Review: Manta Is Massive, But Is It Massive Enough?

Yeah, I know — I’ve been reviewing apps since I was in diapers, but every once in awhile I like to deviate from the natural order of things and give credit where credit is due when it comes to small businesses.

Instead of apps for this review, we’re going to focus on a social media site! It’s called Manta. And needless to say, I’m about as impressed with this site as I am with an auto attendant handling all the voicemails and call centers taking all the calls — finally a social site devoted to small businesses, doing what they do best.

What Manta Is All About

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

To be honest, I may be slow on the uptake here, because I get the feeling that Manta has been around for some time already. But they seem new — perhaps because we’re always so inundated with newer social media sites almost on a daily basis. Everybody wants to get in on the action ever since Facebook (or MySpace, wherever your allegiance lies!) revolutionized the entire industry.

What makes Manta so special is that it’s entirely devoted to small businesses! The site before Manta that devoted some attention to small businesses would have to be LinkedIn, still going strong — but Manta almost makes it an exclusivity! That’s a bold move, really.

What Do I Mean by Exclusivity?

Well, first off — yes, you start a profile for free. Checkmark on that. That ends the similarity right there. Immediately Manta gets you and your company moving by offering tools to promote your business and products, whatever they may be. It’s almost like setting up a store online. The social media aspect ties in with this in the form of business networking, similar to that of LinkedIn — but it goes further….

How so? By even offering a community forum — and I’m not talking about those little dinky forums with haters and spammers. No, this is practically a worldwide Matrix-like world of small business owners sharing their tips, networking, offering advice, merging, collaborating, basically sharing digital coffee. There is no spoon, indeed — you are the one, Neo.

This is a site that shows you every single aspect on running a corporation — buying franchises, accounting, marketing, utilizing social media, everything. You can read articles posted daily that are solely devoted to small businesses (possibly mine, even!), learn as much as you can about what you need to do, and never miss a beat. No surprises. No obstacles.

Just smooth sailing.

Okay, I lied — this can be an app review, because Manta also does mobile. CEOs, office workers, janitors, creative directors, copywriters — they can all use Manta on their iPhones or Androids if they want. This makes the exclusive small business social site of the decade a mobile mega-giant that will lock horns with the likes of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+ for obvious reasons.

Because this is the rage these days. Social media.

Those Are Some Big Horns, Though

There will be blood, though, on the digital battlefield. I can tell you that.

Yes, focusing on a niche is always a good thing, but what makes LinkedIn so popular, Facebook so stellar, and Google+ so slick is that they try to expand and include everything. That’s why social media sites are such hot items. They try to fit every mold. Every curve. Every line of this corporate America sculpture.

That’s tough to beat if you’re only trying to sculpt an ultra-modern cube out of marble and calling it art, really! But, hey, there was an artist once who took an actual urinal, turned it upside down, and called it “Fountain.” And he called it art! Go figure. So who knows….

The Point Is This….

Manta does have its work cut out for it. I don’t see Manta caving in, though. There’s always room for supply in a social site catering to a specific demographic, no doubt. But if Manta intends to compete with the bigger boys, content from Manta must be exclusive, better than the rest, and completely accessible anywhere online. It needs to reach the hands of the corporate individual faster than a LinkedIn site can send a recommendation, basically.

Can you see Manta taking names and making changes? Obviously, small businesses are the driving force in our economy, so Manta has touched on a very serious subject. Are they onto something? Or are they just shadowboxing? Your thoughts….

Related Keywords: customer relations, B2B, entrepreneur