Strategy

Sarah Worsham / Mar 30, 2010

Using Social Media to have a Conversations over the Counter

Small businesses excel at forming connections with their customers and network. Well before the Internet and online social networks, small businesses had real life social networks where they probably knew just about everyone in their town or village. Being part of a community is still important for any small business, but the Internet and online social media allow the reach to be extended to customers and partners that would never have been reached otherwise.

I grew up in a small town. My dad owned a saloon. I’ve been thinking a lot about his social networks and how they relate to what I do online. Truth is what my dad did with his cash register I do with my computer … the biggest difference is the speed and reach of the Internet. And I believe that entrepreneurial view is what gives every small biz an advantage in establishing a web presence using social media tools – Why Small Town Small Biz Has an Advantage at Using Social Media Tools (Small Biz Survival)

Sarah Worsham / Mar 29, 2010

Connecting the Dots Between Twitter and The Sale #smcd

I gave a talk last week at Social Media Club Detroit (smcd) on some ways to measure how all those tweets, shares posts and comments relate to achieving business goals. While measurement of social media is evolving, some companies have had success in connecting the dots between their social media and business strategies. I discussed what these companies did as well as how business ROI can be measured and achieved with social media.

Notes from the event can be found here (thanks Nikki!). Special thanks to Portage Media Jeremiah Staes for recording and production of the video. And a thank you to the Social Media Club Detroit for putting on the event and the Detroit Public Library for hosting. If you get a chance to go downtown to the library, I highly recommend it. The building is absolutely beautiful inside and would be a great place to host an event, meeting or group.

For more information on creating a social media strategy and on social media measurement, please consider attending our upcoming online webinars (just need a web browser and an internet connection):

Crafting a Successful Social Media Strategy – Wed, Apr. 14th – 12pm – Register Now!
Measuring Social Media Success Webinar – Wed, Apr. 21st – 12pm – Register Now!

Sarah Worsham / Mar 26, 2010

Balancing Good Design with Needed Functionality

When designing a website or online service, companies often have a whole slew of great ideas for functionality. When is enough enough? Can a simple design suffice? How do you make choices about what features to incorporate?

Even the simplest of interfaces, Twitter, has begun to add more complexity with new retweet features, lists, trending topics, and more. Aesthetically, “good design” means design that is appealing to the eye, and is easily navigated visually. With this idea, it is important that complex interfaces are well designed so that the users who prefer simplicity do not feel overwhelmed. – Finding the Balance of Design and Functionality (ReadWriteStart)

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