Social Media has changed the rules of marketing. With messages being communicated to millions of people in just the click of a button, businesses must adapt or risk being left behind. So, how can you use this powerful tool to grow your business?

Social Media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are free marketing resources that every business can embrace without needing extensive technical knowledge. Here are 10 Free Ways Social Media Can Help Your Business:

RESEARCH - Find out what is being said about you and your competitors. Ask questions and get immediate responses. Test the market with new ideas. Find out what is important to your audience and build your strategy accordingly.

SALES - Promoting a sale? Launching a new product? You don’t need to create fancy flyers. Tell your followers about it on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Better yet, simply connect all three to each other, and you only have to say it once. The computer will do the rest!

DATABASE - All three social networking sites are a great way to build your sales database. You can even organize contacts into lists and groups. Watch your database grow as new customers come to you!

CUSTOMER SERVICE - The old saying goes, "If you satisfy a customer, they tell three people. If you upset a customer, they will tell nine people.” With the Internet, they can tell thousands! Monitor what is being said about you and take action, immediately.

PR - Create a buzz! Viral Marketing is easy when your twitter followers start retweeting your posts to their followers. And those followers retweet to their followers, and so on, and so on. What you say and do can reach far beyond your boundaries.

EVENTS & PROMOTIONS - Invite people to events. Sign them up for contests. There are plenty of ways in which you get the word out about an event or promotion.

VIP CONTACTS - Always wanted to get in touch with that company director but didn’t know who or how? LinkedIn and Twitter are perfect tools to track down that VIP and make sure your email goes to the person directly.

NETWORKING - Keep everyone up to date with what you are doing. Likewise, keep up to date with what everyone else is doing, too. All three sites are perfect for simple non-intrusive communication and interaction.

REFERRALS - LinkedIn has a specific feature for recommendations. Get your clients and partners to write one for you and then use it as a testimonial in your marketing literature.

RECRUITMENT – Many companies are now bypassing recruitment agencies and enrolling applicants directly through social networking. It’s amazing what comes back to you when you ask for it.