Social Media continues to be a vital tool in increasing communication and presence in a digital world. However, its domain is no longer just large corporations. Small businesses are increasing their market share, using social media as a customer service representative. Questions and complaints are responded to more quickly, improving customer responses and increasing site traffic.

Marsha Collier, author of The Ultimate Online Customer Service Guide: How to Connect with your Customers to Sell More says,

There is the opportunity for more communication within the company, more chance to build a customer-centric culture. They don’t have the issues of having to pass new ideas through meetings and legal department. If the owner/president is involved and the lines of communication are fairly open, they can turn on a dime and beat the competition.

Collier lists tweetdeck, seesmic, zendesk, skype and Meebo Me as the top tools for smaller businesses to explore. Socialmention and tweetbeep are both helpful in tracking media mentions. The downside with any social media platform, is constant maintenance. Be present, be transparent and personalize your business.