So, after a few responses to our last blog entry, we decided to expand on our 3 C's of Business concept. This week we will focus on CONNECTION, and in the following weeks we will look at CONSISTENCY and CONCEPTS.
How is your business connected to the customers? Whether you encourage customer to review your business with yelp!, or a social media like Facebook or Twitter, staying connected with customer is important to business survival.
If your business doesn't have a web presence yet, consider how easy and (usually!) free it can be to start promoting your business online. Here's a quick reference on how to start up your own social media site:
1. What kind of contact do you want to make with your customers?
2. Do you want to share pictures?
3. Do you want to share a long story, or a quick blurb?
4. Do you want only limited information?
Depending on your answer to these questions, there is a different social media out there for you. Of course, the first step is to research the social media before you sign up for an account. It's important to consider not only what TYPE of social media, but also, how many people are networked into it. For an example, MySpace may not be the best tool for advertising! Find a social media that you are also comfortable using. If it's difficult to share photos and hard to navigate their site, don't waste your time. Social media sites should be easy to use and not cluttered or complicated. This makes it easier for you to post on it, and easier for your customers to find your items and posts.
Now, you may be wondering, "What is the difference between all these sites? Aren't they all the same?"
The answer is yes AND no. While each social media site can be used for business and do function in much of the same ways, each one is unique, and focuses on different aspects of your business. In this entry, we are only going to focus on "the big 3" of social media: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. But there are certainly others out there that you may try - social media can open new doors to your business you maybe have thought was either too expensive or too hard to accomplish. Leave us a comment on your favorite social media site!
If you would like to type up to a paragraph, and include a picture, or run a contest, consider using Facebook. With over 3 billion members, they are certainly well networked, and their simple interface is easy to use. Some examples are: small business, restaurants, and day cares, in order to share pictures and run specials.
If you like sharing with your consumers short (less than 100 characters) coupons, advertisements, or business updates, Twitter is a great way to get them connected to your business. Some examples are: mobile businesses like salons and bakers
If you want to share videos of your product, such as set up and quality of design, then YouTube might be for you. Some examples are: construction and home improvement, gardens/nurseries, political agendas.
For those of you that need some social media in your business life, go off and create your account, and good luck. If you already have a web presence and are working on promoting your business, we would like to talk to you now.
Yes, YOU! The one who always shares their burger special, offers discounts for mentioning their post, or takes the time to edit a video for upload - keep up the good work! Sometimes, uploading that photo or sharing your special can seem very time consuming, but it is worth it for the extra customers that it brings in. Much of the world is very CONNECTED today, and without your connection to others, your business will have a hard time thriving. With that in mind, here's some simple rules of ettiquette for your social media site:
1. There is such a thing as "too much posting." Utilize Folders for your photos: Chances are, after the 100th post of your flowers or steaks, customer may start to 'hide' your posts, which limits what they can see in the future. Instead of sharing a lot of photos, put them in an album or folder, and share the entire thing. That way, customer don't get overloaded with too much information.
2. Pictures are ESSENTIAL. Unless you run the local honey bucket company, visual stimulants are imperative to your product. Your customer may skip your text-only special unless you entice them with an enticing picture of your special. A picture speaks a thousand words, and on the internet, it speaks even more. So post away with snapshots of your delectable items!
3. Typos are the fastest way to start an argument. Proof read and edit your post, and, if possible, have someone else at the business double-check it as well. Customers typically won't be afraid to point out any errors, which sparks a debate that leads away from the discussion about your product. It also goes without saying, if you use bad grammar and spelling intentionally, it doesn't look very professional to maybe consumers, who may end up skipping your business entirely.
Whether you are new to social networking or a veteran from those long-ago days of MySpace (lol), continue making your business connected to the outside world. It's not just locals that sample your goods, but people from out of town and from different states and even countries! In a small town like ours, CONNECTION can mean everything.
No comments:
Post a Comment