Local Business Owners Learn Benefits of Social Media

Presione aquí para ver la nota en español.

Local small businesses are facing tough challenges today in connecting with potential customers in a down economy. Traditional marketing techniques to entice clients are expensive and difficult to measure for success.

But businesses are increasingly turning to low or no-cost social media to promote their services and products.

“They [businesses] want to reach as many people as they can while reducing their cost,” said Catalina Salazar, executive director of the South Gate Chamber of Commerce. “The business owners time and funding is limited.”

addressed the growing interest in social networking by hosting Alex Marie Manriquez, a social media expert and owner of My Social Calling, a company that provides social media services to small businesses. She spoke at the chamber's latest networking event at restaurant last Thursday.

Creating an effective digital presence is not an easy task, said Manriquez. However, businesses can take some steps to make the process easier.

“It is really cost-effective, but it does not mean it’s free,” said Manriquez. “It is going to take time, and time is the most important thing for a business owner.”

There are several areas that Manriquez believes business owners should take into account before carrying out a social media strategy to increase business. These include: come up with a plan that identifies what they want to achieve, use the right type of social media, spread the word about their online presence, and engage with customers.

“Social media is a great tool,” said Manriquez. “[Businesses] should be ahead of the curve and make sure they are participating and reaching out to customers.”

Those who are just starting their businesses, in particular, need ways to get the word out; social media provides options.

“It is always good to tap into something new,” said Rishi Gil, who served in the Army for four years and has owned a on State Street and Missouri Avenue for six months. Gil has run traditional marketing using flyers, but is more optimistic about using technology to attract more customers.

“Social media reaches out to the whole world so let's see if I can reach all of South Gate,” he said.

There is a lot to learn about social media marketing, and even those with experience expressed satisfaction at having learned new tips from the talk.

“I am already participating in social media with my business,” said Sara Rodriguez, a and owner of a franchise on Tweedy Boulevard. Among the tips that Rodriguez found useful was the 90-10 rule, which states that 90 percent of a social network account of a business should be informational, and only 10 percent about the actual business. “I need to give back more and stop making it so personal,” Rodriguez said.