Many of my clients are intrigued by the emergence of social media tactics in advertising but are unsure how these strategies work for companies not selling on the Internet (ie. trades, accounting, etc.). The rise of Twitter Businesses often leaves a bad taste in the mouth of companies trying to build a legitimate local presence online. So how do you build LOCAL buzz effectively with social media? Think of your connections as a funnel that looks something like this:

Connect with local friends, clients, network partners

gain access to their network of contacts

make contact through info strategies

begin to build like-ability online

meet in by phone/in person

you have a new contact!

So what strategies can you employee to do this? First, enlist the help of your exhisting network. Can they “share” your Fan Page, blog posts, and tweets with their network? Recommend your mailing list to others they know? These are the first steps to building your local presence through social media.

Remember, the goal of using programs like Twitter, Linked In, Facebook, etc. is not to have 3,000 contacts; but instead, to turn virtual “buddies” into real life partners and clients.

To learn more about building local buzz through social media join Renia September 16, 2009 from 5:30-8 p.m. for an interactive workshop