Emerging uses of technology such as the World Wide Web, blogs and social media or news/URL sharing websites are not only changing the way small businesses market themselves, but are also exposing and perhaps widening a generation gap in terms of technology use to meet marketing and other business goals.

This is Part 4 of a series exploring generational gaps in small business and family-owned business.  This article will discuss how blogs, websites, and other types of social media and new media create new marketing opportunities for small business, as well as the future of this new media for small businesses.  Previous posts in this series include:

- Intro: Closing the Generation Gap in Small Business

- Part 1: Measuring the Technology Generation Gap

- Part 2: Beyond The Cool Factor

- Part 3: Leveling the Playing Field

We interviewed Ed Lohman, VP of Affordable Computing Enterprises, on these issues.  When asked whether a small business can benefit from blogs and social media sites, Ed answered, "Once the small business realizes what blogs can offer, and they select a few to monitor, the value of blogs becomes quite apparent to them."

Small Businesses Can Leverage The Power of Blogging and Social Media

The Long Tail and ever-widening array of business tools at our disposal means that small businesses no longer have to remain content with dreaming about the kinds of tools available to large enterprises.  Here are just some the ways in which small companies can leverage the growing power of the blogosphere and social media sharing sites:

1. Monitor the online conversation to learn what is being said about their industry, niche, product(s), service(s), competitors, leaders and employees

2. Respond to that conversation through blog comments, online forums and other participatory tools.

3. Create smart marketing tools using inexpensive technologies and platforms such as corporate blogs, social media website accounts.

Choosing An Effective Small Business Marketing Method Has Never Been More Important

As the ability to spread the word about companies grows by leaps and bounds and becomes effectively much cheaper and easier to do, the risks and benefits associated with small biz marketing have actually polarized.  What might work well might also blow up in your company's face, and much faster and more intensely than 15, 10 or even 5 ears ago (or even last year!).  Ed Lohman acknowledges this when he says, " There is no one panacea for any business, be it large or small.  The beautiful thing about technology is that it makes the playing field equal between large and small."