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How a Local Business Can Benefit from Social Media

April 1, 2022 by Wendy S

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Let’s face facts: Successful businesses and social media are practically inseparable. For many, a strong social media presence is seen as going the extra mile, or as something that only the “big” businesses can engage in on any meaningful level.

The reality is that social media matters a lot, more than the majority of people realize at first glance. In this list, we’ll elaborate on how social media for local businesses can be a massive boon that draws in customers, bolsters your base, and improves your overall bottom line.

Customer Feedback

Any business that doesn’t understand what its customers want is doomed to fail. Feedback is a hugely important part of running a business, especially a local one. Feedback is how you’ll know that you should be making your t-shirts a bit softer or your donuts a little less sweet. Businesses that ignore feedback find frustrated customers leaving negative reviews more often.

To combat this, a strong social media presence is the superhighway connecting you to your buyers. Actively engaging with grievances not only makes the customer feel better, but improves your product—and your profits.

Inflated Presence

Marketing gurus are well aware that the products that end up defining our culture do so as a result of shrewd marketing. We are in many ways told what to like, or told what is relevant, despite how much genuine success or hype is actually behind that product.

Just as an example: You may be shocked to know that there has never been a year in history in which the Beatles have had the best selling album for that year, even though they are universally acknowledged as one of the best and most influential musical groups of all time.

If you want an example more specifically related to your business, just look at the attention Salt and Straw gathers simply from social media alone. The West Coast ice cream shop has used Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms to spread the word about their groovy flavors and eccentric cones, using cool imagery and punchy writing to accumulate a strong customer base.

By promoting your business through social marketing, you can increase the amount of importance perceived by an audience about said business. That, in turn, gets people talking, and making your business the topic of conversation is worth its weight in gold.

Public Relations

On a similar note, this is one area where a social media management company can really swoop in to save the day. In the same way that social media can be used to listen to your audience, as mentioned before, it can also be used to communicate to them.

On the one hand, repairing a negative customer experience is great for business, but fumbling with an angry consumer is a recipe for a black eye on your brand. Regardless, it’s still an important skill to learn or to pay someone to pull off.

Finding New Market Trends

If the recent Wendy’s twitter scuffles are any indication, it can be assumed that audience tastes and tolerances to certain forms of marketing changes over time. 10 years ago, replying with a snarky remark to a customer making an ignorant comment would be universally seen as a PR nightmare, but today such popular internet memes are generating unexpected buzz where there was none prior.

Sometimes this phenomenon may feel like catching lightning in a bottle, and to some extent it is, but the point is that social media can be used to research the mercurial tastes of consumers. Carefully observe how customers react to posts that are a little off the beaten path from what you normally post. Carefully respond in a myriad of ways to complaints and judge which responses are the best received. In due time, you may discover a need that you didn’t know existed and satisfy it.

Filed Under: techie tips, twitter, work Tagged With: business, social media

the pox are gone and I can save your life

January 20, 2010 by Wendy S

I am very happy to report that Peanut is not longer contagious!  She still has some scabs that are healing but we can no longer do harm to others.

And yes, I can save your life and no, I haven’t developed some super human powers.  Through my work, I was able to get Standard First Aid, CPR and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training.  It was a long 2 days of training.  This was mostly due to the fact that the trainer guy was 1/2 stuck in a Star Wars movie and kept making references to Siths and Darth Vader.  Sorry, SciFiDad but it’s just not my cup of tea.  I like the movies and all, but the constant references were well out of my range of enjoyment.

But I passed and can confidently provide first aid, CPR and use a defibrillator (and it’s a good thing for spell check because I definitely cannot spell it).

And I’m trying out a new comment feature (an idea that I have stolen from SciFiDads blog).  I’ve wanted something where I (and you) can comment on the comments on the posts.  I think it will make things much more fun!

How ever after speaking with a few friends who want to read my blog, I have found out that this current layout isn’t working in IE and it’s kicking people off when they try to read my posts.  Both of these things are bad for business.  Now I have to go about fixing things.  I hope that I don’t crash the whole thing which would suck even more.  Wish me luck! (And if anyone with blogger template skillz wants to lend a helping hand, I’ll gratefully accept!)

Filed Under: friends, fun, peanut, work

graphics to the stars

September 1, 2009 by Wendy S

I read many blogs and I find that there are a lot of very good writers out there.  Yes, I blog too, but I know that my writing pales in comparison.

I do have a knack with graphics tho.  For those who read my blog, you see my blog evolving as I find new ways to do things and fun backgrounds to display.

In my blog-reading travels, I have come across a few chances to “play”.  Even though BigDaddy is the graphic designer in our house, I like to dabble.

ElastaMom had requested a button for “It’s Official” Thursday.  See the launch of the button here.

And just yesterday, CynicalDad wished that he had graphic skillz so I helped him out.

It’s fun…and it’s a break from the regular work that I should be doing.

Filed Under: friends, fun, work

dreading back to school

August 28, 2009 by Wendy S

Munchkin is heading in to Senior Kindergarten this year.  She’s very excited but I think it’s because we’ve been pumping her up over the last few weeks.  This is her first “back to school” so she’s not accustomed to the rituals that are involved: getting new shoes, new clothes and new school supplies.

That’s all fine and dandy.  But the back to school thing that I hate the most… more commuters on the road.

Next week will be the last 5 business day of good driving before all the vacationers come back.

Summer drives to work and back are pretty good as there are fewer people on the road.  September 8th will be a drastic change from doing the speed limit (if not more) to a crawl.  Oh, and just when everyone is back into the swing of things, the snow will come.  That screws up everything and the drive gets even longer.

So if you see a minivan pulled over on the side of the 401 with a crying woman in the driver’s seat, it will be me.  Not becuase my first born child is back in school and almost 5 year old, but becuase 2+ hours of my life is spent in said van surrounded by people who can’t do the speed limit.

Filed Under: Life, mapsgirl, munchkin, parenting, work Tagged With: commuting sucks, school

dreading back to school

August 28, 2009 by Wendy S

Munchkin is heading in to Senior Kindergarten this year.  She’s very excited but I think it’s because we’ve been pumping her up over the last few weeks.  This is her first “back to school” so she’s not accustomed to the rituals that are involved: getting new shoes, new clothes and new school supplies.

That’s all fine and dandy.  But the back to school thing that I hate the most… more commuters on the road.

Next week will be the last 5 business day of good driving before all the vacationers come back.

Summer drives to work and back are pretty good as there are fewer people on the road.  September 8th will be a drastic change from doing the speed limit (if not more) to a crawl.  Oh, and just when everyone is back into the swing of things, the snow will come.  That screws up everything and the drive gets even longer.

So if you see a minivan pulled over on the side of the 401 with a crying woman in the driver’s seat, it will be me.  Not becuase my first born child is back in school and almost 5 year old, but becuase 2+ hours of my life is spent in said van surrounded by people who can’t do the speed limit.

Filed Under: Life, mapsgirl, munchkin, parenting, work Tagged With: commuting sucks, school

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mapsgirl@gmail.com

Why “mapsgirl” ?

Wendy is a cartographer! She draws maps!

When not mapping, Wendy is also a mom to two daughters. They are the inspiration of this blog. Passionate about child passenger safety, Wendy was a certified Car Seat Technician in Ontario, Canada from 2008 to 2020. [Read More …]

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