Does Social Media Marketing Work For Local Business?

Writing by Brick Marketing on Tuesday, 6 of May , 2008 at 8:50 am Comments (1)

Can local businesses benefit from social media marketing? If you own a local business that does not do business over long distances or that has no way to deliver products and services through digital media or mail delivery, will you benefit from social media marketing? The answer, surprisingly, is it depends.

First, let’s define social media marketing: The use of social media to market one’s business online or through digital media. Social media marketing has grown into a big slice of the Internet marketing pie. Websites like Flickr, YouTube, StumbleUpon, BlogCatalog, Digg, Facebook, and MySpace are very popular right now and savvy marketers are starting to figure out how to make them pay. But can local businesses play?

I believe they can, but local businesses should go about it in a different way. You have to pay attention to who is where and what they have to offer as well as what you have to offer them. But you can use social media to leverage your online - and off line - business. Facebook, for instance, is organized by local networks. You don’t have to be a member of a local network in your area, of course, but you should be if you run a local business. You can actually use Facebook to network with other people in your geographical area.

If you are a Facebook user, you can build apps just like other members and use them to draw others to yourself. Think local. What kind of app would members of your local community be interested in?

Also, advertising opportunities on Facebook, StumbleUpon, and other social media can be lucrative if you use them properly. Again, think locally.

But are you limited to Facebook as a local business? Absolutely not. Every business no matter how local should have a blog. Then you should submit your blog to all of the popular blog directories. One of the most popular blog directories is BlogCatalog, which has become much more than a directory and actually has social media resources that can prove useful to your local business. For instance, on BlogCatalog - as well as Facebook, StumbleUpon, and most other social media sites - you can start a group and invite other users to join that group for networking. Why not start a group for your local area?

While social media marketing has many great applications for online-only businesses and businesses that are capable of doing business over long distances, local businesses can join the party and meet new contacts, network, and develop relationships with potential customers just like any other.

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Category: Social Media

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