Becoming social: Local business owners and marketing experts share tips and tricks for conquering social media

Ashley Hahs

Owner/groomer of Zoomin' Groomer Mobile Dog Salon in Cape Girardeau

WHAT SHE DOES: Owning a dog is supposed to be fun. And groomer Ashley Hahs tries to reflect that throughout her grooming salon's website and Facebook page. On Facebook, she posts before and after pictures of her "client" makeovers. She shares quotes about canines. She offers the occasional Zoomin' Zany (links to YouTube videos of dogs doing something silly, like sledding in the snow). And she quips about her particularly hairy clients.

"It's all in good fun. Owning a dog is supposed to be humorous and about the joy that they can bring," Hahs said. "That's why I always want to make sure when people think of my page or think of my company, whether they realize it or not, it's a fun and happy feeling." Hahs launched her Facebook page and website, www.zoomingroomer.com, within weeks of opening her grooming business in July. She sees the online presence as a way to further brand her business and get the word out about her services.

Sharon Ebersohl

Owner of Kid Biz in Cape Girardeau

WHAT SHE DOES: Beginning early this year, Kid Biz will be available as a Facebook fan page. With new inventory coming into the store three days a week, Ebersohl plans to use the Facebook page every other day, if not daily, to update her store's latest products. "Facebook is quick. It's something you can pop on and do quickly," she said. "There's always something new coming in, so Facebook will get it out there and help turn around some of the sales of items more quickly." Kid Biz offers additional information on its website, www.kidbizresale.com.

Peg MacDougall

Owner of Edward Bernard Gallery in Cape Girardeau

WHAT SHE DOES: As a small-business owner, MacDougall knows the power of staying connected with potential customers. "If you keep your name out there, people will think about you when a need or desire comes up," she said. For the past two years, MacDougall has turned to Facebook to help accomplish that goal. Some 225 Facebook fans can read her regularly updated posts, which often are accompanied by photos of her gallery's art. "I don't want to irritate people. I post when I have something to say -- if I have new art, if I have new pictures, when I have an event coming up. I try to make it as credible as possible," she said. "I love to sell, but I'm not trying to sell on Facebook. I'm simply trying to keep the name at the front of minds."MacDougall also uses her website, edwardbernardgallery.com, to offer visitors a way to search for particular artists or pieces. "I just want people to be able to experience the gallery visually more than anything with the web page," she said. "Art is seeing and experiencing, so my website gets people excited and interested."

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Peg sets a perfect example of how to professionally use Facebook. Not as a sales tool, but rather as a resource of information and only posting relevant information that people really want to know. Another notable mention is the fact that Peg uses Facebook to "keep her name at the front of minds." This is otherwise known as TOMA or top-of-mind-awareness and is a great strategy to keep her business No. 1 in the minds of her potential clients. Other businesses can use these tips to not dilute their Facebook page with too many posts or irrelevant information but rather use it to establish TOMA with their customers.

Drew Janes

- DREW JANES, Owner/producer of Relentless Media Productions, Jackson

Patrick Koetting

Manager of Cape Bicycle Cycling and Fitness in Cape Girardeau

WHAT HE DOES: Cape Bicycle Cycling and Fitness is newer to Facebook and Twitter, but Koetting sees plenty of marketing potential in the world of social networking. The bike shop joined the networking sites in October, and so far uses them primarily to mirror information about advertised sales. However, Koetting hopes to take the social networking posts to the next level by soon offering a Facebook "deal of the day." "That media is still pretty new for this part of the country, but it's successful. It works," Koetting said. "There's a tremendous amount of potential, and we're just starting to crack it."

Jami Dement

Director of marketing and public relations for Pursley Chiropractic in Cape Girardeau

WHAT SHE DOES: Businesses that aren't taking advantage of social media opportunities are leaving themselves out of an entire marketing audience, says Dement. "Ultimately, people don't buy from companies, they buy from people," she said. "Social media can put a more informal, hip and personal face on an otherwise impersonal company. If they follow you on Facebook or Twitter and see what's going on in your office, or what events you have going on, or things you can treat, they're more likely to refer friends and neighbors."

