Businesses both large and small are flocking to social media platforms to engage consumers in conversations and also to drive sales through deals and coupons. Small businesses have found that social media and the Internet help them to level the playing field. They can foster closer relationships with clients and identify potential customers. Flirty Cupcakes owner Tiffany Kurtz says that Facebook and Twitter greatly helped her with product innovation, market expansion, and customer service.13 Many other entrepreneurs are using social media to launch and expand their businesses. As an employee in a small business, you see opportunities to expand the use of social media. You want to first see how other companies are using social networks and then recommend the platforms you believe would be most useful to your business.

Your Task. Search for small businesses that have used social media to expand their market share and promote their products and services. Select three businesses to study, and analyze their use of social media. What do they have in common? In what social media platforms are they engaged? What results have they seen? In an e-mail or memo to your instructor, describe briefly the three companies you selected. Explain how each company is using social media to promote and grow its business. Then write the introduction to a proposal that promotes expanding your company's use of social media. Include a brief description of the reasons for the proposal, specify the key benefits of using social networks, and state how the three companies you studied are using social media. Then recommend which social media platforms you believe would benefit your business.