It is hard to believe we are in the final month of Q1 - 2010 already. It seems amazing that time is our most valuable resource and we are often left unable to articulate exactly what we have done with it. I do know that I continue to find quicker and easier ways to promote my business and learn more about others' business through the social networking mediums.
As a nay-sayer towards anything that attracts me to a computer and away from a customer, I admittedly have been late jumping on the MySpace, Twitter and Facebook phenomenon. It is unbelievable that our clients and their guests often turn to inanimate communication BEFORE seeking the personal interaction; especially, after spending many years hearing about the personal touch necessary to endear a loyal customer.
Industry experts are saying that the number of touch points a client requires before making the decision to buy from you is increasing. As of today, the number of times a customer must receive your message before deciding to make their purchase has increased to 15-17 times. I don't know about the rest of you, but I certainly don't have the marketing budget to endure that request and that is only the prelude to the time commitment it would take to generate the creative details and production specifics to communicate just one initiative. Multiply all of that by a minimum of 3-4 initiatives in the year and you have the need for a full-time staffer.
At NACE Experience! 2009 in Philadelphia, PA, I decided to sit through a breakout session on utilizing social networking to better communicate with customers and expedite marketing initiatives. What an eye opener! I was amazed at the content, its presentation and purported results for the business model; however, I was still doubting the effect it could have on the businesses I am responsible for. To date - Gaylord Opryland Resort does not fully utilize the power of social networking to advance its business units, but we have put NACE - Nashville Chapter of Facebook and have over 100 fans already. Not only are our members finding a value, but we are able to better communicate smaller pieces of information on a much more frequent schedule than the monthly newsletter. Feel free to become a fan and look for the updates to automatically feed onto www.nashvillenace.com in the future.
Lastly, the power of social networking has intrigued our industry comrades as we have MPI chapters sending their communication representatives to both our website and our Facebook page as a role model for what they would like to have happen with their own chapters. Flattery comes in all forms and we will consider this copy-cat approach a pure and simple form of flattery.
If you are not currently using the social networking media to enhance your business, look for a local seminar, find a class or hire a millennial. I am sure any of these resources will be able to provide marketing and awareness results for you and your business within days.
Cheers! to spring,
Vince
