Social media opens new world of business

Technology feature for The Memphis Daily News

April 18, 2011

Feedback is not like it used to be, says Shauna Wright. There was a time when a bad experience with a company meant telling a neighbor or a few friends, but in today’s ever-shrinking world, those friends can be a thousand miles away and number in the hundreds.

Because of this phenomenon, the burgeoning field of social media management has taken off with the speed of a Google keyword search, and Wright and others find their days full of tweets, status updates and blog posts. And some of this work is happening from a breakfast table or patio lounge chair, as many managers choose to work from a familiar home rather than a corporate environment.

“So many people are on Facebook and Twitter that their information gets out there and it’s basically free advertising for them to be posting,” said Christie Jarvis, who set up a virtual assistant business from home several years ago but found herself more and more taking over the social media responsibilities for her clients … (read more)