I have her email address and phone number.  She lives no more than a mile from me. However, I opted for direct messages on Facebook to set up our recent dinner outing.  Why did I communicate with my friend this way? 

Because I was already there—and she was, too.

Like millions of other Americans, my friend and I are spending time on Facebook.  Thus, I found it just as simple to reach out via Facebook direct message than to switch over to my email account to do so.  (And God forbid I pick up the phone anymore!)  In the end, Facebook successfully led my friend and I to some quality face time. 

While Facebook helped me stay connected to this friend from my zip code, it’s also been an incredible tool for reconnecting with friends spread across the globe.  Whether they’re in Houston, Singapore or any point in between, I easily, communally mix and mingle.  Gone are the days of blasting my friends via traditional email with a heavy assortment of attached photos to keep them updated on my life (after much debate about which of my pals would want to see said photos lest I feel like a spammer to my own circle of friends).  Now I post a photo album, and my friends can peek at their leisure.  I can share and receive updates with everyone in a single pass no matter physical location or time zone.

According to topline data from Nielsen NetView for June 2009, Facebook ranked first in terms of time spent per person on a site.  Internet users spent an average 4 hours, 39 minutes on Facebook.  That’s more than the time spent on Google, YouTube, AOL, MSN (WindowsLive/Bing), eBay or Amazon, and it notably exceeds the time spent on the number 2 ranking Yahoo!, at which users spent an average 3 hours, 15 minutes.

We’re leaning toward the collective connective for a variety of reasons.  I think the recent death of Michael Jackson and subsequent online communications frenzy is a good encapsulation of the shift (and likely could have impacted Nielsen’s June numbers).  Facebook experienced the crush of the communications rush when the news of Jackson hit.

The desire for interaction.  This key point hinges on the very human need to be heard and avoid being alone.  While Internet users may have first glimpsed or heard of Jackson’s death through other sources, they logged on Facebook in droves to share the disbelief and emote.  CNN partnered with Facebook to have real time comment sharing in tandem with the live coverage of the Jackson memorial service. 

The need for multi-dimensional information exchange.  Facebook served as a source for diverse perspectives and unfolding details, as friends clamored to share what they’d learned.  Friends from all points on the map received information from different sources and were able to convey details quickly.

The simplicity of sharing.  Just as email overtook traditional mail because of its immediacy and affordability, Facebook interaction overtook email messaging likewise.  During the hubbub of Jackson’s death, it was quite simple to share on Facebook because it converges and merges friend groups for streamlined sharing options, has no associated costs and allows for broad-sweeping messaging without being obtrusive. 

What’s the quick take-away for small business people?
Be where your customers are.  While I’m just a Facebook user and not a brand advocate, the numbers undeniably affirm that millions of people across every demographic are using Facebook.  Of course, there are other widely used networks, namely and famously Twitter, for example.  Business owners are wise to take note.

Evolve your communication methods.  Word in the world of online trend-tracking keeps buzzing about the fact that traditional email is fading in importance.  Messaging through Web 2.0 technology/social networks is on the rise, and with the launch of tools like Google Wave, it’s clear that the way we share information is evolving.  Email is not ready for mothballs, but it is likely being reassigned as modes of electronic communication advance and change with the onset of cloud computing and mobile technology.

Build relationships online.  There really are conversations going on all around us online, as Internet users seek out those they know to share in discussion.  It’s imperative business leaders plug in.  It’s not effective to be a strategic interjector; people are hungry for more substantive connections.  That’s why Facebook is a stronger draw than random commenting on various sites; we all want to be heard, especially by people we care about.

Think ahead about the collective connective.  Business owners always need to be one step ahead.  The reality is, we live in a Web 2.0 business world,  and even if some participants are still fumbling in 1.0, we’re not going to regress. Web 3.0 will be next.  In the evolutionary marketplace, the businesses that are in step with the times will thrive.  Those who are presently overwhelmed or totally disconnected may not stand a chance.

Suffice to say, it’s time to ‘face’ up to social media!

Until next time...
Thanks,

Windshields.  Cupcakes. 

In the gravel-spattered roadway of life, windshield fix-it shops exist to meet the needs of drivers.  A cracked windshield could pose a danger; it’s imperative it be repaired.  Thus, this service is pretty much a “must.” 

On the contrary, cupcake bakeries offer optional fare.  There’s really no “must” about a$3, 3-bite confection; this delectable is truly a “lust.” 

