One way for local companies to benefit from social media is by using Twitter. Let’s take an example from a local company here in the Windy City – Birchwood Kitchen.
Birchwood Kitchen is a gourmet sandwich shop located in Wicker Park. They use their Twitter page to communicate lunch specials and upcoming events . Fans can follow Birchwood Kitchen on Twitter to get these updates and not worry about calling or stopping by to stay in the loop.
Social media is especially powerful if your store is a local favorite. The more attached locals are with your brand, the more likely they are to follow you on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook, for example.
Homer’s is a local music store in Nebraska that might benefit from such a strategy. They have a Facebook group page, but not a Twitter page that I’m aware of. At the time of this post, they have over 700 fans on Facebook, which represents a strong local following. By communicating with locals through these social platforms, they strengthen their brand by making their friends and fans feel like part of a community. Not to mention they are able to communicate what’s happening with their store, including special deals and promotions over the holiday season. A great way to prompt an already targeted market.
It’s interesting to see local businesses using things like Twitter and Facebook to build their brand. I like the Birchwood Kitchen example as their mouthwatering tweets plants the thought to go to their location rather than an alternative.
Could be an edge over the identikit chains.
Thanks for letting me know about one more way to benefit from Twitter. I already have a twitter account and am loving it.
WoW..that was an wonderful explanation on how local stores would get benefited with twitter.. It helped me a lot because of my direct participation and interaction on Twitter, I’ve been hired by clients and I’ve made great collaboration partners..I love the live interaction and the ability to quickly build great relationships…