May is International Social Media Month, and Chandler Interactive will be helping Central Ohio companies celebrate.
The Columbus-based digital marketing agency is sponsoring Social Media Month Columbus to help local businesses develop social media marketing strategies with measurable results.
“We wanted to bring a tangible strategy to local businesses, to be able to help them get a foothold, grow their presence, and grow their customer base,” says Barry Chandler, founder of Chandler Interactive.
Social Media Month Columbus will take place completely online, and is aimed at owner-operated businesses and small- to medium-sized businesses.
Throughout May, participants will get more than 150 strategies, ideas, and tips via 23 short, 10-minute how-to video tutorials featuring interviews with Chandler Interactive staff about their experiences and the changes they’ve seen in businesses because of social media, Columbus-based experts sharing their social media success stories, and businesses that are doing social media well.
“There are many local businesses who have gained national and international attention because of their social media use, and others who have built loyal local customer bases through their effective tweeting and Facebook-ing,” he says.
The videos will outline the four-step process developed by Chandler Interactive to help small business owners create a measurable social media strategy.
The videos will provide tips on creating a goal for your business, choosing the appropriate social media platform for your goal and your customers, determining what content your business should be sharing with customers and what content you should want customers sharing back, as well as how to measure and refine the strategy you’ve put in place.
“Many business owners have tried to use Facebook, and sometimes Twitter, for their business in the same manner they use it personally, and when they don’t see an immediate return, they tend, understandably, to get disheartened and be less inclined to use it as a business tool,” he says. “The reality is that, like any form of marketing or business exercise, it needs a strategy, which is normally quite different from how you might use these tools personally. What we’ve found is that those businesses that implement a goal-specific strategy tend to see a greater return on their time or financial investment.”
The first video will be released at 9 a.m. on May 1 and every weekday morning thereafter. While all the videos will be available to anyone who signs up after May 1, businesses are encouraged to register their details (free of charge) at SocialMediaMonthColumbus.com if they are interested in being on the Chandler Interactive mailing list.
Additionally, Chandler Interactive staff will answer any questions posted to Social Media Month Columbus’s dedicated Twitter account and Facebook page throughout the month.
“It will be like having your very own social media team for your business during the month, and we promise to answer every question,” he says.
