Creating a Digital Footprint: My Journey

“In the future, your digital footprint will carry far more weight than anything you might include on a resume.” -Chris Betcher

I was sitting in my kitchen with friends getting ready to leave for the Reno-Tahoe open when my phone alerted me that I had been mentioned in a tweet. I check it out; come to realize that a local business wrote a story about me and what I’ve been doing with the small businesses in Reno (through my blog).  Gah! The eCommerce Director for Dolan Automotive Group had been following my work via social media, and my attention was grabbed when they put together a blog about my work. I was honored, and reached out to them to meet face-to-face. Long story short… they end up offering me a position as an eMarketing Coordinator. I started on September 1^st.

Pinch me. I’m floored. I am getting paid to do what I love, and I understand the value of that. I did a post back in June (Oh Hello Voice, There You Are: The Power of a Blog), which reflects on my discovery of the power of a blog and my social media journey. I felt the need to add a second part to my journey-as it has taken another turn in the past 30 days. This has nothing to do with self-promotion, I am not boasting, I don’t care if you have never liked or even read anything I have pushed out in the past-but I want to inspire others. I hope that as I continue to share my journey, I will inspire others to understand the importance of personal branding.  Also, I hope I will inspire others to take advantage of the infinite space on the World Wide Web and start blogging. It hasn’t just been a rewarding experience professionally, but personally.

I made a commitment in February to be completely transparent on Facebook, Twitter and through this WordPress site that they call a blog. This is what I did:

• I cleaned up my Facebook page (would Nana be ok with seeing this? No. Delete)
• I made my Facebook profile public
• I made my Twitter public
• I accepted anyone and everyone that added me
• I developed content, which offered VALUE to others (this is the big one, this is a whole different blog post)
• I shared my hobbies, passions, interests…I shared my life
• I was transparent. What’s the big secret, anyway?
• I blogged my heart out.

It was uncomfortable at first. So many people have a fear of opening up on the Internet (whether it be personally or for their business), and I completely understand. If you open up those gates, you are opening up a huge opportunity for people to: hate, judge, copy, spy, intrude, embarrass, harass… all that Jerry Springer shit. But, it’s controllable. Now that I have opened up myself to all of this criticism, I wonder why I didn’t do it years ago. I have made more friends, created more connections and have fully exploited my voice more in the past 7 months than I have in my whole 27 years on this earth.

My journey is really just getting started and I am thrilled to share my adventure as an eMarketing Coordinator for the Dolan Automotive Group. I am going to start sharing my experiences out in the “real world” as a social media professional, and my experience as the voice of a big business in a small town. I have figured out what works for me in terms of personal branding. Now, I get to step up to the plate and see how “human” we can make a business. Also, I will be sharing some of my blog posts from Dolan Auto Group’s blog, as I will be continuing my journey experiencing the Biggest Little City.

What’s your personal brand? How are you marketing yourself online? What does your digital footprint say about you? Don’t ignore it, because I promise you- others aren’t.

The Friendliest Bar on the Loneliest Highway Creates a Stir via Social Media

Most people have never heard of the “Friendliest Town on the Loneliest Highway.” 250 miles clear east of Reno-past Sand Mountain, past the Shoe Tree, past Austin lies the charming town of Eureka- population 700. Say what? I had more than 700 people in my graduating class in California.

A point of charm in this town is that there isn’t really a whole lot going on. No rush hour, drive-thrus, or Starbucks. But, anyone in town knows that if you want a great meal, picon, or to simply visit with a few friendly faces- you need to pull up a chair at the Owl Club. 10,434 square feet of bar, steakhouse, dancehall, and casino is a local favorite, as well as a destination for many travelers. This charming saloon holds a place near-and-dear to my heart and I can promise any visitor will leave with a smile on their face, and a full belly.

