Publisher's letter: It's time to take advantage of social media

Everybody's doing it...blogging, tweeting and Facebooking, that is. Or at least it seems so. Social media is all the rage these days. But is it important for businesses? How do you get started? And just as importantly, how do you keep it going?

Studies show that regular blogging helps position you and your company as an expert in your field. Linking those blogs to your Twitter and Facebook account allows your customers, both current and potential, to keep up with what you have to say and engage with you and your customer community. That activity, in turn, drives traffic to your Web site, making your business easier to find for those who aren't yet your customers.

So, if we agree blogging and using social media are good for business, how do you get going and who has the time and ideas and writing skills to produce a new blog twice a week?

We have the answer. Our new HME Social Media Service, powered by SocialTract, will provider you a blog twice a week on a page that mimics your own Web site. In addition, our service will link the blog to your Facebook page and Twitter account. We'll even set those accounts up for you, if you don't have them.

When you sign up for the service, you'll be assigned a SocialTract writer who'll work with you to help develop some topics specific to your business. The technical end of the set-up usually takes about 6 weeks and includes a blog site that looks just like your regular Web site and Twitter and Facebook accounts for your business.

Once you're set up, your writer will post two blogs per week to your site. You'll also receive periodic calls from your writer, asking about things happening in your business and your area, to be sure the blog content is relevant and specific to your company.

The cost is less than you might think and certainly far less than finding, hiring and training your own person to do the job. It's time to take advantage of the benefits blogging and social media can bring to your business. Go to hmesocialmedia.com for details. Or better yet, stop by the HME News booth, #569, for more information. See you at Medtrade!