Being at a severe disadvantage because of the corporate marketing and advertising dollars the big boys are willing (and able) to throw around, the Mom and Pop shops are looking for any piece of grease they can get their hands on that may make their store's name and products sticky enough to stay top of mind with the customers they value so much.
It's simply not enough to just have a website anymore. Online visitors don't want to be spoon fed the information. They want to discover it. They want to digest it. They want to discard it. But, most of all, they want to choose how to react to it.
So, how can social media help Mom and Pop in the fight against the big boys?
Here are four ways:
1. Establish a presence on a social network you are comfortable with. If you've never been on a socnet before, ask some friends for their recommendation on which might be the best to serve your needs. Some examples:
- Facebook - allows other Facebookers to "Like" Mom and Pop and to receive updates on sales and promotions in their News Feeds.
- Twitter - helps Mom and Pop to interact with followers and admirers on a more one-to-one basis.
- Foursquare - encourages customers to "check-in" at Mom and Pop's store and get rewarded for their loyalty with discounts and other promotional deals.
2. Time or Money. You need at least one of these things if you want your social media efforts to pay off. Social media is about starting and sustaining long-term relationships. So, if you do not have the Time that it takes to do that, you'll need to have the Money required to hire someone who can do that on your behalf. The amount of time you spend on fostering online relationships will only contribute to the equity your brand has built within the offline community.
Besides the costs of hiring someone (if that is even needed), the overhead of maintaining a social presence is minimal and quite cost-efficient, especially compared to all of the media dollars one can spend on traditional media. Granted, social media marketing is more targeted and serves a different purpose than TV, radio, billboards, etc., but to think social media marketing isn't a viable, effective option for a small town retailer is nothing, if not short-sighted. Just as much (and more) can be gained from the efforts put into building a fluid, traction-gaining existence within an online community.
3. The Young (at heart) and the Restless. One key to understand is that social media is not just for young people. Naturally, using these tools will help attract younger customers who may otherwise not be attracted to Mom and Pop's store. But, surprisingly, older generations are the ones who are really gravitating toward the social medium. They use the platforms as a way to stay in touch with their families, friends and communities. Your returning customers are your brand ambassadors and if they are visiting you in your store and have nice things to say about you to their friends, chances are they will visit you online and invite their friends to do so as well.
4. Promote. Promote. Then, Promote some more. How are you going to inform your customers that you are now "socially available?"
- Create table tents or other signage and put them at checkout
- Remind clerks to formally invite customers to join the store and to tell their friends
- Place information slips into carry-out bags
And those are just things you can do in-store. Online, you can:
- Buy highly targeted ads on Facebook
- Put some funds towards Search Engine Marketing
- Run exclusive promotions online that only your Facebook friends, Twitter followers, or FourSquare fans can take part in, thus growing the word of mouth about your social presence
The bottom line is, it doesn't matter what size of business you have. Whether you're Big Brother or Mom and Pop, social media tools allow you to establish a voice and form valuable, enduring relationships.
What you do with that voice, and more importantly, those relationships is up to you.
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