Very recently I was making enquires about a sales management resource for a client. I posted my request on Twitter and got a response from a Twitter Buddy. Shortly after, I was contacted by the book’s publishers, who were obviously monitoring their brand on search. Not long after, they were answering direct questions about whether it would suit my specific needs or not.

They also took the opportunity to open up a discussion on their business’s Facebook page and post the questions I had to the people that had already read the book.

Honestly it was beautiful. No sales pitch.

To a consumer, there is risk in trying something new. No doubt you know that feeling of purchasing a product and getting it home only to find it didn’t represent the value you paid for it or it won’t fit the purpose for which you bought it.

This is an age old theory:

“The central problem of consumer behaviour is the choice. Since the outcome of choice can be only be known in the future, the consumer is forced to deal uncertainty” -James W. Taylor -The Journal of Marketing - April 1974

They were able to connect me to third party advocates that let me measure the suitability of the book and remove any risk anxiety I had immediately. Social Media is yet another opportunity to create a very positive brand experience that consumers carry with them. This is a five minute exercise you can do each day. There may be times you need to put out a fire or just serve people. I think this is pretty simple and there is no need to complicate this process.

Have you had an experience like this online? Tell me about it below and how it made you feel.

Natalie Giddings is Thinktank Media’s Senior Social Media Strategist and she has extensive experience managing brands presence both online and offline.

My heart is racing right about now as I have just blown a huge opportunity. I feel like a 15 year old again who has just got slammed into detention, and I don’t want my parents to find out.

Why am I feeling like this?? Because I took a short cut. It seemed an easy decision to make at the time yet looking back it was one of the silliest choices I have ever made.

The purpose of this post is to share with you something I messed up on, so you will not, AND to embed the fact that in social media you cannot take shortcuts. They can be bad for the brand and your personal brand. Sticking to your values is crucial. In a world where things are changing so quickly it can be tempting for us to move away from our values in order to get the result quicker. I can assure you that this is not good interanlly or externally.

The great thing about social media platforms though is that there are always portals to clean up the spilt milk – live, right now! If you address the action immediately, from the heart and explain why you/your employees  decided to take that action you immediately have an outlet to either appologise or justify your decision, and get feedback also from your viewers.

Hence this blog post, there is no need to go into the story behind it yet the message I want to share is:

Be authentic, stick to your values and don’t take short cuts within this space! AMEN!

If you spill the milk then there is always a way to clean it up.

A very hard lesson for me, which is now learnt!

Am I alone here, or has anyone else made a mistake and turned it around on this space?

If there is one thing you do today then it must be this. Gravatar it up people !

Gravatar – is a globally recognised avatar ! What this means is that you upload your image to this site and the image follows you around the web. When you make comments on peoples blogs, shazam…there is your picture right next to your name.

It’s free, simple, quick and easy to do plus is a must for personal branding! Get your face splattered across every forum,  blog, chat, website or any other online community you vist when you comment!

Hop onboard and sign up here http://en.gravatar.com/site/signup and get recognised.

I am soooo bloody enthusiastic and passionate about Social Media that when I mix this with small business I just wanna go BANG!

It’s a goldmine for small business right now; we’ve never had it better! Use this economic downturn to your advantage, and in fact you may find there is no downturn!  

Of course you can sit down and whinge about how you need to cut back, and how you need to be more careful with your spending, the banks the government, blah blah…or you can invest this whinging time soaking up this power space called Social Media…. and getting super productive with it!

It’s no big scary thing…you don’t need to be a techie…..STOP IT WITH THE EXCUSES! I’m sick of people saying “it’s ok for you, you’re a techie head”! Damn it guys, I’m no techie!

I’ve only been in this game 2 years….and started from scratch!  What I am is a small business owner who wants to grow my business in a powerful and super productive way (the fewer the costs, the better). What I am is a connecter, a no bullshit girl – If I see something that’s going to benefit me, my family, my business then I take action!

 Everything I have built up boils down to learning new things, connecting with people, caring, taking action and bloody hard work!

 I’m passionate, enthusiastic and energetic and I love the business I’m in. That’s key! You’ve gotta be enthusiastic and passionate otherwise what’s the point! With these qualities and Social Media combined, our business is growing by the second! When I say growing, I mean growing with followers/fans…people that talk to others about us, refer us on…people that are building up our brand (unconsciously) , people that come to us when they want to learn, along with the power people that assist us too (my twitter buddies – just look to your right) ! That’s how we have gone from a Melbourne based business to a business that operates globally and has fans in many areas of the world!

Ok, so I have blown my own trumpet a lot however I want to make a point!  I want the newbie’s out there to get it! It’s our time now people…..it’s 2009! Get with it!

Social media is giving us the opportunity to promote our personal brand or product in a way we could have never imagined! It’s now not a case of spending big $$$$ on your marketing budget – this stuff is FREE and I believe it’s more powerful than anything out there right now (traditional media included – TV, newspapers, radio). Why? Because Social Media is all about great contacts, connections, PEOPLE!!!!! Start watching our next leg of celebrities burst out from this space – the internet – that’s ME included!

So what do you need to do to take advantage of these great marketing platforms? Start building up your lists (fans) NOW while you have the time, while there is an economic downturn, because I promise you, if you leave it til next month, next year then you’re missing out, you’re falling behind!  Yes, it takes hard work, yes it takes extra added hours when you feel like jacking it all in, yet if you’re passionate and enthusiastic about your brand then that’s what keeps you powering forwards. It keeps you going, and that’s what attracts people to you!

Click here to see 1 place to get started…some other places to start building up your list of groupies are Twitter and Facebook!

That rant had to be released…he he….! To be honest it’s not usually my normal fluffy and warm style yet I had to make a point, and it’s because I care. I care about small business and I care about you guys who are reading my post right now! It does my absolute nut in to think small businesses out there do not know about Social Media and the power of this space – that’s why I’m here, and this blog too! Ahhhh…..and those who choose to neglect it, that’s just crazy stuff, yet I guess I can only go so far with this……. it all boils down to a matter of choice!

I trust you make the right choice! 

High fives and whoop whoop! I’m here for ya! Comments please…click the comments section below!