Long time ago was the era of big cars, Chevrolet’s with half a street’s sprawling length, and now we love our hatch-backs. Then came the time of the big box supermarkets, We loved these supermarkets. Some of them are so big it seems they never end and you never seem to have walked it all, ever. These supermarkets have everything under one gigantic roof and shelves to match. From a toothbrush to a motorbike, you can buy it all here. And with the advent of the supermarkets came the downfall of the mom and pop stores; or at least so we thought. Mom and Pop stores have survived and even prospered. And now these Mom and Pop stores can prosper more than ever for we have fallen out of love with the big supermarkets.
And it is not just stores. Small boutique hotels and family owned bed and breakfasts are stealing customers from the big fish. Why is that? The fact is simple. While the big competitors can provide good service, they often fail to provide a personal touch. The personalized and a completely unique experience is something that an owner owned enterprise can easily offer. Starbucks may be great, but it cannot match the level of “personal” touch that my local coffee shop gives me. The owner knows me, I know him. There is no receipt. I even have tab there.
These small businesses have a brand lying around that they do not know of. People are daily searching for “small” businesses where they can feel comfortable. This phenomena is gaining so much traction that Wal-Mart has actually announced plans to scale down the size of their establishments.
Small businesses are in an extremely advantageous position. For most of these small businesses there clientele are the customers who have somehow passed the shop or are situated in the nearby neighborhood. Small businesses need to tap the power of social media to increase clientele.
First of all they could begin with the basics and create a Facebook page and advertise in their establishment. This allows more people to check in and tag your page. This works even better than the traditional word of mouth. Second would be to connect with your customers on Twitter and get a little more banter with you and them. Some of your customers may be the kind who prefer to keep their talking online. Not everybody in this day and age is comfortable walking up to the owner and strike a conversation.
Social media can really help to get your business name out there. You can even make additional sales through it. Facebook has brought out its marketplace feature and it is quite effective. However many small business owners find it too complicated. But complication is not a problem. Big corporates roll out their social media strategies via the help of professional marketing firms. To help small businesses new boutique digital marketing agencies have emerged which offer a personal and budget friendly service to those who are planning their business’s first venture into the digital world. A good digital marketing agency will be able to help you get a whole branding process going. Do it on your own, or get help but capitalize on the love for small and get going.
