Are You Confused About How to Use Social Media?       

Being online isn't novel anymore...in fact, not being online is differentiating...in a bad way!  Creating an online image is an ongoing process and merely having a webpage is not enough.  Social media...such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Google+, and Blogs...can be powerful tools to build both your personal and business brand, but a few key differences must be taken into account. If you are using the exact same strategies for both, you may be missing out on the full power of using social media for your marketing purposes.

First a couple of general comments:  You want to make sure to clean up your personal social media once you become in charge of business or branded account. Go ahead and delete some of those old college photos, and clean up the language as well. This doesn't mean don't have fun, it just means be a little more aware of what you are posting and the people who might see it.  You also want to make sure you have a strategy for jumping into social media for business use. Read some books and take a look at the companies who are doing it really well. Have defined goals and ways of measuring those goals, just like you would with any other marketing or advertising strategy.  Using social media for yourself may be intuitive, but it's almost certainly not intuitive when you are doing it for a business or brand.  

Content

Personal: It's OK to embrace Twitter's mantra "What are you doing?". Your family, friends and coworkers are interested simply in what you're up to that day, in addition to pictures of your kids, pets and vacations.

Business: Share content and give value, including links and nuggets of wisdom related to your industry.  

Networks

Personal: Stick with what you like. Think of it more like a hobby. Love making videos? Dive in to YouTube, and try out Twitter later on. If you are you a photographer? Stick to Flickr for now, and try out YouTube later. Don't feel obligated to be on everything.

Business: Have a footprint on all the channels you can reasonably support. Reach out to your intended audience where they are, and they probably aren't all in one spot. Experts suggest at a minimum Blogging, and developing a presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.  65-90% of executives, depending on the industry, go online first to research major business decisions and potential partners.  Your first interaction with a potential business partner will likely be on your online footprint. 

Consistency

Personal: It's not crucial that you're posting every single day multiple times. Friends/family/followers will come back because they have a real relationship with you.

Business: Consistency is crucial. If you're not posting every day, your audience may find a similar company who is. There are tools like Hootsuite that allow you schedule messages in advance. Experts suggest you make it a priority to share fresh content at least once or twice every single day.

Facebook 

Personal: You don't have to reach out much. Here it's okay to simply be a consumer and digest all the posts coming your way. Put smiley faces and "lols" on everything you like.

Business: Get familiar with applications. You can literally do just about anything within a Facebook page that you're able to do on a standard website. Through photo albums and wall postings (which act like interactive message boards), Facebook enables small businesses to develop a tone and personality. Do some research and know what works for other companies.

Twitter

Personal:  Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest information about who and what you find interesting. Simply find the public streams you find most compelling and follow the conversations.  Tweet when you have something to add to the conversation or just follow.  Twitter is a great forum to aggregate your daily news and disseminate your own ideas back into the collective consciousness. 

Business:  View Twitter as a conversation and use hashtags.  Businesses use Twitter to quickly share information with people interested in their products and services, gather real-time market intelligence and feedback, and build relationships with customers, partners and influential people. From branding to direct sales, Twitter offers businesses a chance to reach an engaged audience.  

LinkedIn

Personal:  Individuals use LinkedIn to network, promote their services, locate business partners and service providers and even to get hired. 

Business:  Use LinkedIn to grow and monitor your network. Businesses and organizations can use LinkedIn to perform competitive analysis, monitor industry trends, establish executives as experts in their fields, locate potential clients and customers and to recruit key hires.  

If you have questions or comments about how to deploy social media to build your business, contact Touchstone! 

Touchstone Business Listings: 

Well-Known Independent Men's & Women's Contemporary Clothing Store
- Gross $2,600,000, Purchaser to Submit Offer/Terms
- Strong History of Profits, Real Estate may be Purchased/Leased  

Independently owned retail store specializing in contemporary men's and women's clothing and shoes. In business for almost 40 years, the award-winning business is known for exceptional service and broad and unique clothing selections in categories ranging from suits and dresses to denim and t-shirts. This business has provided steady income for the owners through all types of economic cycles. The Sellers own the real estate with may be purchased or leased. This is an exceptional opportunity to own one of the metro area's premier retail stores, with opportunity to expand geographically and online.

Operating for over 10 years, this business is well-known among Grand Lake and mountain area homeowners, many of which have vacation homes, which tend to have higher turnover rates.  That creates steady demand for remodel, interior design and home decor products.  Customers choose this business for its mountain style furnishings and convenient location -- and the individual attention the store owner can offer. The business has strong relationships with suppliers and many great reference customers.    The business is being offered with the real estate, a 1,080 sf condo on the boardwalk in downtown Grand Lake, CO. The owner would consider leasing the real estate as well.  This is a great opportunity for an individual interior designer or Metro area firm to gain a footprint in the mountain market.

Colorado Springs CPA Practice

This company was founded with the mission to assist financial institutions develop a sustainable competitive advantage through service quality delivery and sales effectiveness. The firm specializes in research, training and consulting solutions that improve bottom-line sales and service quality results. The firm's products include a proven and proprietary process for inculcating cultural change, service quality research via customer interviews, on-site mystery shopping and web-based surveys, a comprehensive library of basic and advanced sales, service and leadership training programs, training needs assessment process, leadership skills inventory and incentive compensation consulting. Founded in 1995, the firm has a 15 year track record of producing results for financial institutions throughout North America. 

Die Casting Manufacturer  UNDER CONTRACT

The company is a Denver-based die caster, who manufactures zinc and aluminum components. Castings are small (less than 2 lbs.) and are typically produced in short run quantities of less than 1,000 per order. Customers are primarily local. In over 60 years of existence, the Company has built a strong local reputation for quality service. The Company operates from a wholly-owned production and warehouse facility which is available in addition to the purchase price. This is an opportunity for a synergistic acquirer to add additional capabilities; a strategic combination with a firm already in the die casting or a related machine shop industry; or, an individual to acquire a small family-run business with a 63+ year operating history.

Popular upscale card, art, chocolate and gift shop located adjacent to the premier shopping plaza in Taos, NM. The business specializes in unique greeting cards of their own design and from small card companies across North America and Europe. They offer unique gifts and original art work by local artists and from around the world, as well as hand-made chocolates from NM chocolatiers. The business serves repeat regional clientele, as well as tourists visiting the Santa Fe and Taos art scene from around the world. Since its inception in 2002, the business set out to establish its retail store as the premier boutique for cards, local artisan works, chocolate creations and regional gift items in Taos. The company differentiated itself from the competition by creating their own line of greeting cards and unique product mix. Their upscale and unique mix of products give the store the feel of a sophisticated boutique. The business prime high traffic location, word of mouth and a stellar reputation, has enabled establishment of the store s brand. Growth potential exists in existing business model, as well expansion of pottery, spirituality/new age and local artist offerings and expansion of online sales.

Popular upscale flower, gift basket/gifts and  home decor shop located in an upscale retail shopping area of Denver. It has some of the  city's most prestigious individuals and  corporations as its clients. Since its  inception  in 2004, The business set out to establish its shop as the premier boutique for flower arrangements, gift baskets and gift/decor items in Denver. The company differentiated itself from the competition by using unusual flowers and offering sophisticated arrangements that were artistic and tasteful. Their upscale and unique gift offerings have established the feel of a sophisticated boutique. Word of mouth, participation in an exclusive wire service and a stellar reputation, has enabled them to establish their brand. Growth potential exists in existing business model, as well expansion of wedding and event business.