the award-winning PBS news program, “Nightly Business Report,” with her own experience as a small business owner, Gloria helps professionals turn great ideas into cash cows. Link up with Gloria at www.gloriarand.com or www.fb.com/gloriarandcopywriter.
I don’t understand. Don’t Facebook and Twitter users have the choice of whether or not to follow or “Like” Corporate brands? I sure as hell will NEVER choose to clutter up my Facebook page with intrusive Corporate ads and their phony storylines. If people choose to “Like” Big Brands on Facebook or Twitter, then THEY deserve what they get. Those BIG BRANDS ARE NOT MY FRIENDS.
You are correct, people do have the choice of whether or not to follow corporate brands. I’m just afraid these social networking sites are making it too difficult for small biz owners to engage with their clients and prospects, especially Facebook. I’m glad you’re a fan of the little guy! 🙂
Thanks for helping me clarify how it works. Yes, I’m an advocate of products made with actual care and people who care about the impact of what they produce.
If anything, I think the freedom to choose what we engage in (versus being forced to watch commercials on TV) makes it easier for small biz owners to engage me. If I compare the honest quality and care of a smaller producer with the canned marketing of a big business, it’s a no-brainer who I will pick. The more honest and candid a small biz is, the more engaged I will be.
Social media forces businesses to come from the heart and to answer crucial questions–like where do they get their ingredients and resources from? If we all cared about questions like that, we’d have a healthy world without war. Just sayin’.