We recently re-found this great article from nearly a year ago that describes how a small town liquor store and its very savvy owner get social media right. It’s an insightful look at how social media is really just an amplification of the great advantage you have as a small business providing personalized service in a small market. [level-members]
Some of the key insights:
- Customers overwhelmingly prefer the “small business” feeling they get from … small businesses.
- Personalized service works
- Building relationships matters – talk to clients about their lives, their family, their interests, their work – the things that matter to them.
- Get involved – be a part of your community
- Play for the long-term payoff, not the quick sale.
- Show your personality
- Inform and entertain your clients to win their trust
If you went through that list with the small-town, mom-and-pop proprietor of a main street retail business, great. You’ve got the right idea. Now go back through the list with social media in mind.
All the same truths still hold. It’s harder to wrap your arms around the community because it’s not defined as neatly as geography defines our markets, but it’s a community nonetheless. And the community you are part of in a social media world values the same qualities as are valued in the bricks and mortar world:
- Authenticity
- On-going relationships
- Personal attention
Social media is not an outpost of the anonymous and impersonal world that is the Web. It’s very much a community and it’s a place where the proverbial friendly smile and kind word can take you far. Make that your guiding principle and you’ll find your social media marketing will provide a huge return on a very minimal investment.
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