The Local Online Marketing Guy

As a Social Media Manger and online marketing workshop instructor in Tucson, AZ I am often asked questions by business owners about using Social Media sites for their business and whether or not they are viable as a revenue generating source, or simply a waste of time.  I hear tales of how they have dabbled with sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc with no discernible results.  A question or two later, I can quickly determine why.

You see, the real power behind Social Media is in the ability for business owners to communicate with their target markets in a way that just a few years ago was only available to the folks over on Madison Avenue.  It took big budgets and deep pockets to interact with your market base and tailor your business and products to suit their needs and wants.  Today Social Media has leveled the playing field and provided a way for business owners to accomplish the same thing without the hefty price tag that usually went along with it.

Businesses tend go wrong with social media in 3 particular ways.

1. Businesses fail to separate the “Personal” From the “Professional.” When using Social Media for Personal reasons, your goal is to interact with and make new friends.  As a business owner,  your goal when using Social media sites is to build trust.  You want people know that you are:

• Knowledgeable
• Trustworthy
• Helpful
• And the Best Source of information or products and services in your niche.

Think about how you conduct your self in your business right now.  Often times you will share bits and pieces of your life outside the office, but there is usually a limit to what you will share and with whom.  Your goal is to interact with your customers while providing the service and or product to fill their needs.  In other words, your friends may want to know what you had for lunch, who your favorite team is, if you’re feeling tired, etc.  However, your clients, customers and prospects do not.

Now this does not mean that you need to be lifeless and boring in your Social Media postings.  It is always a good idea to show personality, but only do so by occasionally sharing carefully selected bits and details about your life.  Interactivity with customers, clients and prospects is an important part of the process but needs to be kept to more of a one-way conversation.

I remember having a heck of a time one morning opening up a box of cereal for my son.  Looking at the end result you’d think I used a weed-whacker to get it open.  Logging into Twitter (Which updates my other profiles) I simply posted, “Am I the only one who has trouble opening cereal boxes?” The response was immediate and started a virtual conversation that lasted for 2 days as business colleagues, clients and friends all chimed in with their frustration over such a rather elementary task.  With a simple question totally unrelated to business I managed to pull people away from the onslaught of sales pitches and promotions and useless information.  The information I was able to glean from this rather mundane post was invaluable.  Just remember: It’s the mundane that tends to connect us with people.  People do business with people… not businesses.

2. Businesses see Social media as just another Advertising vehicle.
More often than not, I see business owners heading onto the Social Media landscape with guns a blazing practically shouting “buy my stuff, buy my stuff.”  This is a huge mistake that business owners make and will inevitably lead to zero results.  Think of it this way, a person walks into your store and without saying hello to them or interacting with them in any way you say to them, “Here buy this.” Think that customer might be a bit turned off? What are the odds they’ll be interested in what you have to ay after that?

However, on the flip side, when that same customer walks into your store and you say hello and get to know a little bit about them and their interests you are able able to serve them that much more and better provide for their wants, desires and needs leaving the customer much more open and receptive to recommendations and suggestions.

3. Taking your business into the world of Social media without having a plan or goal in mind.
Businesses are often attracted to the big, shiny toys of Social Media and begin playing with it having no idea what they are getting into.  Social Media is not about visiting a website or two.  It would be more akin to moving into a new community, getting to know those within the community and how you can invariably help them.  Having a plan in place to help you achieve that goal will make the whole process go a lot smoother and with better results.  Your plan does not have to be grandiose.  After all, our goal in business is to acquire more customers and take care of those we currently have and we can use Social Media to leverage that.

Things to consider when developing a Social Media Marketing plan:

• What product or service are you selling?
• Who is your target audience?
• What should you be talking about based on the above
• What other related topics would people be interested in

Remember, you need to come across as knowledgeable, Trustworthy, helpful and the best in your industry to turn to.

All businesses are built around creating healthy relationships with prospects that will eventually become your customers by providing them value.  And so, is Social media a waste of time? If you fail to separate the personal from the professional, view it as just another advertising outlet in your arsenal, and fail to plan the answer is an emphatic “yes!”  However, Social Media, when  used properly, gives you the ability is to interact with your customers, answer their questions, and proactively push out information and provide that value to prospects who have needs, wants and desires in your industry.

Should you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me through this website.  I will gladly point you in the right direction.

~ Jonnie Allan