Minority Businesses Slow to Embrace Social Media

Social Media is one of the most effective ways for minority owned businesses to build brand awareness, influence clients and increase revenue. Sustainable success in 2010 requires executives and entrepreneurs to understand how to integrate digital marketing and social networks into their strategic marketing plans.

Digital and social media marketing leaders T.C. Coleman, Esq., CEO of UpwardAction®; Lethia Owens, CEO of Lethia Owens International, Inc.; Andrew Morrison, President of Small Business Camp; and Eric Hamilton, Executive Director of The Web Academy will join forces during the 13th Annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit for the Social Media Revolution: Build Credibility, Raise Visibility, Grow Profits panel.

Those attending the “Social Media Revolution” will explore efficient and effective ways to use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Plaxo, online video and private social networks to attract new business opportunities and increase revenue. According to Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. “Our mission is more necessary than ever before: Ensuring access to capital, industry, technology and deal flow. Social media technology has become a vital tool for competitive companies. Therefore, the information being presented is exactly what minority businesses must have to succeed in this new era.”

During the past year, an increasing large number of minorities are turning to social networks for social expression and communication. According to the 2009 Multicultural Marketing Study by the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University, DMS Research, and Captura Group, usage of social networking websites has exploded during the past year among all ethnic groups and this trend is expected to continue. This explosion presents a significant opportunity for minority businesses to attract new clients, expand market share and increase influence.

“Our mission is more necessary than ever before: Ensuring access to capital, industry, technology and deal flow. Social media technology has become a vital tool for competitive companies. Therefore, the information being presented is exactly what minority businesses must have to succeed in this new era.”

Rainbow PUSH Wall Street Economic Summit has been at the forefront of helping minority businesses grow their businesses, gain access to capital and increase influence for the past 13 years. Andrew T. Carr, Executive Director of the Rainbow PUSH Wall Street Project shares that the “tradition continues with our highly anticipated Social Media Revolution panel.”

Social Media Revolution: Build Credibility, Raise Visibility, Grow Profits takes place on Wednesday, January 13, 2009 from 3 PM – 5 PM (EST) at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, 811 Seventh Avenue at 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019.

About the Panelists:

Tasha Cooper (T.C.) Coleman, Esq. is the CEO of UpwardAction®, a brand development and digital marketing agency, where success is measured by shifts in marketplace behavior and the increase of influence. T.C. is a thought-leader in the areas digital marketing and relationship development. She is also the founder of LawyersLaunchpad.com, a business development hub for entrepreneurial lawyers (aka lawyerpreneurs). Learn more about her companies at http://www.upwardaction.com/ua andhttp://lawyerslaunchpad.com.

Lethia Owens is the CEO of Lethia Owens International, Inc., a Personal Branding & Social Media Consulting Firm and the Founder/CEO of CallKayla, a Social Media Virtual Assistant Agency. Lethia helps clients define their brand message and develop a strategy for attracting, connecting with and engaging clients online while generating consistently high value for their friends, fans and followers. Learn more about her companies at http://www.lethiaowens.com and http://www.callkayla.com.

Andrew Morrison is the founder of Small Business Camp - an entrepreneurial training, coaching and marketing services firm. The company delivers an intensive 2-day program that allows the participants to walk-in with just an idea and leave with a marketing plan, public relations strategy, money-making website, direct-mail campaign and 90 days of follow-up coaching. Learn more about his company athttp://www.smallbusinesscamp.com.

Eric Hamilton is an Internet, web, search marketing and social media veteran. Eric works for Yahoo! as an Engagement Manager supporting Yahoo! Web Analytics which is Yahoo’s enterprise level analytics solution. He is also the founder of The Web Academy, a 501c3 non-profit organization designed to provide free web design classes to the community and free web services to churches and other non-profit organizations. Learn more about his organization athttp://www.thewebacademy.org.