Here are 10 tips on how to make social media work for your local and regional business.
1) Have a plan- Even a bad plan is better than having no plan at all. What is going to be your landing page? How are you going to drive traffic to that page? What social media channels are suitable to the nature of your business and content that you are providing? What is your online “voice”? How are you going to measure success?
2) Have a brand- If you don’t have this already it is important to have a business name, logo, and a list of brand values that your company represents. Be sure to keep logos and brand values consistent from social media channel to social media channel. Make sure that your posts and interactions and your online persona are working together to reinforce those brand values.
3) Build an online community- Applying a world wide technology to a relatively small geographical location has special challenges. We did NOT just build a community of potential clients such as wedding planners or venues. We focused on connecting with people who are influential on a whole host of topics but who share a passion for this geographical area. They could be into the arts, commerce, social media, history, literature, mountain biking, bird watching, fishing, gardening, ANYTHING!
4) Use targeted posts- When looking to add local SM influencers who are interested in the arts (for example) then post a blog about the local art scene before “friending” them or “liking” their pages. This will make your blog page relevant and increase the likelihood that they will become allies.
5) Provide value to the community- SM is not just about getting a return on investment. It is about providing information, connections, and enjoyment to the community. The promise of the technology is not just to broadcast but to LISTEN. Interacting with the community establishes you as a trusted authority in your field. In time that authority becomes trust and building trust is a key part of eventually doing business with a person or getting that person to recommend you to a friend. Basically, you want to become a local resource to people.
6) Have a landing page- If you abide by the first recommendation and you HAVE A PLAN, then you will want to have one website where you want to drive all your traffic, clicks, and views. We suggest hosting all your blogs, photos, and other content on your mainwebsite. By doing this you will get the SEO (search engine optimization) benefit of back links and keyword optimization on your main page. The idea is that when people are doing a google search for keywords related to your service you will be on the front page of any search.
7) Be consistent- the internet is a dynamic place. Too many businesses put up a web page or a facebook page and then sit back and wait for the telephone to ring. Don’t think of the internet like a billboard or a pamphlet. It is a place for give and take. It is a place for conversations and engagement. By consistently posting new content and consistently promoting other peoples’ content people will come to see you and your business as a local resource.
8) Be relevant- When joining regionally specific conversations it is important to post relevant content. There is no magic formula but the preponderance of your posts should be about issues or topics that are relevant to the geographic location. This does NOT mean that everyone of your posts has to be about YOUR business and YOUR events. It just means that your posts should be interesting, entertaining, or educational to your audience.
9) Avoid controversy- This doesn’t mean that you can’t be provocative (if that is your persona), but no one really wants to read your or your business’ political or religious opinion in their news feeds (unless your business IS making religious or political opinion pieces) . If half the people who read it are going to be annoyed or alienated then why do it? Also, remember to be polite and professional. This may seem obvious to most people but you would be surprised at how many people post rude comments. Don’t do that.
10) Engage rivals You want to engage with rivals and their clients. This concept is called “coopetition”, a neologism that expresses an ongoing relationship with perceived rivals. Why would one do anything to promote a rival’s posts? This last question is interesting. Look at how people read news online, for example. They jump from the Wall Street Journal to the New York Times to the Washington Post. They hop like grasshoppers from “blade of grass to another blade of grass”. This analogy gives one a whole different perspective and attitude about “following” or “friending” business rivals and even reposting their content. In the case of a caterer, he or she wants to be among the two or three companies that a potential client is considering for catering their next event . You want your name and your posts to be appearing in the newsfeeds of all potential clients. Please refer to point # 9 and always be constructive and non confrontational.
There is a lot to be optimistic about when it comes to marketing a small business in a local or regional market. A consistently executed and well thought out social media plan will create real allies and brand advocates. The future of social media is bright. People are more interested in what other people are saying about goods and services than they are interested in being marketed to. Younger generations are already using the search feature on sites such as facebook and twitter to locate goods and services and to vet products among their peers. In a short amount of time this phenomenon will become prevalent among a broader demographic. This last tip is a bonus: have fun!
The author, Philip Stephano, is a social media marketing strategist in Bucks County, PA. He is passionate about helping local and regional business around the country to use social media as an effective tool to find local prospects and customers. To learn more about Stephano go to http://about.me/philipstephano
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