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Social Media for Small Business series, chapter 1
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Posted On 06/30/2009 10:47:18 by grapevine
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Social media for small business series, chapter 1
First, Let's be honest and upfront with each other. I don't have a PhD in social media tactics. But I have become polished in the ways social media should be used for small businesses. I own a small business, and I have successful experience with using social media. And that counts for a lot.
So, let's start at the beginning.
1. What is social media? It is the old fashion water cooler or street corner conversation. In the world of the Internet, it is enabling conversation. It is the activities among a community of people online who share knowledge, information and opinions.
2. Social media can be good and it can be bad for your business. It allows people to talk about you, and not necessarily in a good way. So be careful about what you say online and who you talk to. On the other hand, you want people talking about you, creating buzz, using word of mouth via the Internet. You want them saying good and cool things about your company. You can't control what others say about you, but you can influence what they say. After all, being in business is about influencing people and winning friends.
3. Three small business rules for social media:
A. Register and enable the conversation thru Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Youtube, local sites like LafayetteGrapevine and others with words, pictures, video and audio.
B. You can influence conversations, but you can't control them. People will gossip and complain. Provide a great product or service with even greater customer service, and, treat your employees good, and you can limit the negative. Then brag with humility and participate in as many social media avenues as you can.
C. Live in fear that your business could go down the drain if you don't get in the game of social media and influence what people are saying about your company. Everything is going viral. Get in the game. Use the tools that are out there for free. Keep your brand in a positive light. Start a conversation.
4. Engage people who might one day be your customers or employees or critics or fans. How?
A. Communicate via all social media avenues that you have time to.
B. Educate everone you communicate with about anything that is interesting, including your company. Help people learn more today than they knew yesterday.
C. Entertain everyone you communicate and educate. Pass along funny emails and links to crazy websites about your industry. Make a blooper video for Youtube about your industry. Use music. Be creative. Posting an entertaining video about your company on Youtube or directly onto LafayetteGrapevine is a great way to create buzz about your company. It's done all of the time.
5. Fill out all of the google, yahoo, msn, aol, and wikis stuff you can find on the Internet. Get your name out there for people to catch up to you when they are browsing the Net.
Tags: Social Media Small Business
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