Hey there, ma and pop: Are you hip to Twitter (
), Facebook (
) and the myriad of other social media tools that are currently at your disposal — you know, the ones the teens and 20somethings have basically dovetailed into their everyday lives? Social media may seem like a vapid way for tweens to gossip about Twilight () and the like, but it can be an effective (and fun) way to reach new customers and create stronger bonds with loyal fans.
Some of you may already be riding the Internet () wave (let’s face it, most of you probably are if you’re reading Mashable ()). The University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business recently did a study that shows the relationship between social media and small businesses and found that the technology adoption rates in the U.S. have doubled in the past year from 12% to 24%.