“Must” businesses often focus on advertising’s frequency more so than its creativity, knowing their messages must align with the steady stream of potential customers’ needs.  When that cracked windshield happens, customers will zone in on the most prominent, present advertiser and call the shop that’s top of mind. 

Promoting a “lust” business—goods or services that are truly optional in the course of life—is a different endeavor.  Generally, these businesses have to be creative in order to get attention and very convincing to motivate consumers to make the next move.  The art is to turn a “lust” into a “must,” and this can be challenging, especially in a beleaguered economy in which consumers are trying to stifle their desires for trifles. 

How can a “must” business such as windshield repair earn and hold position as the first-dial when customers have a need?  How can a cupcake purveyor elicit the budget-conscious to part with three hard-earned dollars for such a fleeting pleasure? 

Here are some ideas.

- Meet your potential customers where they are.
In person or online, find ways to be meet and greet the people who may love your product or service.  For example, consider my present fascination with cupcakes. 

I recently attended a networking event at which gourmet cupcakes were served.  Though I’d normally ration my cupcake intake, these delights had me revisiting the dessert table two...okay...three times.  Let’s just say I had my cupcake and ate yours, too!  And frugal as I try to be these days, I gotta admit I’d plunk down $3 for such yumminess.  This is a new “lust” I’ve personally decreed a “must.”   

However, I’ve since searched for the cupcakery online, to little avail.  They don’t use Twitter or Facebook, and their website is a one-page digital business card.  They’re highly praised on Yelp! and other review sites.  But if I could follow these bake masters on Twitter, I’d easily be lured by daily updates about fresh flavors.  If they had a Facebook fan page, I’d sign up without hesitation and rally pals to join as well.  This business “met me” at the event, but how can I ever really get to know them now?

Offer incentives to motivate response.
Even if you succeed in being where your customers are, you’ll likely need to do something to be heard over a cacophony of competitive marketing messages.  You have to stand out from the pack, differentiating your company by motivating consumers to take action.  Value savings, buyer advantages, special status, premium service—no matter what you offer, you need to show customers there’s something in it for them.

Have you ever gotten something that looked like a coupon, yet it had no discount or saving offer?  I get those duds every now and then in the stack of auto-generated coupons that are printed at the the end of my grocery store check-out or even in those Valupaks that are mailed to the house.  Why would a business invest to be included in the Valupak or in the store coupon program and not give potential customers a nudge? No matter how great your biz may be, customers will ere on the side of “discount” or “incentive” if given the choice.

The aforementioned cupcakery contributed a buy-one-get-one-free coupon in the swag bag for the event I attended.  That was a smart move, as that offer provided the extra nudge I’d need to go from ‘event groupie’ to ‘paying customer.’

Be consistent to stay ‘top of mind’ and ‘front of the line.’
Frequency and positioning matter in this message-a-minute world.  That’s why advertisers run repetitive campaigns with brain-burning jingles, celebrities show up for flashing cameras at every premiere and charity event and media moguls chime in on all the issues or tweet their most fleeting opinions 20 times a day.  Businesses or personalities that want to have last word often ceaselessly strive to stay top of mind and hold position at the front of the line.

For small business owners, being consistent doesn’t have to also mean being outlandish, brash or intrusive.  It’s simply a matter of being present on a regular basis.  Customers who are busy with work, family and life in general are constantly rattled and riddled with marketing messages.  Any business or service provider that becomes a voice of consistency can earn and hold top position in customers’ minds and benefit from being first in line when those customers need what the business has to offer.

That’s the beauty of social media.  Customers elect to participate in social media, and they exercise their right to select connections within those networks, sites and forums.  A business has an open door to create ongoing relationships, illicit interaction and become part of their customers’ daily lives.  The key is to be the steadfast voice in a sea of hit-or-miss messages.  That’ll help make a “lust” product a “must” purchase.

Again, if that newly beloved cupcakery were to join in the conversations on Twitter or Facebook, I’d definitely welcome them into my circles.  However, if I don’t hear from them soon, there will be another flavor to steal my attention.  I’ll get busy and diverted, and I’ll inevitably file the fact that I loved those cupcakes deep in my overloaded brain.  It’s in their court to remind me how wonderful they are.

Whether promoting something people want or need, social media, mixed with a strategic blend of traditional advertising and marketing methods, can be the icing on the (cup)cake for small businesses. 

More bite-size ideas coming soon...
Thanks!