One benefit that may not get accurately measured in the world of social media is that companies that are very social are easier to refer.

I’ve theorized in the past posts that companies that combine the highly wired tactics involved in social networking platforms with the highly engaged tactics of traditional networking seem be the ones that just naturally generate more referrals.

Organizations that are naturally social at their core engage prospects through the use of blog posts and comments, engage customers by inviting them to tell their stories in video and audio format, engage partners by co-marketing and packaging information, engage providers through collaboration practices and tools, and engage their staff through shared brainstorming, wiki building and storytelling.

In short, these firms are much easier to refer because they are more deeply connected and socially involved in every facet of their ecosystem. And, their use of the more wired aspects of the new breed of social media tools provides a practical platform that can accelerate referral giving. It’s a bit like saying, they’re caring, thoughtful, outgoing, authentic and seem to be everywhere you look.

Approaching social media as a means to be more social just might offer a greatest return possible for the small business.

Image credit: Casey West

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