Blog: SmallBiz Marketing

I used to be a social snob. I used to think I didn’t need to follow those that (I now realize) had graciously followed or friend requested me. I would like to say that my enlightenment on this topic came years ago or even better, that I was always intuitively dialed in like some of my more capable counterparts seem but sadly this is not the case. Just like countless local businesses I see everyday on Facebook and Twitter I didn’t get it until Trey Pennington hit me over the head with it a couple months ago while speaking at a social media club function. I am paraphrasing but he told a story of being invited to speak in another country on social media (Germany maybe?) and he had gotten the gig through a Twitter follower (from Mexico I believe.) His point was you never know where that next valuable connection (or sale) might come from. Most people are active in social media because, on some level they want be be heard. If following a seemingly random person from halfway around the world might be the connection that one day helps me in some way why wouldn’t I have an open follow policy? Let me be clear, I’m not advocating you open your Twitter feed right now and start following every Tom, Dick and Lady Gaga but if someone deems your feed worthy enough to follow a curtsy follow back (kind of like hollaback but not as cool) is appreciated, and many times noticed… So do it! You are there to connect anyway right?

This past weekend,  my awesome bro in law, CJ invited me to compete in a local triathlon-type event, Saluda Shoals Splash and Dash with him. As I normally would with any event or business I goggled it to find more info.

The event was hard to find on their website, after digging around the homepage I found an event listing. They do have a Facebook page but this event wasn’t posted on the page nor was the event listed in their events feed. They also have a Twitter feed but the event wasn’t promoted here either. 

They ended up having about 25 teams compete and you might say that’s great! And maybe it is but itleft me wondering in this day, when you have already put some energy into developing social media networks, why wouldn’t you take a couple minutes to post the event on Facebook and Twitter? How many teams might have registered if they had taken advantage of those networks you have already expended energy to start building? Saluda Shoals might very well have reasons why this didn’t happen but as a marketer, it got me wondering, with respect to my own clients how many missed oppotunities to promote something go unnoticed due to lack of time, interest or lack of a social media strategy within an organization… because frankly, everyone is too busy to add anything more to their work TO DO list… but sometimes its important!

You never know where you will find the advocates that will help promote you. (also why you should always follow back but more on that later.)

My point is certainly not to call anyone out but more to call attention to some easy ways to make your event bigger than it would be without telling people about it. In the world we live in today with so many marketers viying for your attention, time and dollars why not take advantage of the “free” marketing tools social media has brought us? 

all it will cost you is some time.

If you are in business, you are a marketer so get used to it and start looking for ways to market your business! 

BTW: I can help if you are interested… Saluda Shoals and anyone else wanting to make their event bigger than it would be without telling anyone. :) Hit me up if you want to know more! Me on Facebook

 

Why “Like-Gate” your business fan page? The most simple answer is to get more likes, faster. 

Why do you care about more likes for your business page? You are on Facebook because your customers are there! They use this network everyday. This it is a way to be in front of Fans who have “opted in” to receiving your messages.

A “Like-Gate” is a tab that requires a Facebook user who has not already liked your Page to do so before they can see content within your Facebook tabs. The point is to increase the number of Facebook users who like your page. 

Like-gates can be effective, especially if users are given enough incentive. Creating engaging content is key to maintain a strong fan base, but how do you attract new users and get them to click the “Like” button? Using a call to action like contests, promotions or coupons, is a straightforward way to get this done. Let your like-gate promote the idea that “if you like us, you’ll be able to enter giveaways and receive free coupons.”

Adding a like-gate with a special offer or promotion available to fans only is a certainly a way to increase your fan base. This, in turn, can ultimately result in more customers for your business. Getting people to take the plunge from simply being a user to becoming a fan can be tricky, but is extremely important to creating a strong Facebook presence.

Interested in setting up your “like-gate”? Its free if you know FBML or HBML but most small businesses don’t which is where I come in.

Let us show you what @socialmolly and @adgirlsc can do for your Facebook Fan Page! Send us a message on Facebook!