Kyle Riegle

Socially Like a Butterfly

Posted on 25. Feb, 2010 by Admin in Daily Posts

In your quest to further better your business, your family time and your bottom dollar, today’s economy  perceives this task  most daunting.  Whether you’re a local business owner, still hanging in corporate America, or venturing into the online market, social media, (much like the internet 15 years ago) is the only place let to hang!

Not only did the new year run in like a hungry Tiger  looking at new hunting grounds, it also was accompanied by the “Net” generation.  Young people who have grown up, minimally, with a cell phone in hand, and armed with internet on their desktop.

This fact along with hoards of undeniable statistics, all point towards once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for forward thinking, proactive business owners, and future entrepreneurs.

The radio industry took 38 years to gather a staggering 50 million listeners.  Television made the same mark in 13 years.  But low and behold the internet blew that record out of the water with 50 million users in 4 years.  Then Facebook arrived and acquired a miniscule 100 MILLION users in 9 MONTHS.  Facebook as a country would make it the fourth most populated place on earth.

Advertising is all about being where the people are at.  Isn’t it obvious you should have a spot in the same field?

Here are some recent stats:

- %96 of 18 to 34 year olds belong to some type of social network

- %13 of marriages in the U.S. last year were the result of meeting “online.”

- %86 of purchases are influenced more by friends than advertising

Here’s another way to look at it.  If you have 1,000 customers, half of them are most likely generation “Y.”  Of that number, 96 percent belong to a social network, most likely Facebook or Twitter, coming in around 480 people.

The average Facebook member has 150 friends, and this is where it gets interesting, 480 customers on Face book X 150 friends = 72,000.   Your business and personal reach is staggering.  Even with a large amount of overlap as some share the same friends, the numbers should still send goose bumps through your arms.

Be aware, however, that social media etiquette is absolutely crucial to make your Social advertising work.  Using offline marketing strategies will kill your opportunity on the social platforms.  Learning why people are on Facebook and Twitter and communicating correctly through each medium is the paramount key to staying ahead of your competition.

Facebook is also working on a phenomenal advertising platform, a platform that has Google nerves twitching like a mouse who just found himself placed in a snake cage.

Bottom line is that people care about doing business and creating relationships with people the know, like and trust.  That’s one key element when it comes to social media.  Not to mention optimizing each platform to out rank and be easily out-searched pages ahead of your competitors!

Lets not forget about another amazing place to “hang out,” YouTube.  With a massive 70 percent of 18-34 year olds viewing all T.V. through the web, YouTube is the second largest search engine on the planet.  Second to google and in my opinion will soon be in third, google in second and Facebook taking first.

If you’re a small town Orthodontist, or maybe a larger one with a few offices around your region, how could YouTube possibly help business.?

You could start with a simple short un-edited 3 minute blurp of your staff, showing every part of their quirky and charismatic personalities while they enjoy their job!

Post it to Youtube, link it to a twitter and Facebook post and BAM you’ve got instant media coverage of your personable and funny caring staff.!

People will like it and pass it on to their friends, I call it Viral-Ality. What people like they will talk about and tell everyone they know.  Same with what they don’t like.

In the instance that an unhappy customer complains about the service or product you may offer, you being the owner of the company or brand can immediately and publicly address the situation.  In many cases your existing customers will arrive on the scene (social media) and take care of the complaint or questions before you even know it was there!

Client relations.  Your existing clients and friends will promote you for you.  Because they know, like and trust YOU.

The internet has give each and every one of us the uncanny ability to become successful at anything we dream.  Corporate America is loosing its grip on through the ease of personal publication through Social Media.  No longer will your article or add be dismissed because some other “front page” story was found.

You now have your own press, on your own channel, and on your own terms.

This year will bring Marketing power back to the individual and small business owner.

The Social Media Revolution will be the biggest shift in human experience since the Industrial Revolution.