Rebecca Byrd, owner of upscale Greensboro, N.C., clothing boutique Rebecca & Co., was getting ready to open a new store and wanted to find a new way to reach her target audience, generally women in their 20s and early 30s, to let them know about the store and update them on sales and other happenings at her original location.

According to The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area, “Instead of turning to the newspaper, TV or even e-mail marketing, Byrd created a business profile on social networking site Facebook. Through the page, potential customers can receive basic information about the store, see photos taken at special events and even sign up as ‘fans’ of the store and recommend that their friends do the same.

“To date, the store has 62 fans with whom Byrd can communicate directly, sending information about new clothing lines or special promotions and sales.

“’As a small-business owner, using Facebook is a way for me to create awareness about my stores and hopefully bring in new clients,” Byrd says.

“With our struggling economy, everyone is looking for the most cost-effective way to promote their business and, for me, social networking is the way to go… It has absolutely brought it more clients.’”

Read the full article here: http://triad.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2009/01/12/focus1.html?b=1231736400^1758550

 Increasingly businesses are using social networking sites to connect with customers and prospects, and engage them in conversations.

Small and medium-sized ad agencies should to be leading the way in helping their clients build these relationships – or risk having clients bypass them and figure out how to strategically use social media marketing on their own.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.