Weekly Review Social Media and Small Business (Jan 30th)

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Technology and the Consumer
Here are a few charts  by eMarketers.com that amplify what problems U can solve for your your techno social media audience. Build your online community by catering to these needs......Communication, Information, Education, Saving Time,Shopping, Saving Money...You can do that!   Below are two more charts from eMarters.com that show the demographics of your online community and the shopping malls ( social site) they frequent.

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Location based social media
I live in relatively small (100,000) tourist town (Temecula, California) that has 20 million people within a 90 mile radius....   location based social media may allow local small business to cater customers before they arrive in your store... much like this scenario by Dave Evans.  

In the latest "check-in" applications, data left by prior consumers is tapped when someone "checks in." By telling you what's around, who else is nearby, or what's good here these services provide information that can inform the decisions your customers are going to make in the next 30 seconds: by accessing tips left by prior visitors when they "check in" at your store or in your part of town they can instantly access a whole new set of relevant comments.
For example, checking in at a new location may bring up information about a nearby swank lounge along with some recommendations on which cocktails others have enjoyed. That's pretty cool from both the bar owner and tippler's perspectives: without a recommendation, most people tend to order the same cocktail everywhere (for me, it's a Manhattan, straight up.) That's a lost opportunity to educate or differentiate. After all, most people love trying new cocktails, but only rarely do. Way too many bartenders, when asked by a customer, "What's your favorite cocktail," respond with either "Miller Light" or "I don't have one." Neither of these is the right answer, and location-based tips left by those who actually do have a suggestion are really helpful in this context. Barkeeps, location-based services are a potential moneymaker for you!


Dodgeball co-founder Dennis Crowley's new application, Foursquare (available currently for the Android, iPhone, and BlackBerry) has a very simple, mobile interface, and a very cool game-based mode of use. Click the application open, and it instantly locates you, anywhere in the world where 2G or 3G data services are available. It shows you who is nearby along with what's nearby based on the venues others have added. Even better, it provides recommendations about these places: "Order the molten brownie -- for two!" or "Nick makes a great Aviation." It sounds trivial, but trust me on this: when you're looking for something new or wondering which of your friends is already at the show or any other similar social questions, services like Foursquare, Gowalla, and Loopt that combine check-in and location with recent historical comments are the answer.

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5 short social media lessons
Terry Starbucker gives Small Business leaders social media 5 lessons that match 3 Tweeple-Bytes today.

@mhaworth: Social media is a means to an end - not the end itself. It is a new way of engaging in traditional marketing - a way of getting noticed
@RobRueLRFH: RT @juliealbaugh: Social Media is all about trust. If people do not trust you they will not do business with you. (via @LeesChicken)
@Digrafika: New study found 66 percent of respondents will be investing in social media marketing in 2010 - will you?  http://tinyurl.com/yghcmag  

1. Social Media has certainly hit a state of pervasiveness, so you better do something. Don't be in denial, its happening right now!
2. Social Media isn’t a panacea. This wont fix a bad business model- sorry!
3. Social Media will require you to address its usage among your employees. Its addictive!
4. Social Media has its own language protocol, and “company-speak” isn’t one of them . Just be real!
5. Social Media demands truth, and usually gets it. The sentence can be extreme if caught lying

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Social media 10 stages and 3 voices
Vanessa Dimauro  asks "..what is the most appropriate Twitter Voice for the company. There are many compelling voices on Twitter - personas, companies, experts sharers. Some focus on connecting and others serve as information channels. Most successful twitter business voices are both consistent, persistent, and useful to the audience in some way. " Consider the following 3: 

1. Product-Centric Voice. In this strategy, the business humanizes the corporate voice by giving an identity to the channel
2. The Voice of the CEO The Voice of the CEO often blends personal and professional information in the twitter stream.
3. Customer Care Online Voice. Companies can often be more responsive to their users and buyers in a 24X7 environment

Now determine how you want to apply your new found persona within these 10 stages of social media as articulated by Brian Solis

1. Observe and Report
2. Setting the Stage + Dress Rehearsal
3. Socializing Media
4. Finding a Voice and a Sense of Purpose
5. Putting Words into Action
6. Humanizing the Brand and Defining the Experience
7. Community
8. Social Darwinism
9. The Socialization of Business Processes
10. Business Performance Metrics

The thing about new media is that it’s always new and as such, these stages represent a moment in time. They will continue to change, augment, and expand as new technologies, experiences, and innovations are introduced to those champions who can effectively integrate and learn from experimentation and assessment.
In the end, Social media is privilege and with it, we learn just one more piece of how to run a more meaningful and relevant business