This holiday season, the need for cost-effective marketing tools is more important than ever – especially for small businesses. With a continued shift of shopping to the Web expected, using social media to reach customers with special coupons and other incentives will be critical to success. In addition to using social media to communicate offers, these channels allow small businesses to create a dialogue with customers and reach a broad audience with minimal cash outlay. The holidays are a perfect time for small businesses to start using social media as consumers will be paying attention to which companies are not only offering the best deals, but also which are being charitable.

Steve Nielsen, Co-Founder and CEO of PartnerUp (www.partnerup.com), the first and largest online community for small business owners and entrepreneurs, offers these simple tips that will help small businesses successfully integrate social media into their business initiatives this holiday season.

Four Tips for Using Social Media this Holiday Season:

* The season for sharing. Leverage social networking sites and microblogs to create viral brand experiences that make customers excited to spread the word to friends, family and colleagues. This year, consider sharing exciting holiday offers—whether it’s a pre-arrival promotion, a special discount code, or one-day special sale—through Facebook or Twitter.
* Boost your customers’ holiday gift IQ: Forget traditional market research; instead look no further than an online community for your ideal focus group. Today’s online communities provide valuable, real-time insight into the thought-process, preferences and behaviors of customers. Nowadays, you’re able to glean a complete view of your customer’s mindset through custom questionnaires, and as a result refine product offerings and services to meet the needs of your customers.
* Tis better to give than to receive. This holiday season, inspire change and impact the world by asking your customers to make a donation to a charity through a social network. Consider establishing a cause or directing your customers to charities that are aligned with your company’s mission. Social networks such as Facebook’s Causes and MySpace’s Impact are just a few of the communities helping to revolutionize online fundraising.
* Really Simple Shopping. Tap into the magic of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds to deliver customized, up-to-the-minute shopping feeds to your subscribers. In doing so, you’ll ensure an easier experience for your subscribers as they fulfill their holiday wish lists during this shopping season.