NEW ULM - Communications technology has advanced rapidly since the advent of the Internet. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter give people new ways to reach each other, and it gives retail businesses new ways to reach out and communicate with their customers.

The New Ulm Retail Development Commission sponsored a talk Tuesday by Chad Oudekerk, instructor with the Small Business Management program at South Central College in North Mankato.

Oudekerk gave brief descriptions of the main Social Media platforms and showed how small businesses can use these platforms to build networks of customers.

Facebook is the "granddaddy" of the social media platforms, said Oudekerk. It developed from the practice of colleges and universities putting out "facebooks" of new students to help them get to know each other better. Facebook allows its members to post their own profiles, connect with friends and share messages and links that interest them.

Oudekerk showed how Facebook allows businesses to advertise and reach a very focused target audience. The audience can be defined by graphic area and by demographics like age, gender and, to some extent, income level.

Advertisers can also set their budgets, and when that budget level is reached, their program ends.

Some Facebook users use their pages to promote a business. When they build up a network of friends, their message goes out to those friends, and to the friends of those friends in a phenomenon known as "viral marketing." The cost to the advertiser in money is minimal, though it does take time to set up the network and keep the Facebook page updated.

Twitter is a newer form of communication that has rapidly gained popularity. It allows users to send out "tweets," short messages of 140 characters or less, to followers. Those followers can respond, or send the message on in "retweets."

Business owners can communicate with customers, letting them know about specials or hearing from customers about their good or bad experiences.

Oudekerk also told how Google Alerts can be used to let businesses know what people are saying about them on the Internet. Alerts search the Internet for keywords and inform the user whenever the word shows up in a blog or a web site.

Oudekerk said businesses can set up alerts for their business names to monitor what is being said about them.

"Let's say you own a restaurant, and with turnover being high you've added three new waitresses on one weekend. Things don't go the way they should," said Oudekerk. "Let's say a customer had a bad experience and writes about in on their Facebook page. Google Alert will let you know, and you as a business owner can respond, saying, 'We'd like another chance to show you what we can do, come on back and we'll give you a 20 percent discount,' or something like that."

The NURDC will continue its Social Media program with a public presentation on Thursday, at 7 p.m. in the New Ulm Community Center, 600 N. German Street. Oudekerk will talk to the general public about social media platforms and how they are used. The meeting is free and open to the public.