As I’ve been developing out my blog and my business service offering over the last few days I realized that there are two components to my strategy and I almost focused on the wrong one. All the other blogs I’ve written so far are correct and technically accurate. People of solid business minds who know this stuff will argue over different aspects or strategies for the best traffic placement how much value LongTail key words have, or how to use local Search. Used effectively any strategy will drive business. Here’s the thing, technical strategies are cold and have no feeling. The whole reason why it’s difficult to do business in a small community neighborhood now is because there is no neighborhood, at least not in Marietta ga. The square in Marietta is nice and does get some main street traffic but what if you own a business over where I live in East Cobb. Johnson’s ferry is basically a highway and main street doesn’t exist.
I remember as a kid my first job after caddying one round was helping at our neighborhood fish store. On Tuesday’s and Thursday’s we would get a truck in from the Jersey Shore. I lived in Clarks Summit, Pa a small town suburb of Scranton PA. It was a beautiful area to grow up in. We were close to the Poconos and had an amazing fall leaf season. We also had a main street. The fish shore was on it. So I’d go in early meet the truck and start unloading. David the owner and I hustled all morning unloading the truck. Of course he decided he had to go in and start filleting the salmon as soon as the scallop bags were about to come of the truck. Anyway after I finished with the truck I had a few different jobs from helping out in the Kitchen to steaming crabs to cleaning the place up and occasionally, once I finished everything else they would let me work up at the counter.
Well every time a customer came in I knew who they were. I said hi and I always made recommendations about what we had gotten in that day. It was a small town, a neighborhood, and I had grown up there, everybody knew me and David loved having me there. He once told me that having me upfront was the best marketing he ever did. That was because we were a small neighborhood and everyone knew everyone.
Today there is no such thing as a small neighborhood. Or is there? Is there a neighborhood and main street? Social media is bringing back Main street believe it or not. The neat thing about this main street is doesn’t just have to be in your local postal code and a lot of businesses have taken advantage of the global reach but how can a small business who really does only need to reach the local community participate in this social net working field?
The key is finding and building that neighborhood. Most of the way’s to build the neighborhood are easy and free but they take effort and some time. Using Facebook, LinkedIn, twitter, and blogging you can develop community. If no other business owners in the same community then connect with them. On your blog write something of value about what they do and who they are. Help bring them business from your customer base in the Neighborhood and let them help bring you business from their customer base. Soon your neighbors in the community will be talking about both of you and how great you are to all of their neighbors.
If you own a small business in the East Cobb, Marietta, or Roswell community I can help you find and participate on your main street via the internet and help you drive business while helping to build the Neighborhood online and off.
Offerings like the neighborhood co-op news letter will help you create the Main Street feel. Don’t forget to join twitter and subscribe to the @metzgerbusiness\mariettausers list. This list currently has 83 users that are located in Marietta inclusive of East Cobb. I promise the list will grow quickly. This list is set up and a free resource to anyone who follows it. This is an 83 person network dying to be tapped. I’ll be setting up a Roswell list and greater Atlanta area list as well.
If you don’t yet know how to make these social networks act as a neighborhood main street for your business, lets sit down and talk. I’ll help you develop you social media strategy so that your business has prime real estate on Main Street and you’ll feel good about helping your neighbors too.
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