For all the hype the Facebook stock offering is getting I find it a bit of a non-event. Sure it will be a way for early investors and insiders to get rich, but for the rest of us? Does anyone think Facebook is the end all when it comes to social media? Another, better one will come along in short order. Frankly the bigger it becomes the less enamored I am with it. Small is cool!
Small business should have a Facebook page, and stay involved. Don't however, put all you eggs in that one basket. Keep your e-mail list safe, and don't forget about reaching people directly with e-news. Facebook is just one of many tools available for small business. It's over-hyped right now, and that usually doesn't play out well. People will soon enough "get used to it" and the novelty will wear off. Look how quickly Pinterest got the attention and eyeballs.
I think the initial stock offering for Facebook may be the companies high point. It will now have to show constant growth for the investors, and that may eventually be it's undoing. It can happen. Remember MySpace?