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Creating Your Own Small Town the Social Media Way

22 April 2009 | social-media | 1 Comment

social media is like a small town

Twitter is becoming a household word

I said nearly two years ago that Twitter would be the epicenter of Social Media’s step into the mainstream consciousness, and it didn’t let me down in the slightest. It seems that right on time, Twitter is becoming the household name I thought it could and has been the breeding ground for Social Media terminology, etiquette, and discourse of its usage in both the personal & business arenas.

But no matter how mainstream it becomes and how large a following a business, media, or big star has, it still remains only small town that a business or organization needs.

Mayberry Incarnate

In order to understand the small town, you have to dream way back to when things were simple, life was a lot slower, and rather than set out on information quests, we simply engaged others in our local town square. Whether it was the corner drug store, church, local club, or the local butcher, recommendations on all of life’s realities were a simple question away- the trusted answer lie in your neighbor or from the guys down at the local hardware store. It seems that as fast as we want life to go, we seem to come back to more simple things whenever humanly possible- social media to me is exactly this event in progress.

It’s so true that many of the same needs we’ve always had are still there regardless of technology, in fact, the more advanced we seek to become, the more touch we need. By touch, I simply mean the ability to connect with what others think and feel about the things we as humans experience on a daily basis.

Online brand? No, it’s more like a town square.

We talk a lot in the technology age about your online brand, or your online identity, but I submit that it’s no longer just that- what it has become is your small town storefront brimming with small town folks that are active in the community minding your store. These folks are eager to help, share, and participate wherever they can, even with the local competitor to improve the lives of their local citizens.

When boiled down in this manner, social media removes the need for large fan and friend followings, in fact it only solidifies the need for a handful of appreciative patrons to begin with. As you engage the community your good name is spread by word of mouth within the community creating a growing loyalty and following as the brand that stands behind their product and/or services. In other words, with only a handful of satisfied patrons, your growth is real and solid, rather than hollow and short lived.

Do numbers talk?

Numbers are the bottom line in any business, but I ask any C level business leader if they present their brand in a numbers based fashion when they meet a consumer on the street? My guess is no. I would imagine that in that brief encounter they would spend more time listening and then engage in a manner similar to how Sam the butcher would engage his local community, or the way a very smart social median would online.

Have you failed?

So take a look at your following in your social media spaces and ask yourself how many of those folks you are on a first name basis with, or how many of them you’ve personally helped, supported, promoted, or simply said hello to. If your percentage is in the negatives or laden with excuses of how busy you are versus the size of your following, chances are that your store is poorly minded and you’re quite possibly failing the small town test. Being too busy to mind your own store says that your base is overgrown, and you’ve failed to plan accordingly.

If you have a small following and are new, it’s a great time to get out into the town square and mingle. Helping, sharing, promoting others, and engaging is what must be done to be a part of the community.

Some may disagree

I realize that some, even within my own community may disagree (because as I said, the discourse continues) that a manageable volume of followers is the way to go, but the best comparison to large volume following is bulk email lists- we all see how successful that isn’t as it’s perceived as spam and entirely anti-social. The “get as many followers as you can” is a shortsighted goal with small return as the small town becomes a major metropolis, voices are lost in the hustle and bustle and people trip over one another without a second thought overlooking you along the way.

If your goal is to create a small town around your business that supports you within the community, the right way to grow is by being an active member of the community and focusing within that community, even if you’re a giant business. The result is more often than not, an inviting storefront full of loyal patrons.

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1 Comment for this entry

  • Chris Bailey
    April 25th, 2009 on 10:29 am

    Benn, I certainly won’t disagree and it’s precisely why I don’t get wrapped up in having thousands of Twitter followers. It’s not our marketing reach that’s so important as much as it is the meaning that we create between ourselves and our customers.

    As you so eloquently put it, we’re coming back to the very same principles that guided true business for so long: the ability to create a personal relationship between company and customers. Are we seeing the end of megalithic corporations? Probably not, but I think we’re seeing a revolutionary leveling of the playing field where small, agile business can compete with their larger competitors.

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