The Owl Club has been around for quite some time, but the Carrion Family have been the owner-operators since 1981. Ted and Ron Carrion were the father-son duo that took on the challenge of running a business located off the “Loneliest Highway.” Ron and his wife Betsy uprooted their 2 young girls to move to Eureka and manage the day-to-day restaurant duties.  Ted Carrion was more behind the scenes managing the books and frequently visiting the Owl Club, with his wife Mary. Ted and Ron really wanted to create a great place for the small town of Eureka to enjoy a hot meal and a cold beer- and that they did. Famous items like biscuits and gravy, chicken strips, the cheeseburger, chorizo and eggs, and “the manhandler” 24 oz steak (RIP) have made the Owl Club a popular stop.

Since 1981, any of Ron’s daughters could be found hustling about the bar or restaurant. Ron’s life revolved around his girls, the Owl, the outdoors, hunting and farming. Eleny, Eshel, and Evven Carrion each went off to tackle college and careers as Ron ran the Owl and “EEE Farms.” Ron was known for his sense of humor, big personality, cooking, and this man would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need.

In February of 2009, Ron’s sudden passing rocked the small town of Eureka, NV as he left his small empire and beautiful family behind.  It was at this point that the Owl Club was put up for sale. Until the business is sold, the duties of running the Friendliest Business on the Loneliest Highway have been put into the hands of Evven, 28, Eleny, 36 and her husband Scooter Mentaberry.

A beautiful picture of Ron overlooks the bar, and his famous bottle of Crown Royal is a featured item. The menu also has been transformed a bit. The Man Handler has been removed, and a couple dishes- “The Hank” (a chicken fried steak and egg sandwich) and “The Peyton” (pancakes and eggs) named after Ron’s beloved Grandson’s have been added. Of course, “Ron’s Favorite” was also added which consists of 3 pieces of sausage, 3 eggs, and biscuits and gravy.

A recent change for the Owl Club has been their social media presence. In a small, small town- an online presence can affect the whole community. Evven Carrion has proudly taken the reigns with creating a Facebook, Twitter and website presence for the Owl, displaying what her Dad and Grandpa have built. So many people are thrilled to see this historical bar and steakhouse pop-up on their newsfeeds. The town of Eureka is pleased to see a representation of their community make an appearance (and cause a bit of a excitement, I might add) on Facebook.

“I remember my Dad finally doing his banking online, and he thought that he could teach me all about it! He would never admit it, but he was kind of a techy, so I’m sure he’s smiling down on all this right now. He loved keeping people connected and meeting new friends, so social media is the perfect venue for the Owl Club to grow. Eureka isn’t a very big place physically, but the history, geography, talent, beauty, potential, town folk, and story need a mic…this is the perfect stage.“

I bet Mr. Ron Carrion never would have thought he would see the day where people from across the country are interacting with his business via Facebook. Well, believe your eyes Ron! Add the Owl Club on Facebook to get daily meal specials, find out what’s going on in the community, or just to take a peek at history as one of Northern Nevada’s hidden gems is on display for the world to see.

Social Media and Tragedy

This blog post is way off of what I typically blog about. I usually veer away from blasting my personal opinions and I keep it semi-factual…But, this is also my blog and the beauty of this whole thing is that I get to do whatever the hell I want on here. I believe in the power of social media, and since I have become a proprietor of the subject, all things involving social grab at me.  This particular topic tugs at my heart as well as everyone else’s I am sure. In lieu of the event which took place in Aurora, CO, this morning- social media had an eerie role and I had to acknowledge. There are 12 people that didn’t get to watch the sunrise yesterday. This post isn’t about the “Batman Massacre,” but it’s about the incredible digital footprints that have been left behind by the victims. My sister text messaged me Friday morning and told me to go on Twitter and look for @jessicaredfield. I did. I have once again been inspired.

