Recently the question came up from a client about the usefulness of Twitter beyond posting updates to thin air.
When one sets up a Twitter account, it's no surprise that businesses may follow an arbitrary number of people in hopes of receiving a courtesy follow back so somebody may view their messages.
Add to this the fact that Twitter update and profile URLs are difficult to bring up in search results (not as easy as calling up fan pages on Facebook), and one might wonder...
why bother using social media at all? Pundits and experts may argue the fad factor in social media rates high among smaller businesses, while large corporations with established brands stand to gain the most from social networking.
In truth, this thought is pretty much applicable to any aspect of marketing - corporations have more to spend, therefore can devote more money to enhancing social profiles and promotions to strengthen loyalty among their customer base.
For a smaller business that may only cater to a local or regional audience, one might not see the value in social networks.
However, the size and scope of your business may actually work in your favor.
Let's examine how.
Maintain Local Focus -  Social media is global, yet every single person who owns a Facebook page, Twitter account, or MySpace profile is essentially local.
It's common to see people sharing links and stories of national and global interest, but ultimately if somebody uses the Internet for goods and services they want to find a provider close to home.
When you tailor you social profiles to emphasize your locality you stand a better chance of reaching the audience you want.
Use What Works - You might find as you experiment with social sites that one will catch on quicker and stronger than others.
You could have fifty people following you on Twitter and several hundred on Facebook, or vice versa.
Does this mean you should abandon one for the other? Not necessarily.
You want to established your brand under as many social sites as possible so nobody else does, and while instinct dictates that you should nurture the more popular profile it's always a good idea to update others, even if you wish to direct them toward your stronger network so they can find your information and promotions.
Keeping the local/regional angle on your social sites, and building trust through the strongest of the group is a good, and cost effective, method of promotion.
Don't discount social media as a fad, for even if a small percentage of followers click through to conversion, you have reached a goal.