consultingwoodworker.com Blog

I supposed it had to happen, although I admit I didn’t really see it coming. After several months of coaching and advising people on Social Media strategies here and on other venues, companies have begun asking me if I can help them with their Social Media and marketing. I don’t want this blog post to be a sales pitch, but one of the questions that needs to be answered is; “How do I choose a SM consultant?”

Social Media is so new, and evolving so quickly that there are no real certification or even education programs for you to rely on. So you need to be asking the right questions to find the right person. In my opinion, the first question to ask is how well the consultant in question knows your industry and your customer base. Nearly any teenager knows how to set up and operate the various SM platforms, but if they do not know what your customers are talking about between themselves, how can they advise you on how to communicate with them?

Another area to ask about is their writing experience. Most social media is, in fact, written. Poor spelling, grammar and syntax will reflect poorly on your company. An effective communicator is deeply important, especially if they will be supplying you with copy for your newsletter, blog or website.

And that brings me to the next point; as I have been extolling on this blog for some time, social media marketing is NOT just posting on a couple of platforms. You need to be managing a comprehensive campaign utilizing the correct platforms for your audience, and those efforts need to be cross-promoting each other, with the ultimate aim of bringing customers to your website.

Lastly, I firmly believe that when all is said and done, “Content is King”. I advise providing solid content to your customers on your website so they come back regularly to learn new things. You become a trusted source for them. But you are also trying to run a business in a very tough time. Will your consultant be able to assist you by helping you create good content for your customers.

So, if you are looking to hire a consultant for your Social Media Marketing, be sure to “interview” them, and insure that they will be a good fit for your company, industry and customer base.

Homebuilders Merging? Banks reporting quarterly profits? These and other signs have me convinced that the economy has hit bottom and on the rebound. The road back is going to be long and hard, and many more companies are likely to fall by the wayside. So while we should be encouraged, we cannot yet relax. I am convinced that American consumers will be a changed group after this recession. The freewheeling spending will not recover with the economy. People are already increasing their personal savings rates. This is, long term, good for all of us. But it will slow the recovery somewhat.

The economy that emerges will be very different from the recent past. Will you be positioned to thrive? What steps can you take to read the tea leaves and be properly positioned? I don’t have the answers and neither do you. But I know who does; Your customers and potential customers. They are the ones who will be buying new homes, remodeling their kitchens, and thinking long and hard before committing their savings. So, how can you forcast the new rules and be positioned to be their “go to” company? ASK THEM.

The future can be very bright for those shops that begin now having a dialog with their client and customer base. By working with some of the techniques I have discussed in past posts on this blog, you can keep up with the wants and needs of the buying public and the contractors that will be serving them. An effective Social Media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and other sites will give you a feel for what folks are talking about, asking for, and asking questions about. You can use these sites, or your own newsletter or blog to answer questions, explain trends and introduce new styles, hardware and features. As I have written about before, being a trusted source of information for your customers will keep you “top of mind” when they are ready to hire a cabinet shop.

This is NOT a fast and simple method, but it is really effective. As I have indicated before, Social Media is just that: Social! You cannot, and must not, treat the new media as another billboard. This is relationship marketing. You need to be friendly, helpful and informative. Don’t worry about spelling out everything you do. If you are seen as a reliable and trusted source of the information they need, they will be talking to you when they are ready to pull the trigger.

A really good source of information on this marketing technique can be found in Seth Godin’s book, “Permission Marketing”. (you can find a link to it at http://www.consultingwoodworker.com/recommended_reading) Seth has written the seminal work on using social media, even before social media was big.

I also want you to take a look at a pair of your peers, and what they are doing. Thomas Clayton, at Georgia Casework Inc., is writing a very good newsletter aimed at informing his customers about the market, his business, and the market. It is well written, very professional, and my only criticism is that there are no links to his website on the mailing. It would be worth your while to sign up for Thomas’s newsletter and see how he does it.

Paul Lesieur of Minneapolis Kitchen Remodeling writes a very entertaining blog at: http://www.minneapoliskitchenremodeling.com/ His style is breezy and a bit irreverent, but he absolutely comes across as an experienced professional. It should prove to be an effective resource for him.

Both of these communications have potential, but how do their customers find them? That is where the social media work comes in. If a Facebook “friend” asks a question that Paul has written about in his blog, he can provide a link. Not only will his “friend” check out the blog, but that person’s friends will see the interaction and may well check it out as well. Anyone who reads his blog can set up an RSS feed to have that blog sent to them automatically when a new post is made. They have given “permission” to Paul, to communicate with them, so as long as he provides useful information, his communications are not considered “spam”.

Thomas does the same thing, but through a mailing list. Everyone who subscribes to his newsletter has given him a valuable resource, their attention.

Both of these guys need to be very aware that the permission they gained is valuable and fragile. They must continue to be helpful and informative, and avoid being seen as a pushy saleman. The permission is very easy for the customer to revoke.

I hope that this gives you some ideas and inspiration. I also invite any of you who are producing content like Thomas and Paul to send me links, I’d love to see. I invite you to look me up in the Social Media realm. I can be found on Facebook and Linkedin as Ralph Bagnall, and on Twitter as Consultingwood. Come say hello and I will be happy to show you around.