By Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk

I still hear quite a bit of doubt about social media, and specifically how it can help with business development. I decided to talk to a business owner – Cathy Iconis of Iconis Group – that has gotten nearly every client she has through Twitter. Below is her input on how it’s worked for her business and how it can work for others.

Tell me a little bit about your business.

Iconis Group, LLC is a virtual CFO and outsourced accounting firm.  We provide virtual accounting support at all levels to small businesses all over the country.

What made you decide to use social media, and Twitter specifically, to grow your business?

I started this business after I had my first daughter.  I was juggling motherhood and growing this business from nothing.  I couldn’t go out and network, so I decided to start using social media to get my name out there.  Twitter and LinkedIn have been great tools for me to connect with people all over.

What results have you seen?

I have gotten almost all of my clients through my social media efforts.  It’s all about the connections you make and keep.  It’s really easy to do!

How much time does it take you on a daily or weekly basis?

I’ve integrated it so much with my life that I’m not even sure.  I have some tweets scheduled, so that doesn’t take any time.  But the rest is just when I have something to share or want to talk to someone online.  It is a great time waster when I’m bored, but it doesn’t take over my world.

I still hear a lot of skepticism about social media, what do you have to say to those that think it’s a passing fad or not an effective marketing strategy?

If it isn’t an effective marketing strategy, explain to me how I have gotten the business I have.  Social media isn’t a fit for everyone.  I’m techie, love business and conversing with people – so it’s a great fit.  I’ve created my marketing strategy to go after people like me and appreciate social media like I do.  It is a good fit for someone doing business virtually.  Your success on social media truly depends on your target customer.  You’ll see a lot of restaurants, retail shops, consultants and the like on Twitter.

For those just dipping their toe into the social media pool, where do you recommend they start?

I heard someone else recommend this, so I’ll admire and acquire it.  Start by just searching on Twitter and watching what people say.  I wouldn’t setup a profile unless you are serious at giving it a shot.  You don’t want to be a stalker user – following a bunch of people and not adding anything.  It’s fine to be a wallflower and watch what is going on, you don’t even need a profile for that!  Just go to search.twitter.com and start looking around.

What are your plans for the future?

I hope to keep on using Twitter more and more.  I really want to use it to stay connected with people and meet new people.  I also hope to start contributing more to different news feeds and blogs to help get my name out there this year.