Start Up Social Media

Rockford Social Media News

If you have ever contemplated using social media for your bricks and mortar business, or you have been approached by a consultant like myself,  then you have probably given some thought to the issue of  how to get some kind of measure of value or return on investment.

The use of Twitter or Youtube or Facebook probably will not bring a customer from their laptop or their PC right over to your store to make a purchase.  (A mobile user is much more likely to be looking to spend money now, so if you are not making an effort to reach mobile users, you are definitely losing out, but that is another post).

So you know, as a bricks and mortar user, that the Social Media platforms are mostly free to set up,  but the use of them by you or your staff requires time and preparation, and if you are a small company, all your time  may need to go to what it is that you do, and making time for something that might payoff in the future is perhaps not justifiable without some way to quantify impact.

So I was really surprised to get a letter from one of my bankers, Associated Bank, which said that they were going to be closing branches because “banking habits have continued to shift toward phone, online, ATM, mobile banking, and other electronic means”.

I had two responses to the letter, one was amazement that here was a business indicating that what we read about as a trend was actually impacting a bricks and mortar business. The other feeling was sadness for the folks who were going to lose their jobs as a result of this trend in our culture.

Feelings aside, what does that mean for the rest of us in business in Rockford?  Well, part of what it means for me is this post.  I need to take advantage of the online tools for my offline business.

And to be ready for the next wave.  How many of you are ready to take payments from a mobile device?  Just like Social Media platforms…soon your business will be seeing customers who do not have check books, or credit cards, they will only have a mobile.  They will have found you on their mobile, perhaps because of your text message, or your coupon, or your mobile website with the fat finger friendly buttons.

Are you going to be ready?  By the way, a mobile website will provide opportunities for better tracking and therefore better ROI.  Stayed tuned.