At the beginning of this year, I issued a call to all small and mid-sized businesses (SMEs) that social media, while still hyped to be more than it is, was no longer optional. Since that time I've seen some very wild reactions - everything from complete and total resistance to the apparent belief (or more likely desperate hope) that social media will solve all business problems. The bulk of SME executives, however, lie somewhere in the middle. Today, they are curious about social media, but a) they don't understand it and b) they don't believe that "their clients/customers" use it.
This morning, I came across an excellent presentation that (while a bit aggressive in tone) clearly highlights why it's important, why it works and why you're foolish not to be participating. It's from the people at Brand Infiltration. Admittedly, I know nothing about them. This presentation, however, nails it and even though it's 83 slides you need to read every one of them (yup - every single slide).