Dement manages an active online presence for Pursley Chiropractic. She says social media should be used in tandem with print and radio ads, and face-to-face contact. Dement uploads informative chiropractic care videos or patient testimonials onto the chiropractic office's YouTube channel a couple of days each week. Five times a day, she posts updates on the practice's Facebook and Twitter accounts, including links to the YouTube videos, "did you know" facts about chiropractic care and invitations to upcoming Pursley Chiropractic events. Dement also keeps the website, www.drpursley.com, fresh and compiles a monthly e-newsletter that features tips of the month, events and other information. "During the past five years, social media is representing a whole new paradigm for communicating and marketing online," Dement said. "And it's free, so it's an inexpensive way to get your business out there."

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Jami nails it when she said "people don't buy from companies, they buy from people." Pursley demonstrates this through a social media strategy and consistency of posting relevant information that gives their audience a resource of helpful information and education. A main point to take away from Jami's social media management is: 1) consistency in posts and in message. 2) pairing your marketing message with other sources such as Youtube, radio, print and their website. 3) Using a plan of action which is easier to manage and clarifies your desired results.

- Drew Janes, Owner/producer of Relentless Media Productions

Terri Penrod

Broker/manager with Realty Executives of Cape County

WHAT SHE DOES: With the help of her assistant, Penrod is turning to a variety of social media outlets to inform prospective buyers about her latest property listings. Penrod can be found on Facebook, LinkedIn and her website, www.terripenrod.com. She also distributes monthly e-newsletters that include a calendar of events, tips for home buyers and home sellers, and other real estate-related information. Penrod tries to update her Facebook page about every other day, offering conversational tidbits about the latest houses she's listed or upcoming open houses.

"You just have to use social media anymore," Penrod said. "More and more people are going on the Internet to look for things."

Nell LaRose

Marketing coordinator at Buchheit, which has local locations in Jackson and Perryville, Mo.

WHAT SHE DOES: For a store that carries more than 65,000 farm and home products, it can be challenging to let customers know about all of the products. Enter Facebook and Twitter. "You can only do so much with a circular," LaRose said. "[Social media] is an easier way to get the word out about all of the different items." That's just one of the ways Buchheit has used Facebook and Twitter since launching the accounts in late 2009. Buchheit posts links to its online circulars, pictures of past store events, "did you know" facts, information about promotions, and questions like "What's your house project going to be this Saturday?" The store tries to update its Facebook and Twitter accounts at least three times a week. Buchheit will soon begin testing how effective its social media marketing is by offering coupons or special deals available just for its fans on Facebook and Twitter. LaRose said the store's project, which will launch this year, will help determine whether Buchheit should be devoting more resources toward those marketing endeavors.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Nell shows how social media can come full circle to help grow your business. If you would break down Nell's strategy, it will look like this: 1) instead of talking about all products, use social media to promote specials and promotions that are popular with your audience. Sometimes it's a simple as posting the best from your "sale bill." 2) Post information that people will be searching for. Nell is using this to ask questions to promote "community" with their customers as well as answering questions using their "did you know" facts. 3) Sometimes it's best to plan your posts. Knowing exactly when you should post helps keep you consistent and can help keep the quality of your posts high.

- Drew Janes, Owner/producer of Relentless Media Productions

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Social marketing is being viewed as the modern equivalent of the morning coffee klatch, the office water-cooler talk, or the rumor mill at the local beauty shop. For a business, social networking should be considered and examined. Most businesses should test the waters, but as with all marketing, care should be taken on the message given, and what that message will do for the overall image of the business.

