Look over here, at this growing pile of research. It says that digital media, and social media in particular, is instigating a host of decidedly anti-social behaviors: addiction, cyberbullying, anxiety, depression and something called FOMO, or, fear of missing out. In the worst cases, in adolescents, this dependence is being linked to negative body image, higher high-school dropout rates and even higher suicide rates.

But now look over here, at this equally towering pile of research. It says that digital media is the best thing to happen to businesses since the creation of the web site. When digital media is carefully threaded through the needle of a marketing strategy, it can create a tightly interwoven tapestry for a small business owner to elevate his profile, increase his profitability and engender customer loyalty.

Keep the Impact of Digital Media on Society Top-of-Mind

Looking at the two piles simultaneously may trigger double-vision; the same people who may be adversely affected by digital media in their personal life sometimes credit it for improving their professional life. About two-thirds of the respondents in a study of 5,000 digital media users by the World Economic Forum said that digital media had “improved their ability to learn and develop professionally. This included their ability to carry out their work, collaborate with colleagues and build relationships.”

As a small-business owner, you may be wondering how the effects of digital media on society can spawn such alarm in one arena while fostering appreciation in another. It suggests that you can separate the professional tendencies of a human being from the strictly personal ones. And it provokes a logical question: Is it possible to separate the effect of digital media on a business from what it can do for a business? It can be, if you're willing to sift through the piles. Then both the positive and negative impacts of digital media on business should be easier to discern.

Settle on a Definition

Like many people, you may think “social media” when someone refers to digital media, but the umbrella term is actually far more expansive. PC Magazine says it refers to:

“the electronic devices that store the data (magnetic tapes and disks, solid state drives and flash drives) or to the communications methods that transmit the data, including email, text and instant messaging, text chat and video calling.”

In your reality, as a small-business owner, you may lean more heavily on the second part of that definition, or “the promotion of products or brands via one or more forms of electronic media,” as the Business Dictionary says.

Either way, Digitalist magazine fires two shots across the bow, one by announcing in a headline that “there is no avoiding digital disruption” and the second by warning business owners:

“For most organizations, it’s no longer a matter of whether to adopt a digital business model but how to adopt it without damaging their existing business or customer base so much that they don’t survive the transition.”

Put another way, it’s a matter of weighing the positive and negative impact of digital media on business, too.

Consider the Positive Impact of Digital Media on Business

Thoughts of your traditional marketing efforts may be swirling through your head. This is probably inevitable, especially if you've already formed a successful merger of traditional and digital marketing tactics. In this case, you already know what digital media can do for your business. Some of the primary effects digital media can have on a business include:

Digital media can give a business boundless reach. There's a good reason digital media is known as “the great equalizer”; who's to know whether that vibrant website with the provocative pictures and compelling content emanates from a two-person operation or a 2,000-person operation? The customer won't know, and the customer could reside five blocks away or 5,000 miles away. Of course, not every small-business owner wants a global customer base. But with digital media, it's there for the taking. As Brandon Gaille puts it: “You can target TV viewers, for example, or radio program listeners or magazine readers. Direct mail can reach a specific zip code or neighborhood. Digital marketing, however, can reach an entire globe.”

There's a good reason digital media is known as “the great equalizer”; who's to know whether that vibrant website with the provocative pictures and compelling content emanates from a two-person operation or a 2,000-person operation? The customer won't know, and the customer could reside five blocks away or 5,000 miles away. Of course, not every small-business owner wants a global customer base. But with digital media, it's there for the taking. As Brandon Gaille puts it: “You can target TV viewers, for example, or radio program listeners or magazine readers. Direct mail can reach a specific zip code or neighborhood. Digital marketing, however, can reach an entire globe.” Digital media can be a money-saver – at least if you believe that you have to spend a little money to save money. Compared with what you may have been spending on traditional marketing methods, even pay-for-click ads (otherwise known as paid search) are relatively affordable. Meanwhile, traffic from organic searches can stream your way for free, though you will have to make a “sweat equity” investment in content to see results. The same is true for email campaigns, search engine optimization (SEO) and social media. For businesses facing lean financial times – and what business doesn't? – an integrated digital media strategy can do more than save money; it can save a business that is fighting to survive.* Digital media can ingratiate a business with its customers. Owners of brick-and-mortar stores might argue that building customer relationships through superior service is a concept as old as time itself. They have a point. But there is no doubt that inbound marketing affords a small-business owner many ways to flaunt that service – namely, through blogs, case studies, ebooks, videos and webinars. Building relationships through these channels can instill customer loyalty and fuel word-of-mouth. The essence of marketing hasn't changed, but digital marketing has multiplied the channels exponentially.

