COMMUNITY IS KEY!

It has come to my surprise that in a time that is so reliant on technology, the lack of guidelines/ seriousness is taken with social media for many small businesses. The SOCIAL side of social media isn’t quite social at all. From a business perspective every post, every comment, every like should be behind a strategy.

Sure the big players know what’s going on and spending millions to ensure their business is on top. They know their customer’s every click, every thought. The scary thing is they probably know you better then you know yourself.

But where does this leave small businesses? Those that lack resources and knowledge?

Working at Relay For Life Fremantle (RFL), a not for profit, the real challenge is budget. From this I have recognised social media as a key tool. It is cost effective (well supposedly) and gives the exposure to a dynamic audience all at the click of a button. The more we have been incorporating social media into our strategies; it has become clearer that TIME is the determinant of the success of a strategy. Like the classic saying, the more you put in the more you get out.

After this challenging week of trying to build exposure I have realized that little RFL might not be as equipped as multinationals in terms of resources, but the power for small business is community. Collaborating with small business allows cross promotion on multiple platforms, building exposure and credibility. We love a team player and having a community affiliation automatically leads to a natural/ authentic approach. Almost like a friend, and something that even though corporations spend millions to master, local businesses always have the competitive edge.

So to all the small business that might not have as many followers or be spending millions on market research, it’s okay. Play on your strengths.

Learn to interact with your local community.

Learn to love your followers like your family.

Learn to chat to them like you would to your best friend.

Learn that customers truly value a face, and that your face is much more trusted than that almost automated employee millions of miles away.

Until next time,

Kayla x

(sourced: Google, small business and social media)