Social media, for small businesses, can be scary, challenging, and a great source of income. The way social media works is completely different from traditional "controlled" media. How? Let's look at it from various perspectives:

1. Unlike traditional print, radio, or TV, social media is "broadcast" through the Internet, and therefore encompasses virtually all of these traditional media combined. Therefore if you are a small businesses wishing to advertise products and service, you can practically reach anyone from any corner of the world with internet access.

2. Businesses using the social media tools have very minimal overhead costs, since everything is operating in the realm of the internet. And vice versa with the customers, who can reach businesses through the same medium. Moreover, for users (customers) to be able to do this, do not need any specialized skills normally required using traditional media.

3. The amount of time it takes for traditional media to be published or broadcast (print, radio or TV) is by far the greatest thing that differentiates it from social media. Today, you log on to Facebook, post a message, and in one click, you have shared your message to everybody within your network. You have a company update? It takes a second to post it on Twitter to inform your customers. And if they have installed these social media capabilities in their own phones, they are instantly alerted as well.

4. If you post on blogs, forums, and other networking sites, you can pretty much delete and edit anything if you made a mistake, and add editorial notes. You can manage comments and control spam. Print magazines don't have this luxury.

Social media plays such a huge role in doing business today that it's wise not to ignore it. In fact, if you're smart, you would use social media to your advantage. This blog/eBook will help you in this goal.