Tragedy strikes everyday, some stories we hear, some stories we don’t. This particular tragedy made national headlines as it was the “deadliest attack in Colorado since Columbine, in 1999″ (which, by the way- that wasn’t that long ago, I might feel a tad better if happened in 1699 or how about not at all). This whole “tragedy-strikes-again” is starting to feel a little redundant. We all know the drill. Media has the whole routine down, everyone knows what to say, the President will make a statement and visit the town, there will be a candlelight vigil the following evening… I’m not judging anyone at all but, it’s disgusting and saddening that our nation has this all down to a science. I hate it, but that’s how it is. The first words that came out of my mouth this morning when my roommate told me what happened were, “And then did the killer shoot himself?” Well, cause that seems to be the trend lately. We are so used to this now.

News of the massacre traveled like lightening via social media. Victims were tweeting as the gunman unleashed his fury on a sold-out movie theater. Unreal. I can’t wrap my brain around how instantaneous the news travels. Because of social media, the term “real time” has taken on a whole new meaning. Twitter’s instantaneous updates have created a whole different dynamic to major events, especially when tragedy strikes. If you Tweet, check out the trending topics #RIPJessica and #RIPAlexSullivan, see how the Twitter community is coming together to honor these fellow “tweeters.” @sully_2003 (Alex Sullivan) was celebrating his 27th birthday.

Sports journalist and social media enthusiast, Jessica Ghawi (@jessicaredfield), “Yankee born, Texas raised, and Colorado blooming,” was one of the victims. She tweeted right before the movie started, and that was her last interaction with Twitter world.  Jessica was a blogger, her last blog was about her near-to-death experience during the Toronto Eaton Centre’s shootings in June. Yeah, she was there…and she wrote about it.

 “I can’t get this odd feeling out of my chest. This empty, almost sickening feeling won’t go away. I noticed this feeling when I was in the Eaton Center in Toronto just seconds before someone opened fire in the food court. An odd feeling which led me to go outside and unknowingly out of harm‘s way. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around how a weird feeling saved me from being in the middle of a deadly shooting…”

I didn’t know her. But she was one hell of a journalist, and the world has been robbed of a beautiful and intelligent mind. Jessica’s blog has finally gone viral and has been shared over 14k times as of Friday via Facebook and Twitter. Consider it shared one more time today.

The victims…what happens to their digital footprints? Yes, can their loved ones delete evidence of existence? Yup. But often, they will live on. And I love that. Their writings, thoughts, feelings, pictures, memories, friends, and family…will have a place in this big cloud we call the Internet forever. They will remain the way we always remembered them. One of my high school friends died of cancer a couple years ago and his Facebook page is still up. We post on his wall all the time. It’s like he’s still there hangin’ with all of us. It’s an incredible display of continuing love, it’s comforting, and he will always live on.

This is just a side of social media I have never really thought about until now, when I read how many millions of times Jessica’s blog has been shared in less than 24 hours. She’s not here anymore, but her wit, sarcasm, and beautiful writing is still here for everyone to enjoy. Just a thought I wanted to share. My condolences go out to all affected.

“I say all the time that every moment we have to live our life is a blessing. So often I have found myself taking it for granted. Every hug from a family member. Every laugh we share with friends. Even the times of solitude are all blessings. Every second of every day is a gift. After Saturday evening, I know I truly understand how blessed I am for each second I am given.” #RIPJessica

Grand Sierra Resort Excels in Customer Service via Twitter

One night one of my friends tweeted to me and said “Hey Kristin, you should interview the @grandsierra because they do an excellent job with their social media.” Before I could even respond, Ian and I already had a response from Grand Sierra thanking us for the compliment! So of course, I headed to Grand Sierra Resort to meet the face behind GSR’s social media.

The Grand Sierra Resort towers 26 stories and 1,990 rooms over Reno, just 3 miles east of Downtown. You may have once known this property as The Hilton, prior to that as Bally’s Reno, or even before that as the MGM Grand Reno (Hello Hollywood Hello, anyone?). The GSR still has a preserved chandelier from the MGM. The Meruelo Group saw the great potential in GSR and bought it in February of 2011.

