Getting Started with Social Networking

Recently, the time came for a roofing job on my house. I began the process in the usual way by asking friends and neighbors who they had used and were they satisfied. Then I recalled hearing ads for Angie’s List on the radio so I subscribed. The site offered over 80 contractors within a few miles of my home and there was an amazing amount of information including pricing. What is more, the listings gave both positive and negative feedback and those with the best overall ratings appeared at the top of the list. Needless to say, the top three were invited to present a quotation.

As the interviews with the contractors ensued, none of them seemed to be aware of their presence on Angie’s List and therefore had no idea that I had used the resource to decide who to call. The launch of OutOfTheGarage is part of an overall strategy to utilize the new tools of social networking to encourage the formation of an entrepreneurial community and to convey useful content to that community. So it is with this awareness that I reflected on my roofing experience and I have drawn these conclusions:

1. If you are in business, your community IS talking about you and you may not even know it.

2. The mad rush of social networking resources available today has made it possible to create virtual communities very quickly. Angie’s List has created a community of home owners who need to find good contractors. If the business of roofers, plumbers and Heat/Air contractors can be impacted by social media, it stands to reason that the full spectrum of businesses will have social communities formed around them.

3. Entrepreneurs are going to have to embrace social networking strategies so they can not only be aware of their presence in a social community, but take proactive steps to control the message.

At the CEG, we don’t have many answers on this topic yet. The technology continues to evolve at a break neck pace and it is difficult to point to any obvious success stories. The important thing is to pick a place to get started and build on that.

The Innovation Valley Technology Counsel invited Fred Hess and David Rose of Grass Roots Marketing to share their perspective on the topic. We captured their presentation on video and have it here in two parts. Fred Hess is fond of saying, “don’t just stand there.... DO something.” So goes the message with social networking.

Tech Council - Scocial Networking from Shawn Carson on Vimeo.

Tech Council - Social Networking Part 2 from Shawn Carson on Vimeo.