Social Media Marketing and the Small Business
When Huebris started in 2008, our slogan was “You’ll take pride in our work.” Today our mantra sends the same message without being as obvious, “Our Business Is Your Pride™.” You have to understand that this pride—this hubris—isn’t our own. We are but humble servants working in an industry in which we are truly passionate. The byproduct of our passion is finished work that our clients and customers can take pride in. We mention this because our newest client chose us for this very reason.
On Tap Enlists Huebris for Social Media Marketing
You may be thinking, with the head of a lion in it’s logo, On Tap Sports Cafe was looking to be the King of the Internet jungle in all it’s social media marketing endeavors. And with recently winning Birmingham’s Best 2011 in not one, not two but three categories, they may have room to brag. Best sports bar, best chicken wings and best beer selection are nice messages to spread around the Interwebs. As it happens, when Huebris met with owner Craig Beegle to discuss his vision for On Tap’s SMM strategy, none of these things were on his mind. Our meeting took place in Craig’s “office,” a cozy corner booth at On Tap’s Galleria location. It was here we discussed their agenda.
On Tap isn’t new to social media marketing. At Huebris, we’re use to working with clients who are completely new to the social media game—clients like Diamonds Direct, where we set up their pages and posted their inaugural updates. Not too many clients see beyond hiring a company to simply “brand” their Facebook and Twitter accounts. To cultivate online social networked relationships you need a few key ingredients. One of those ingredients is consistency. Most business owners and managers don’t have the time, talent or technological know-how to post polished content on today’s most prevalent social networks. Many companies offer 3rd party cloud-based software solutions to manage all your social media marketing efforts from one hub, but they still take time to learn and cost hundreds per month. The solution Huebris offers to fix this dilemma is our Social Media Management service.
Social media management is at its simplest, the outsourcing of publishing daily updates to various social networks like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Outsourcing this responsibility offers many incentives to small businesses, namely consistency. At Huebris, we research the science of timing these publications and posting them when they will have the maximum impact. We’re constantly educating our staff on upcoming trends and how to maximize return on investment. We know that updates with pictures have 180% more engagement on Facebook, and many other little details missed by the DIY-minded businesses out there. And we engage in conversations with fans on these networks. Chances are, your business will be talked about on the web, but most businesses miss the opportunity to take part in the conversation. They look at social media as a megaphone instead of a telephone. This is unfortunate.
This was the problem On Tap was having with their old social media management firm. They are based out of New Jersey, not Alabama. This is where pride comes into play. You see, On Tap doesn’t want to brag about how great their restaurants are. They would rather brag about the stuff their patrons are bragging about. On Tap get’s it. It’s not their old social media company’s fault, but what does a New Jersey-based business know about how if feels to have won the BCS National Championship as a state for the last three years in a row? Mr. Beegle mentioned, “They were citing the Huffington Post when talking about Alabama football. You just don’t do that.” Indeed, after winning our recent championship, the Huffington Post seemed more interested in how low the ratings were for the game’s viewership, saying things like, “If a trophy is lifted in a dome and nobody watches it, does it mean anything?” It means a lot to the people of Alabama who can’t help it the SEC has won the last six BCS National Championships straight. And this pride was lost in translation somewhere along the 1000 mile journey between Alabama and New Jersey.
This is the takeaway. Most small businesses can’t afford their own marketing department. Even if they can, it is usually wiser to outsource those responsibilities. Why? Social media is a rapidly evolving beast. It takes full-time dedication to master. Why hire on a new employee when social media marketing firms are popping up to do a better job and at a lower cost? On Tap enlisted Huebris for this reason, and most importantly for pride. They are a “neighborhood” pub. They understand that local teams and local breweries are two hot topics for their customers. Half of the reason people buy local at all is because they take pride in their community. If you’re going to outsource social media management for your small business, our advice is to look local first. A local business solution understands what it means to live and breath your town and its culture. They’ll take pride in the same things you do, and the same things your customers do.
For more information on social media marketing services offered at Huebris, please contact us today.