Today, the GSR is undergoing a $25 million renovation. Many customers expressed concern with the lighting in the building as well as a need for more nightlife, and GSR is responding. Changes being made consist of: brighter carpet, more lighting, vibrant colors, Wet Ultra Lounge, the casino floor, an enclosed VIP Lounge, and much more. The GSR is thrilled to unveil the changes, which have all been requested by their guests. The GSR staff prides themselves in their ability to respond to customer demand. GSR has even given each individual the power to receive virtually instant answers via Facebook, Twitter and Miss Sara Robbins.

Sara Robbins, Las Vegas native, UNR graduate and GSR’s Social Media Manager- is the bubbly voice behind the 23,098 fan-based Facebook and 2,853 following on Twitter.  Being a social media manager isn’t just any position at the GSR, it’s an around-the-clock voice for the cusomers. Just last week, Sara attended the Florence and The Machine concert at GSR. While she was enjoying her evening rocking out to one of her favorite bands- her IPhone never left her hands as she instantly responded to the over 50 tweets from guests at the concert. Always within reach for Sara: IPhone, IPad and laptop.

“If our guests have questions, we have to give them answers. We don’t have a Facebook and Twitter just to have one. We utilize these tools to engage with our fans and customers. It’s also a way to monitor what people are saying about us- good or bad, so we can respond accordingly. It’s part of our success!”

The importance of having someone monitor all of a company’s social media sites is so crucial- and often overlooked. The GSR monitors Mapquest, Yelp!, Travelocity, any and all review websites, Google, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter and blog…just to name a few! Sara has been designated the responsibility of assuring that each and every channel of info for the GSR is accurate, providing their guests with answers. Got a question or a comment? Tweet @grandsierra or post on their Facebook and you will hear back soon with an accurate answer.

As GSR’s Social Media Manager, Sara takes pride in her work. She can remember occasions when she would tweet to her favorite bands or Verizon- and they would reply instantly to her.

“It’s a great feeling when you get an instant response from an organization or business, it makes you feel so connected to that brand. I want to offer that to our guests. If I receive a question that I can’t answer, I will go find someone who can.”

The Grand Sierra resort is leading by example in the world of social media customer service. Hats off to GSR and Sara Robbins for providing a means for their fans and customers to get instantly connected with this resort and casino.

10 Facebook Faux-Pas for Businesses

I have been researching a lot of businesses in the area, and their use of social media.  I have met some wonderful business owners and I seen some stellar displays of brands upon Facebook. However, I have also come across many business pages that are…well… perhaps, misinformed. Here is my top-10 list of things businesses are doing wrong on Facebook.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work!”-Thomas Edison

1. Using a personal page as a business page- This is probably the biggest faux pas I have seen. If you are a business or an organization, you need to create a business page- not a personal. It is a Facebook violation, and they have every right to delete your page if you are caught.
2. Shouting!- Put the megaphone down and stop making announcements. Keep your content 20% about you, and 80% about your fans. Thinkinbound…Offer content which allows for your fans to respond and interact.
3. Over-posting- If you are posting more than 2 times a day, this can get a bit “spammy.” If you post too much, people will tune you out. It’s important to stay consistent, but don’t post too often.
4. Selling- There is a time and a place, but not here. Facebook is not for sales. If you try to sell to people, you will have zero fans. Let your page be a space for your customers to interact with your brand and create an online community.
5.  Self promoting on other pages- If you worked for Coke, would you set up a booth inside of Pepsi and sell Sprite? No. Don’t utilize someone else’s space to advertise your business, unless it has been requested.
6. Forgetting a social media policy- This is something that is frequently overlooked. If your business is being represented on Facebook it is important to implement policy and procedures so that your business is not misrepresented.
7. Deleting complaints- Social media for your business can be great, but it can get difficult when it comes to dealing with complaints. It will happen. Rather than deleting these complaints from your timeline, DEAL  WITH THEM!
8. Neglecting to interact with fans- If your fans are asking questions and making comments, respond to them! You will soon lose their attention if you ignore them.
9. Not posting current info- If I scope out a business’s Facebook, and their last post was weeks ago- I will move on. It’s important to keep your page updated.
10. Not having a Facebook page at all- Why wouldn’t you want to hang out where all of your customers are gathering? There’s a big, very big, conversation occurring on Facebook, I highly recommend joining it.

