For the next in our series of case studies looking at how small businesses are using social media, we caught up with Tom Shay, Certified Speaking Professional at Profits+Plus to find out how the company uses social media both themselves and also for their clients
In no more than 50 words explain what your business is
Clients: Independent retailers in North America in all formats of retailing.
Profits Plus: Working with these small businesses to educate the owners and managers on business strategy, marketing and financial control.
How do you use social media as a business?
Clients: As a supplement to traditional advertising. Some use it in place of traditional advertising as some are in markets where they can afford little of the traditional media.
Profits Plus: To share information about the general retail community with meeting planners, Main Street communities, and individual retailers.
What are your business/marketing objectives for social media?
Clients: Doubtful that have determined an objective. They just know it is something they should consider as a part of contacting their customers.
Profits Plus: A supplement to our monthly contact with retailers as well as our bi-monthly contact with meeting planners.
Do you measure the success of your social media marketing? If so, how?
Clients: Yes. Increase in response to their traditional advertising. Elongating the response to their traditional advertising.
Profits Plus: Yes. Observing retweets, blog comments, forwarding of our articles.
How does social media fit in with the other marketing your company does?
Clients: Most retailers do not plan an advertising budget. Social media is something the owner simply is experimenting with to see if people notice them.
Profits Plus: We have a schedule of communicating with retailers (although they are not our customers, their association are). We also have a schedule of communicating with their associations and meeting planners. Our social media is used to emphasize this communication.
Do you have plans to increase your use of social media in 2010?
Clients: Yes, because it something new and as they hear about it they are participating more.
Profits Plus: Yes, and those steps are already in place.
What would be your top 3 tips for businesses looking to get involved in social media?
Clients: Pick a very limited number of media, experiment, relax and have fun with it!
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