Social Media ~ Where Do I Start?

I was a panelist at yesterday's AIBA (Austin Independent Business Alliance) luncheon on Guerrilla Marketing. We met upstairs on the second floor of Lambert's BBQ in downtown Austin. Although I believe Guerrilla Marketing encompasses much more than just Social Media, the questions for the panel focused on Social Media in a quest to help AIBA members know what to do, how to do it, and where to start as they navigate this new world.

The panelists were:

Marny Lifshen, Independent Marketing Consultant and Author/Speaker. Marny is also the co-author of the book laying on my nightstand right now called "Some Assembly Required: A Networking Guide for Women."

Ben Littlefield, Serial Entrepreneur and Senior Partner at ThreeSixtySolutions.com – an expert at helping business maximize their website presence and conversion rates.

CJ Romberger of Wilwood Interactive – a full service web development agency.

Matthew Parente, President of Aperio Marketing – specializing in utilizing email marketing solutions to help companies build stronger relationships with their customers.

Don Brown, Principal of MyTurf – serving targeted and locals ads through wireless networks.

Laura Capes, Owner of Motive Marketing Group – a full service marketing and design agency offering affordable marketing solutions for small businesses.

Here's a very short recap of the discussion:

Note: The questions are verbatim but of course I'm paraphrasing the answers. This entire discussion lasted about an hour.

Q) "It's easy to get overwhelmed with the possibilities and options of online marketing from Facebook to Yelp. How do you decide where to start?"

A) The group agreed that the most important thing is to first make sure that your online strategy fits inside over an overarching marketing plan for your business. We also reiterated the importance of managing your online brand (personally and professionally) because once you put it out there, you can't get it back! We also recommended picking one or two things and doing them well. Don't start something you can't keep up with, and make sure what you pick works for you, your business and your lifestyle.

Q) "If a small business only has time and money to do one thing online, what do you recommend?"

A) The group's unanimous answer was—it depends. It depends on your goals, your resources and the needs of your customers. We all believe it's important to rely on the recommendations of experts who understand this world and can help you navigate it... for without a plan for success, you could end up just wasting a lot of your time. That being said, the group stressed the importance of having a high-quality (SEO optimized) website for your business. We also recommended creating a profile on a major Social Media Network like Facebook or LinkedIn and setting up a Blog (Blogger.com or WordPress.com) so that you can start connecting with your customers and positioning yourself as an expert in your field. Remember, it's not about promoting yourself—it's about building relationships and adding value to your customer's lives.

Q) What's the most important thing a small business can do online?

A) We agreed that the most important thing a business can do is to create a quality web site and optimize it to maximize conversions.

Q) Do small businesses really need a Facebook, MySpace and Twitter account?

A) Again, our answer was—it depends. We all agreed that you don't need a MySpace account unless your target audience is very young or you work in the music business. We also all agreed that you do need a Facebook profile (and a fan page) so that you can start connecting and building relationships online. (Again, be cautious about what you post because this is part of your personal brand!)

We also talked about the pros and cons of Twitter—used the right way, it can be a valuable tool for your business. Used the wrong way, it can be a huge waste of time or even hurt your brand. Regarding Twitter, our first recommendation was to care about who you follow—you want to follow people that you genuinely want to know! Then when you see them at a networking event, you'll feel like you're old friends. Our second recommendation was to treat Twitter like a cocktail party... don't show up, barge in and start talking about yourself. Instead, join the conversation, listen to the comments, and add value to the conversation when it's appropriate.

Social Media is obviously a hot topic for business these days... in fact, we had twice as many people attend the AIBA event than actually registered! I'm sure we'll be doing something like this again. In the meantime, if you have specific questions for me or anyone on the panel, please let me know. I'd be happy to get them answered for you!