The marketing paradigm has forever changed due to the blossoming of social media. Gone are the faceless companies, branded to the extreme with million dollar marketing budgets and flashy CEOs. As Big Business lines up to go bankrupt, begging Congress for bailouts and promises of restored jobs for America, the little business is now primed to flourish. Why? I, for one, am tired of dealing with the Wal-Marts of the business world, and as their CEOs rake in million dollar pension plans, I find my loyalties to their flashy propaganda, shoved at me via television, cable, billboards, and anything else nailed and not nailed down, waning fast.
We Had It Our Way - Instead Of The Right Way
Here's the deal. We've become a McDonalds society, and we want it our way - and cheap. The problem with this is, we then allow faceless corporations to replace the backbone of America - the small business. Sure, Network Solutions or GoDaddy may offer cheaper web design, or Lowes or Home Depot may offer cheaper window installation, but your work is being done by $12 an hour high-school graduates who don't know a thing about their craft. Sure they read the manual, but they lack the years of experience and knowledge it takes to put together a quality skill set.
For those who poo-poo this mentality, saying it doesn't matter as long as there are jobs for everyone, try this on. If the Bail Out of 2009 has shown us anything, Big Business needs to have the opportunity to fail. When you engineer a system that can't support itself, you need to reboot and try again. Plain and simple. People are tired of being treated like trash and falling pray to the glamour of flashy, false advertising.
Enter Social Media
That's where Social Media comes in. Take back the missing link that businesses have lost over the past 20 to 30 years. Let's put back the genuine smiles, the servant-like approach to business. "The Client is Always Right" should even have to be a motto. Real business is all about relationships, and as technology advances, the integration of Social Media is a perfect way to expand your sphere of exposure by getting your business on-line. INFORM people. If you have a reason to stand above your competition, based on price, quality, green-oriented products or services, knowledge base, satisfaction, customer service, etc. - tell people. Just make sure you're not preaching!
Educating The People
Educating people about the need for your services is the best way to start. Be engaging! Be funny! But be truthful. Use links, like Wikipedia or Articles written by major newspaper companies, to add credibility to your education. Remember, you are NOT trying to sell your services. If you educate people correctly, and your services are genuinely the best choice, clients will follow.
Now, please note, that if you are scamming people out of their money, this may actually incriminate you. If that be the case, then please go bankrupt and find something useful to do with your life.
Be Engaging And Friendly!
Making friends on-line is easy, just find ways to make them the object of positive & encouraging attention. Ask for opinions on photos, ideas, services and products. With applications like Facebook, make sure to tag fellow businesses and clients to share good experiences, recommendations, and testimonials. I know it sounds cliché, but try to be a real person talking about real things - maybe even movies and sports. Move alway from the faceless business, and engage people on their own level. The focus of all this being, getting your business and branding in front of people!
Make 'Em Think
The greatest part about your job is knowing your competition. If you know your competition, you'll know the differences between your business and theirs. Hopefully those differences err in your favor and you can then engaging questions. Don't give everything away, but make them think. People love to make up their own minds, but encouraging them with hints of truth never hurt.
Social Media is here to stay, and over the next five to ten years will change the way we do business, not only in America, but all over the world. Ironically, instead of moving us away from the small business, it will bring us closer to home, closer to our friends, and closer to our families.
ZakGraphix - “Raising the Standard of Design, One Website at a Time.”
Micah Zak
St. Louis Web Design – ZakGraphix.com