A recent article published by TMCnet contributing editor Gary Kim touches on what we recently wrote about in "A Word about Gaining High SEO for Startups", that small companies often struggle with how to maximize their online marketing spend to reach their objectives. In addition to partnering with an outside company to take advantage of its resources and technology, Kim also discusses how small businesses can leverage social media to quickly "spread the word" about, and the build the reputation of, their business.

 We talk a lot about the need to build credible, high-quality content for your company so that it gets spread across multiple online channels, boosting your brand and building trust with potential and current customers. Kim references a recent American Express survey of small business executives, and found that 82% "get new customers through word of mouth." Leveraging social media channels are a smart way to spread the word about your company. Plus, they're free and it's relatively easy to build a following quickly if you do so in an integrated, consistent way.