In a recent eMarketer.com post, SMBs Struggle to Adopt, Integrate Social Media, I learned that less than 24% of SMB companies use social networking in their marketing. Key challenges mentioned were lack of time and resources.  In my recent post The Social Side of Creating an Effective Web Presence, I covered the time challenge. Here are some thoughts on the perceived lack of resources.

Hogwash!

Sorry about that. It's just that every time I hear someone whine about lack of resources I'm dumbfounded at the conclusion reached by business owners who say they don't have time to plan, learn or change. The web is bursting with resources including step by step guides for novices through marketing veterans. Every vendor worth their monthly fee has created learning centers to help businesses make the best use of their services. My personal trainer Kathy Pashkow said it best, "The key to a successful fitness program is to make it fun." I believe the same is true of your social networking "fitness program". So, instead of whining about lack of resources, or having to "spend" time, consider investing time in locating learning resources you can use to leverage online marketing services that fit your niche and needs. So make social networking fun. Look for ways to get your feet wet. Like, go to the beach, post a tweet, update your Facebook Status, post a question or resource on LinkedIn.

Insight

Not only do small businesses have all the online marketing technology they need, they have all the learning resources they need to leverage it. Simply pick a topic, locate vendors, visit their learning centers.

Resources

Here's what I'm talking about. If your organization serves the business to business market, check out the new 63 page guide published by HubSpot, A Step-by-Step Guide to LinkedIn's New Company Page. I've tweeted the link, so check it out @JerryGitchel. Hey, did I just work in an invitation to visit a social networking site?