Leveraging Social Media to Display Your Community

A Facebook page for your business should be viewed as a window into your company’s soul. Now-a-days, when people Google your business (or even just YOU… creepy…) they will select your Facebook page over your website. Why? When individuals view Facebook pages, they are viewing actual human interaction, feelings, personality, professionalism, customer service and all! Also, Facebook is much more “now” than compared to a website. Customers want to see fresh content. Think about it: how often do you update your website, a couple times a year? How often do we update our Facebook pages? For some of us it’s hourly! So because Facebook pages are starting to become equally if not more prevalent than websites, I can’t stress enough how important it is to create a community on your page.

Each and every business has it’s own culture, it doesn’t matter if you sell pencils or are the hottest nightclub in town- every company has a culture. Here is a list of things to think about: your personal story, your beliefs, your employees, your product, your service, your mission statement, transparency, your physical business presence, the city and state you operate out of, YOUR CUSTOMERS, their story, their kids, their pets, THEIR testament as to why they love YOUR business. All of these things are factors, which create your business’s culture. In Jason Falls’ and Erick Deckers’ book, No Bullshit Media, they discuss the idea of “creating a kumbaya effect.” You got it. Think of everyone gathered around the campfire, swaying back-and-forth, maybe holding hands, and singing kumbaya. Develop a strategy to show your “kumbaya” culture on your Facebook to create an online community.

How would a business exude their culture online? Here are some ideas:

• PICTURES: Include your staff, YOU, your physical location, your product or service, your logo.

• Videos: Nothing is more powerful than a message delivered via video. YouTube anyone?

• Content: Encourage customers to leave comments, let them tell everyone else how good your business is. Post valuable tips or advice related to your industry. DON’T SELL. Focus 80% of your content on your fans, and 20% on you and your business. Ask questions; open all kinds of doors that will allow your customers to respond.

• Provide and nourish a place for your fans to interact.

• Timeline Photo: This is a new tool, which Facebook recently added. This is the first thing a person will see when person looks at your page. Make sure the picture clearly depicts what your business is all about. See examples below.

Some Reno businesses that are doing a great job displaying their community:

• Campo-Reno
• BoBo’s Mogul Mouse
• Squeeze In

Check out these pages and let me know what you think. Do you feel what their business is all about? Do you sense a community amongst their fans? When you leave these business pages you can have a pretty good understanding of what it would be like to step into their business- and that my friends, is a display of culture well executed.

What’s the Big Secret, Anyway? Businesses and Transparency on Facebook

Before I step foot into a new business I will almost always stalk-them-out on the Internet. I will check out their website first, then if there’s a Facebook button, I of course will click. It’s very refreshing when a business is interacting with their customers on Facebook. It shows that they care. But, one of the most attractive things businesses can do on Facebook, however is to be absolutely and completely transparent. Besides, what’s the big secret?

People are nosey! This is just how it is. Some are more than others. But we all have a natural instinct to associate ourselves with groups and individuals; we are human. The new and current way to assess if someone or something is in our league is to check them out on Facebook. People want to gauge whether or not a business offers a service that they are looking for and if it’s provided in an environment where they will feel comfortable. As a business owner, you need to be aware of this, and let it all hang out! Potential customers are checking out your content to see how approachable and friendly your environment is. Show them! When it comes to content on social media platforms do not keep any secrets! Be see through. Be transparent. There are no secrets anymore, and honestly the customers are way smarter now. With the tools available to us in these times, anyone can figure out pretty much anything if they tried hard enough. Have you checked out Google Maps? It’s terrifying.