Because social network marketing is free, many business owners assume it's easy. That's not always the case. Not all businesses are made for social marketing, and not all business owners are prepared for the undertaking. Using social networking sites will take a lot of time and effort. You have to weigh how many posts to make and what, if anything, makes a meaningful post for your business. Social networking rarely can be used to actually sell your products or services. Consumers do not spend time on the sites to be sold to -- these are social sites. Your posts have to be pertinent to their lives and what they care about. Posts must be considered useful.

To gauge your social networking marketing, be sure to check you page statistics. Continually monitor if your user numbers going up or down. This will be an indicator of how satisfied the consumers who "liked" your page are on an ongoing basis. If your numbers go down, consumers have abandoned your page because of too many, or useless, posts.

Some quick considerations on the pros and cons of social network marketing

Pro: Like word-of-mouth advertising -- it's free!

Con: Like word-of-mouth advertising -- it's very slow to build, many potential customers are not reached! You can't control the reach.

Gera LeGrand

Pro: After your business Facebook post, consumers can comment positively, giving great testimony to your business.

Con: After your business Facebook post, a consumer can comment negatively, and once the bad word spreads it becomes very difficult to control or revert.

Pro: It's simple -- even your 13-year-old daughter can do it for you.

Con: It's not so simple -- while it can be outsourced, actual input from the business owner is crucial. You just can't post anything! You need to analyze and discuss every post in advance. Your reputation is at stake.

- Gera Legrand, promotions specialist at the Southeast Missourian

So, you got a Facebook page and a Twitter profile for your company, but what is next? It is time to get serious, lay down your objectives and understand the importance of utilizing the social media boom to its full potential. Whoever your target group, a substantial percentage is using at least one social networking site. Customers, suppliers and competitors in your environment have caught on, and so should you.

It is important to integrate your social media use into your overall marketing strategy. Beyond adding value to your brand, you should be setting the same standard for your social media objectives as you do with all other marketing approaches you implement. Some of the more common goals businesses for social media are to drive traffic to company website, reach customer on-the-go, create awareness, reinforce marketing messages and increase ROI.

Dana Hukel

These goals are achieved in many different ways, some more creative than others. A trend on the rise is the personalized interaction with customers. There are endless examples of small and big companies reaching out to specific customers, giving them special attention, creating loyalty and a sense of friendship. A small BBQ restaurant called The Pit, Raleigh NC, posted this tweet directed towards a small group of loyal customers: "Roll call - @1918 @JML_NC @RobLaughter @Waynesuttonnc @Jeremysaid @jefftippet. Who's coming for lunch???".

Reaching out to the individual is not the only way to go about using these social networks. Offering great deals, real-time news, and competitions are a few other ways companies are marketing their brand through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, and other social networks.

So how do you make yourself noticed if all the other companies are also fighting for attention? The short answer: be innovative, creative and stand out. Being a head of the game is what turns customers towards your brand, instead of your competition.

To make it practical, here are a few suggestions: (1) Invite your customers to a real-time Q&A session on Twitter. This might take time away from other important affairs, but making the customer know that you want to hear what they have to say is a powerful way to increase loyalty. (2) Personalize tweets and Facebook messages to a loyal customers. Not only does this reinforce those customers' loyalty, but it also shows others can become a part of the company family. (3) Follow up on a big sale with a personal tweet or Facebook message reminding the customer that if he/she needs anything, you are ready to provide excellent service. (4) Invite followers and fans to create their own TV ad, pick a winner and have it aired. It's not only fun for the individuals to see their homemade video on the air, but it also speaks to their "15-minutes of fame" hopes. (5) And finally, how about creating your own app for the millions of mobile phone users out there. It can be a simple game, a useful tool to help the customer when shopping in your store, or an educational program for kids.

Invest some time and effort in learning about what other companies, not just your competition, are doing with their social media. The best way to get noticed in a crowded area is to look different, sound different, and act differently. Here is what you have to keep in mind: stay consistent with your overall marketing strategy, add value above all else, and stay a head of the game.

- Dana Hukel, President And Ceo Of Bold Marketing