Social Media Success Requires Right Tools & Knowledge
Last month, I told one of my custom framing customers I would cut him a piece of glass he needed while he waited. He responded with a look of surprise. “You can do that now?” he asked, assuming that glass cutting was something that would take a great deal of time or effort.
I brought a piece of glass out from the back and positioned it so two edges fit into the customer’s frame. Then with a four-dollar, hand-held glass cutter, I quickly (and very neatly) trimmed the two overhanging sides of the glass so that it fit perfectly into the frame.
The look of surprise grew by a factor of 10. “That’s amazing,” he said. “I thought you needed a fancy machine to do that.”
After the customer left with his repaired frame, I started to think about the similarities between glass cutting and so many other activities in life. Frequently things looks daunting because we lack the right tools and we don’t know where to turn for the information we need to do the job right.
This is particularly true in social media — and there are an awful lot intelligent, hard-working people out there desperately trying to figure it out. Unfortunately, many are looking every bit as puzzled as the customer waiting for that piece of glass.
Social media was certainly one of the big buzz words of 2010, but I have a fairly strong hunch that we’ll be talking about it for years to come. In fact, I’d be willing to wager that 2011 will be the year that small businesses and organizations finally begin to come to grips with the importance of the new technology that falls under the social media umbrella and start to use it with a a much greater degree of effectiveness.
But how is a business owner or employee of a small firm supposed to know where to begin? With so many social media platforms out there — Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, and many more — it’s no wonder that many businesses and organizations are overwhelmed.
Fortunately, it’s never been easier to locate information than it is today, and there is no shortage of people who are available to provide assistance (some free and some paid) — you just have to know where to look.
The purpose of this column is to help people who don’t have the benefit of a Fortune 500 company’s marketing budget behind them, to navigate through the yet uncharted waters of social media, particularly at the local level where I think it will most benefit our local communities.
Each week, I will offer some tools or tips (or both), and will answer questions that I’ve received from readers or those I have encountered in the social media space. When I don’t know the answer, or feel like a second (or third) opinion is needed, I have access to an extensive local network of social media experts who are ready to help.
Here are a few tips for this inaugural column. Consider the following things in the coming week:
● Search the name of your business or organization on Google or Bing. Print the results and write the date on the sheet. Search for your business or organization the way one of your customers or constituents might. In the case of a picture frame shop, for example, search “Picture Framer” “Pleasantville” or “Custom framing” “10570”. Again, print and date the results. Get in the habit of doing things that your customers have to do in order to find you. It will help you immensely as you proceed into the world of social media. If you’re like most, you won’t be thrilled by the results you get from Google and Bing, but you need to start somewhere. Save those results for future reference.
● If you have a Facebook profile, make sure you “like” pages that provide the information which will help you as you go forth into the world of social media. There are pages that cater to just about every interest imaginable. Facebook is an excellent way to build a network at the local level. There are already hundreds of local pages and thousands of people in the Westchester area who are using these pages to reach their goals.
● As you get involved with social media, look for ways to provide value for others. First, it’s the right thing to do, and second, it’s the easiest way to build a community. Those who provide value for others are generally the ones who draw the crowds. Value comes in the form of content, and it can include words, pictures or video. Think from the perspective of your target audience and you’ll be on the right track.
● Consider creating a blog for your business or organization. This will be your home base, so to speak. A blog is a place where you can post your content so it can be easily linked to from any of the other social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
I will go further into depth on all of these topics, and much more in coming weeks. I will also be looking for businesses, organizations and individuals in the local area who are effectively using social media to amplify their message and connect with their target audiences. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have on Twitter
(http://Twitter.com/Cornell140),
Facebook (http://Facebook.com/WestchesterSocialmedia) or email (Chris@WestchesterSocialMedia.com).
Chris S. Cornell owns and operates Cornell Gallery in Pleasantville, NY for the past 15 years. He also manages several online communities, and consults, speaks and writes about social media.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.