Show your face and tell your story.

A very common tip I share with business owners is to be more open and presentful of themselves on Facebook. Show your face and tell your story! Remember that bit of people being nosey? Here ya’ go. I love hearing success stories, so does everyone else, and I wish more businesses would present theirs. Let Facebook tell your story and show who you are as a business owner. Post pictures of yourself. Trust me, people want to meet you. If people can associate your business with your face they will feel more connected with the product or service, which they’re paying for. When customers interact with your business on Facebook and consistently see you, it will feel so much more personal than interacting with just a business logo or a mascot.  On top of being nosey, people also love attention- so when we feel like they are getting direct attention from the owner we feel pretty dang special. What’s better service than that? Leverage the ability to personally connect with your present and future clients utilizing social media.  Be yourself, show yourself, and be transparent.

Sales Guru Talks Social Media Marketing: Alice Heiman, LLC.

I was first introduced to Alice back in 2005 as an under-grad student. Alice taught a sales (what else?) seminar and her class was probably the most useful course I have taken to date. Alice Heiman owns and operates Alice Heiman, LLC as a nationally recognized sales consultant. She had success leading corporate teams as well as start-ups. She spends most of her time mentoring small businesses and also provides online sales training. I want to enter this blurb from her website cause I can’t say it any better:

“A consummate networker, she is the author of the eBook Connecting Your Way to New Business and the developer of The BizTalk Blender® a business networking event that connects people to others they can do business with directly, develop as a referral source and collaborate with to get results.  She’s appeared on radio and television, and been featured in print publications including Entrepreneur’s Startups and Selling Power magazines.  Her work has earned her numerous awards including Saleswoman of the Year, Marketer of the Year and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Blue Ribbon Award…”

Ok, I think I made my point- Alice knows a thing or 2 about business. I wanted to get Alice’s perspective on social media marketing, and also learn about her social media strategy for Alice Heiman, LLC. Here are the numbers:

Facebook Business Page:

Likes: 904

Twitter:

Followers: 941

Alice first expressed a concern for most people who are using social media.

“Social media should be used to connect, brand, and if you are a business- generate leads. Too many people are connecting with others on these sites and them tossing them aside. Only connect with people you know, and if you don’t know them, get to know them. Your network is your most valuable asset. Develop relationships with your connections by interacting, don’t blindly connect with people just to get your numbers up- social media is not effective when used this way.”

Great advice. It does need to be known that NOTHING on the Internet is private. I don’t care what your privacy settings are, do not trust it. You shouldn’t post anything that you wouldn’t want your boss, professor, Mom, Dad, Grandma and Santa Clause (naughty or nice?) to see. How many times have you heard people say “Ya’ know, I don’t know her but we are friends on Facebook.”  Remember that you are creating a brand for yourself on these sites, and whom you connect with can help or hurt your credibility. Social media is for connecting, interacting and building a network.

Here’s Alice’s strategy for social media when it comes to business:

“Don’t utilize social media to make a sale to your connections, you will bug everyone- you can’t sell outright. Utilize these social mediums to share your expertise. Develop good content, get people’s attention, converse with others, connect and offer good info.”

Simple example of useless vs. useful info:

“I am eating lunch.” Nobody cares; I get so many posts like this on my newsfeed.

“I am eating a Sharkbite at Beach Hut Deli on Mae Anne and Robb Dr (insert picture of messy Sharkbite).” Perfect, that’s cool- I will remember to go there when I am craving a sandwich.

Create value in your messages on Facebook and Twitter!

Alice has seen success in her business because of her utilization of Facebook and Twitter but would like to utilize these platforms even more. Just the other day she received a lead on Facebook, on another occasion she was connected to do business with St. Mary’s, and she has landed 3 speaking engagements- all through Facebook. Alice offers great content on her pages and is continually engaging with everyone.

