Too old for Facebook, Twitter? No way!

Lisa Trank Biz Mix

I recently gave a talk at the Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce on social networking for a group of Longmont business owners.

The group was a true snapshot of Longmont’s business community, with representatives ranging from nonprofits, to financial services, to legal, real estate, sales training and coaching, to retail and professional services. One common thread was present – the desire to learn how the recent phenomenon called social media or social networking can positively impact their bottom line.

But despite this curiosity, there were also the usual trepidations I hear when I begin this conversation.

Social Networking is a fad. When close to one billion people are engaging in day-to-day activities on the Internet, seven million of them on Twitter, not to mention the 70 million folks on Facebook, this fad is worth paying attention to. In fact, social networking is all about attention – how to get it and to keep it. Simply put, social networking provides previously unprecedented opportunities to speak directly to your customers in ways not previously possible.

Social Networking is a huge time waster. We’re not talking Mafia Wars here. Social networking, when strategically planned and implemented as part of your overall marketing strategy, can actually save you time and a strong global brand that have powerful impacts locally, not to mention extend your limited marketing dollars. In more traditional methods of marketing, creating a buzz often means endless list-building, pleading with the press for limited print coverage, or direct mailing pieces with no way to track results. If you’re a one person enterprise, there’s usually very little time or energy for these very time consuming and often costly methods.

Imagine the impact if you’re planning a direct-mail piece, normally a very costly effort, and the day you send it out you coordinate Tweets and Facebook updates to notify your database (culled from your followers, friends and connections) to be on the look out for the great deal coming to them in the mail. I’d wager a really good cup of coffee that your response and conversion rate would skyrocket. In these challenging economic times, why would any business owner turn his or her back on tools that could expand their marketing reach and budget?

I’m too old for social networking. Did you know that the fastest growing segment of Facebook users are 55-65 year old women? And that the fastest board customer base is Generation Y, the generation who learned to boot up a computer before they pedaled on their first bike? The truth is, for most consumers, the first and often last place they go to research and purchase products is online. Almost every major company in this country have strong and active presences across all social media platforms and are reaping revenue bumps, customer loyalty and community building benefits from this participation.

It’s just not for me. If you’re not on the social networking bandwagon, you better be prepared to explain to your customers, not to mention your prospects, why you’re choosing to sit out on this free opportunity to listen, respond quickly, as well as effectively track industry trends and maintain control of your online brand.

Some people view social networking like the Dr. Seuss character in Green Eggs and Ham, shunning something he’s decided he doesn’t like simply because he’s never tasted it.

Here’s the deal. Your customers use social networking every single day, for fun, for connecting and for business. So are your competitors.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ltrank and feel free to re-tweet this article!

Lisa Trank is owner of One Purpose PR & Communications, a sustainable public relations, social media and communications firm founded in 2007. Lisa has called Longmont home for close to 10 years and is thrilled to be running her business and raising her family here.