LONG BEACH, Calif. The fear of negative publicity may be most business owners biggest obstacle to marketing on Facebook or Twitter, but its actually an opportunity in disguise because social media allows for immediate action, says e-marketing expert Eric Elliott of BusRates.com.

"Thats your moment to shine. Respond quickly. Offer a solution," he says. "The user might take the comment down, or say, Youve been great. And guess what? Theyre a long-term customer."

The good news about e-marketing opportunities doesnt end there, says Elliott.

Last year, 95 percent of consumers reported starting their product searches online, and 65 percent cited it as the most important factor in their buying process, an increase of 50 percent over the previous year, Elliott reported.

Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, and conventional marketing tools, like brochures and bus signage, are similar and different, he says. They both focus on a target market and aim to create awareness and drive leads.

But social media is not "big media," and is less formal and less "sales-y," he says.

The informal nature of social media makes it an ideal means for companies to forge relationships with customers, Elliott contends.

"Think about it: If your customer follows you on Twitter or Facebook, and theyre posting about X, Y and Z, the next time a person asks for a quote from you, you can say, Is this for an upcoming trip? or I saw you posted this, hows it going? You can have more of a relationship than this other company whos bidding on that same trip," he says.

One caveat Elliott offers is to beware of user-fatigue.

"The thing is youre always indirectly selling yourself but not by saying heres a special or look at our shiny bus Its by saying, this is who we are, he says.

"Some people say its the one-in-four rule. For every four Facebook posts or tweets that you do, (only) one should be a direct sales message."

Eric Elliotts E-Marketing Primer:

Facebook. Statistic: More than 800 million active users, who each create an average of 90 pieces of content a month.

Tips: "The easy part is finding someone to manage your companys Facebook account. Every office will have one person who will be willing to manage it," Elliott says.

Twitter. Statistic: More than 200 million users; about 50 million tweets are sent every day.

Tip: "For those who are only on Facebook, I highly recommend you hop over to Twitter. Youre going to find an even more instant stream of communication that you can use to describe your own products and services, learn about other products and services and, most importantly, learn about your clientele," Elliott says.

YouTube. Statistic: More than two billion videos are viewed every day.

Tips: You dont need professional quality video. People want to see who you are. Dont be afraid to use your own phone cam. Try posting a video walking tour of a new coach that zooms in on amenities such as leather seats.

QR codes. Statistic: Most frequent users are in the 35- to 44-age range, and about 90 percent scan codes to obtain additional product information.

Tips: The codes are easy to create and can be obtained from a multitude of websites for free. Print them on your invoices and receipts.

Broadcast e-mails. Statistic: People who buy products and services through e-mail spend nearly 140 percent more than those who do not.

Tips: Limit the number of e-mails sent to customers to keep them engaged but not overwhelmed; send broadcast e-mails on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and take steps such as using a template or hiring a professional service to ensure your e-mails have an appealing layout.