Social media is changing the way we do business. A lot of small business owners are wondering if this is just a fad, if things are going to snap back to normal. Social media is the new normal. There are a few important adjustments every small business person needs to make to not just survive, but thrive in the social media economy.

• Before You Start: You use social media for your business. Or, you are considering using social media for your business.
• Learning level: 1 | Social Media Basics
• Article Last Updated:  Sunday, December 4, 2011

Right now, everyone is talking about social media and everyone is working to get on social media. It’s changing the way we do business and the way we market our products and services. But what does the future hold for social media? Here are three key points that I see as I look forward.

1. Social media is not a fad. This is not a blimp in the universe. Things are not going back to the way they were. The business world has changed. What customers expect has changed. Social media is your introduction to the future of your business.

2. Social media is going to become completely mainstream. It’s going to become the normal way of doing business. When that happens, social media tools won’t make the cover of magazines and won’t be the focus of news stories. Instead, social media tools will be part of the way we communicate every day. Just like the telephone.

3. Social media centers your business around your customers. Until now, most businesses have done their work producing their products and services with very little customer interaction. Perhaps you have a customer service department or a team of people in customer-facing position. Going forward, customers are going to demand that you engage them more, and almost every department and staff member will be involved with your customers.

Based on this, here are my recommendations:

• Don’t just tolerate the new level of customer interaction and importance, embrace it!
• Start getting used to the idea that your customers have an opinion about how your business should run, and if you don’t listen, they will walk away.
• Look for creative and practical ways that you can start to pull customers deeper into your business operations and planning.
• Start getting to know your customers as people.

The journey of running a business just got a lot more interactive!

Your turn: Did you struggle to understand the shift to the social media economy? What helped you get it? Share your experience and insights here.

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