It’s almost been a month since my past last post. I am holding strong to my 1 post per-month minimum… Social media at the entrepreneurial or small business level isn’t easy. It requires mass amounts of time and should be (if possible) delegated to a single employee. I have been juggling social media and sales at Avie’s Ski/Sports for over 6months now and it has been quite a learning experience. It’s always nice to hear in the shop when someone says, “Hey I saw a picture of product x or y on Facebook and here I am”. However, as I see organic likes growing on the “Avie’s Ski & Sport” Facebook Fan Page briefly I thought to myself, “cool, but where are these people coming from? How are the finding us on FB?”
It all comes full circle when a customer is about to leave. Add on to the end of your conversation, “Oh, and by the way we’re (or insert business name) on Facebook, check us out for x,y, and z reasons.” To confirm that people are following up I constantly monitor the page several times a day. If I miss a day, then it’s back to digging through my memory bank! Remember, social media existed before Facebook. All you have to do now is incorporate tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogging and the like into your daily business operations. While it does require time, it is very possible for every small business to be utilize these tools successfully. Be yourself, but don’t talk about yourself, change the conversation to a topic or tip that will help people, a short cut you have learned over the years. Most importantly, demonstrate your expertise in an empathetic manor that people will want to read, watch, or interact with AND then share.
Shareable content must always be incorporated and emphasized in any social media strategy. My boss Ted Avedesian has been working in the ski industry since 1978 when he started at Alpine Ski/Sport. Teddy knows a lot of short cuts and insider knowledge that very few people do. He is definitely a ski industry expert not to mention the fact that he’s been sailing and diving for nearly three decades too! It doesn’t matter if you just opened up shop or you’ve been in business for since the industrial revolution you have a story to tell and there are people out there who can relate to it. Consumers or readers are not going to flock to your blog or YouTube channel instantly, and if you choose not to advertise (or if you don’t advertise correctly) it’s possible you won’t see any activity for a few months. However, over time you will learn to be an effective communicator in the conversation prism.
@Aftranch 