Well, Labor Day Weekend is over. I hope everyone travelled safely, and is settling back into the routine! I went to Portland for an annual sibling reunion. It was wonderful, and my first time in Portland, Oregon. The one thing that caught my attention immediately after touching down and taxiing to the gate was how connected PDX airport was to each visitor. Whereas, when I got to Chicago O’Hare, I had trouble even finding the twitter handle for the airport, when I checked in at Portland Airport, the twitter address popped up, and so did multiple tips for visiting the airport. I was also pleasantly surprised by a quick reply from @flyPDX personally welcoming me to Portland and saying “Reunions are the best!”. I asked what to do in portland as it was all of our first times in portland, and wouldn’t you know it, they pointed me to a useful twitter account: @TravelPortland, where I found guides and suggestions immediately! When I got off the plane I already had a good feeling about Portland, and an idea of what things to do while I was here with 3 siblings and 2 babies. When I relayed this experience to my siblings (all older than I) they all said, “Wow, that’s cool……..What’s the use of that though?”
I’m sure this is a similar question that crosses business owner’s minds a lot, what is the value of my company being social? Well, here’s is what I think the use is from a consumer’s perspective:
- The “warm & fuzzies” factor: hospitality has and will always go a long way to making people feel comfortable. I instantly felt like I could let my guard down and ask a question that I probably would have left for a guide book to tell me.
- Information from the expert: I was greeted by an expert, and I found myself instantly at a font of knowledge, all I had to do was ask. It was one of the most useful and powerful things to a traveler to a new city.
- Instant perspective change: when I visit a new place, I always have a sense of curiousity, but also caution. When I received the tweet personally welcoming me, I instantly felt like I was in a city that “Got it.” a city that was a bit further ahead or with the times than others, and that was so nice to see. Even if my experience in Portland had been less than stellar, I would still think that it was better than a city that provided a bad experience AND didn’t welcome me electronically.
from a business perspective, here’s the use:
- Increase your brand image: social media allows companies a natural way to personalize “who” the company is, and be in conversations as an individual, not a corporation. This is imperative for a brand today, to connect with people on an individual level.
- Achieve your mission: the flexibility of social media allows your company to talk to specific people about specific things. this is POWERFUL!
- Increase the possibility of revenue and word of mouth: all of this talking increases the chance that people will talk about you, too. And eventually, after multiple impressions, that will translate into transactions!
Social Media is very adaptable to any business mission; but it’s still misused or not used at all in businesses, so it is always exciting to see it being used correctly in a new setting. Do you have any questions or comments? I would love to hear from you!