“Don’t negate the power of these tools. Pick 1 platform and master it. There are so many social media mediums to choose from and it can be a time-sink. The audience you want to target is on Facebook, and from there you never know who they know and so on…that’s the beauty of social media.”

Alice can see social media as a way for her to directly connect with her customers and potentially cut down the amount of time she spends on the road. She has ideas up her sleeve, which will leverage social media to add a completely new dynamic to the way she consults. What is Alice’s home base for social media? Facebook.

Visit Alice’s business Facebook page and “Like” what she is doing!

Social Media Humbles Mark Estee @ Campo-Reno

Once upon a time there was this restaurant called Moody’s in Truckee, CA. It was run and operated by a gentleman named Mark Estee for 10 years. Mark was more concerned with cooking great food and staying in the kitchen then he was with his reputation out in the public. He admitted that he was younger, maybe naïve, not nearly as polished of a business owner as he is now.

“I always understood the value of public relations and marketing. But I just figured if these people want to come in, they’ll come in. I will cook great food, provide a great atmosphere and people will come in. If they don’t that’s their problem. I did not see a value in truly connecting and interacting with the public especially by using Facebook or any other kind of social media for my business.”

Mark also admitted that social media intimidated him. He didn’t know anything about it, he didn’t want to put the time in, and he feared the negative feedback he would possibly see from opening the social media flood-gates. He was very hesitant and continued to avoid the opportunity.

Fast-forward 10 years, on November 17^th 2011 Mark Estee opens Campo, Reno. When mark was sitting in his bedroom creating his mission statement and business plan, he committed himself to getting involved with social media marketing. His first step was hiring Abbi Whitaker with The Abbi Agency to help provide him with the tools he would need to begin his social media venture. Mark committed to Abbi and this is where the magic began.

The Facebook Numbers:

Likes: 1,395

Twitter Numbers:

Followers: 264

“When I first started I told myself that I CAN NOT be scared, and I knew I just had to jump in. Social media marketing is a whole new playing field.  It is extremely time consuming; you have got to stay on it. It takes time to be yourself and make sure you get in touch with everyone who is taking time out to support your business. I am myself. I am consistent. I can’t reply instantly to every message, I try! But I am human and I am running a business- this is me.”

One of Mark’s fears of social media soon became a reality- a couple complaints on these social media platforms caught his attention.

“I am providing great food, I have built this beautiful restaurant, I had just donated $10k to a charity- but we had one small error on our webpage and it came back to me ten-fold. I remember thinking to myself ‘who even looks at that?’ “

I asked Mark what his strategy is with handling these public complaints:

“I tell my crew that if we don’t make mistakes- we aren’t trying. I am expecting mistakes, and I know I have to deal with the consequences after-even if it is as small as our hours of operation on our website. The nice thing about social media is that I am able to immediately contact these customers directly. I investigate the situation to see what happened on our end and then I will call, email, engage, apologize, listen, and move forward- I will fix it. I won’t discuss the matter on the Web, I will take care of it privately.”

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Yelp, Open Table, and his personal blog on Campo’s site (which is my personal favorite, check it out) have proved to this restaurant owner that social media marketing DOES have a huge impact on his business. His customers are able to connect directly with Mark as well as help him make changes to be more appealing to his clients, and that is so important to him.

“People can see that I am funny, I am approachable, I am serious about my restaurant, and they can get a feel for our presence. Social media affects my business daily.”

Once upon a time this restaurant owner didn’t believe in the use of social media to help his business grow. Fast forward 10 years (with some help from The Abbi Agency), customers can now enjoy “Minute Mondays” with Mark, where he discusses what Campo will feature this week. Also “Back of the House Fridays” where Mark will introduce a new member of the Campo team to his friends. Where can you view these weekly features you ask? Facebook, where else?

Social Media Marketing for Dummies

I really don’t want to leave anyone in the dark here. I am going to take a moment to give a brief over view of the different social networking platforms that I will be discussing in future blog posts.