– at least if you believe that you have to spend a little money to save money. Compared with what you may have been spending on traditional marketing methods, even pay-for-click ads (otherwise known as paid search) are relatively affordable. Meanwhile, traffic from organic searches can stream your way for free, though you will have to make a “sweat equity” investment in content to see results. The same is true for email campaigns, search engine optimization (SEO) and social media. For businesses facing lean financial times – and what business doesn't? – an integrated digital media strategy can do more than save money; it can save a business that is fighting to survive.* Owners of brick-and-mortar stores might argue that building customer relationships through superior service is a concept as old as time itself. They have a point. But there is no doubt that inbound marketing affords a small-business owner many ways to flaunt that service – namely, through blogs, case studies, ebooks, videos and webinars. Building relationships through these channels can instill customer loyalty and fuel word-of-mouth. The essence of marketing hasn't changed, but digital marketing has multiplied the channels exponentially. Digital media can deliver fast results and sales. It ought to. People want information fast. They'll rarely scroll beyond the second page of an organic search. They'll ditch a website that takes more than a few seconds to load. And more and more, they're searching while they're on the go, spawning a digital domain known as mobile marketing. In addition to appealing to consumers' need for speed, digital media can deliver fast sales returns. If you've grown accustomed to your marketing team likening a marketing tactic to a “seed” – as in planting a seed – digital media can help a business reap a quick and bountiful harvest.

It ought to. People want information fast. They'll rarely scroll beyond the second page of an organic search. They'll ditch a website that takes more than a few seconds to load. And more and more, they're searching while they're on the go, spawning a digital domain known as mobile marketing. In addition to appealing to consumers' need for speed, digital media can deliver fast sales returns. If you've grown accustomed to your marketing team likening a marketing tactic to a “seed” – as in planting a seed – digital media can help a business reap a quick and bountiful harvest. Digital marketing allows a business to respond to customers and make any adjustments quickly. It's an obvious offshoot to the inherent speediness of digital media; a small-business owner can nip a problem in the bud and respond in an equally speedy manner to questions, gripes, complaints, rants and lawsuit threats. Meanwhile, a complimentary anecdote or compelling customer success story can be used as the cornerstone of a short-term marketing campaign. From a devil's advocate point of view, digital media should all but eliminate the “I wish I knew” excuse from a business owner's repertoire. Consumers have demonstrated that they're more than happy to share their experiences through inbound marketing, email and social media in particular. And a business owner who adds regular online customer satisfaction surveys to the mix should remain “in the know.” In this way, too, digital media holds the potential of doing more than insulating a business from ruin; it can save it from this fate, too.

Consider the Negative Impact of Digital Media on Business

Naturally, digital media is far from a perfect vehicle. No means of mass communication is. Digital media scores some negatives among small-business owners because:

Digital media can sweep up a business in “media fatigue.” Consumers are bombarded with thousands of messages a day – a consequence that is largely their own doing. They could, after all, simply put down or shut off their smartphones. But this means they are also more discerning about what they do take the time to read as well as what they choose to ignore.* Digital media can be a time drain on a business. Social Media Today reports that more than 60 percent of marketers spend at least six hours a day on digital marketing. This is time you may not be able to allocate, forcing some tough choices. Even if you forego paid digital ads, the sweat equity investment can be unrelenting and considerable.

Consumers are bombarded with thousands of messages a day – a consequence that is largely their own doing. They could, after all, simply put down or shut off their smartphones. But this means they are also more discerning about what they do take the time to read as well as what they choose to ignore.* Social Media Today reports that more than 60 percent of marketers spend at least six hours a day on digital marketing. This is time you may not be able to allocate, forcing some tough choices. Even if you forego paid digital ads, the sweat equity investment can be unrelenting and considerable. Digital media can devolve into a damage-control operation. This is the most virulent complaint of small-business owners, who grow understandably perplexed by the scammers, spammers, trolls and “reviewers” whose sole purpose seems to be stirring up trouble. “Going viral” was usually considered a good thing for businesses five years ago. It can strike fear in the hearts of small-business owners today.

This is the most virulent complaint of small-business owners, who grow understandably perplexed by the scammers, spammers, trolls and “reviewers” whose sole purpose seems to be stirring up trouble. “Going viral” was usually considered a good thing for businesses five years ago. It can strike fear in the hearts of small-business owners today. Digital media can expose a business to copycats. Since digital marketing campaigns are so “out there,” it also makes them easy to replicate and even copy – right down to the same offer with similar wording against a familiar background shot. Many professional writers have dismantled their online writing portfolios to thwart plagiarists. Small-business owners don't have this luxury and must remain vigilant about marketing mooches.

This last negative can breed a peculiar feeling of vulnerability and loss of control in some small-business owners. Unlike a print ad that's undeniably yours, a radio ad that includes your voice or an ageless brochure that you've been mailing to customers for years, putting so much information “out there,” online, to a global audience, may prompt you to wonder, “Who's really reading all this information and what are they going to do with it?”