Here’s an extremely simple example of traditional marketing:

“Buy Toms.”

Here’s an extremely simple example of social media marketing:

“I love my Toms, look at how cute they are on me (insert picture here).”

Who are consumers more likely to listen to? The billboard sitting on the side of the road telling them to buy the Toms? Or to their friend who just posted about their recent Toms experience, all over their Facebook page- where all of their friends have now told them how great they look? Basically, social media marketing has given us the ability to set up a free booth, marketing ourselves, our product or service in front of millions and millions of people. During this time, we also get to witness everyone’s reaction and interact with the consumers. Did I mention it’s free? Here is a brief break-down of some of the social media platforms available to us:

Myspace: Once upon a time there was this networking tool called Myspace. I once referred to Myspace with my 9-year-old cousin this past year, and she looked at me in disgust and scowled, “What. Is. THAT?” Well my dear, it’s Facebook’s very old and tired big sister. However, Myspace is nothing less than a cultural phenomenon. Myspace was the first time I witnessed a personal media-hosting site where I could create “my own space” on the World Wide Web. It ‘s still very much apart of the social networking world, but in 2008 Myspace showed a major slowdown.

Facebook: Whether you buy into this social-networking-craze or not, please go see the film The Social Network. It’s a great story of how Facebook was born into the hands of Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook has +300 million users. Everyone is on Facebook for their own reasons, but either way- everyone is on Facebook, and they all want to talk. It’s not just for college students anymore. This social site is made up of 4 components: profiles, groups, pages and events. Each of these components can be utilized to market who you are, and/or what your business has to offer. I solely blame Facebook for reconnecting me with all my childhood and high school friends, if you don’t have a Facebook you aren’t cool.

Twitter: I am new to Twitter, I was not cool. I will admit, I thought it was juvenile. The only exposure I have had to Twitter is listening to my 19 year-old sister giggle every time Kim Kardashian or Joe Jonas “tweeted” something useless about their lives.  I gave in, and now I kind of love it. This is all it is: You get 140 characters to announce or “tweet” to your followers anything you want. When you hit the send button, your followers have your words right in their hands via text. I personally select to follow people who offer valuable information to me; it’s like an infinite blog roll of things I actually care about.

LinkedIn: Is a social networking platform for professionals. LinkedIn is your profile on steroids, with a lot less capabilities than Facebook.  LinkedIn definitely lacks that “now” affect which most of the other sites have, you could update your info on this site once every 6 months and still be current. Be careful, your past, present and future bosses ARE on LinkedIn, be good.

Google+: I am very new to Google+, however so is everyone else. I haven’t decided how I feel about it. Google+ does have the “now” effect. You can connect with others and form circles- it is very clean and professional. According to my professor, Dr. Bret Simmons, Google+ will dominate Facebook in a couple years, as Google+ has more capabilities.

Pinterest: This site cracks me up. Everyone has the ability to “pin” to their categorized profile. You would pin pictures you take, a cool quote you read, maybe a great idea for a bride, or a tasty recipe you just saw in a magazine. Others can look at your profile too and “pin” your ideas to their wall, everyone can leave comments and thoughts. User be aware: Pinning is addicting. Can’t. Stop. Pinning.

Blog posting: The wonderful world of blogging is a MUST. If you have a passion, interest, or great idea- tell the world about it and blog. Simple sites such a WordPress.com offer free (there’s that lovely word, again) hosting capabilities where you start with a cool little template and you can turn your site into whatever you want. Look at my blog, looks ok right? I had no clue what I was doing, I still have no clue what I am doing, and this is what happened! It’s foolproof really. You want to utilize the “now” platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to direct people to your blog. This is the ultimate goal for everyone, especially business owners- DRIVE THE TRAFFIC TO YOUR MAIN SITE. The blog is your home base where you give away the bread and butter, and pull people in.

That’s social media, for me- in a nutshell.