Chair's Chat - August

by David Collin, Busy Bees Embroidery
Social Media - HELP! 

I'm not the quickest fish in the lake, or the brightest bulb in the chandelier but I really do have my moments with social media. Talk about headaches for this person who thinks he's become a computer genius just because he got the darned thing turned on. For years I dressed nicely, sent flowers and cards; and I still couldn't turn it on. Okay, bad joke but it's been a trip.

If it had not been for Lori Givan, Chamber VP for Creative Services, Busy Bees still would not have a presence on Facebook. Now we're there. But I'm still way behind on the others and really, I don't have the time to keep up. Some companies have employees assigned to do nothing but maintain their social media thrust. Just when I think I have a handle on this techno babbling world, they come up with something else which may take me months to figure out.

The real point of this article is about the strength of the Chamber and the people you have working in that office. Each and every one is incredible at those things assigned to them, and they cross the lines of the area of their expertise to help you if they can. If they don't have the answers or the time to fix your problem, they will find someone who will and that may be another business owner within the Chamber.

But back to social media: I absolutely love it when I get a contact about our business, but I am getting upset with the number of people I don't know who want me to give them a recommendation on Linked In or Facebook or somewhere else because we're on social media. I would hate it if I did give such a recommendation and the product or service was poor. That aside, getting your business name out in other corners of the world, and I do mean world, can't hurt.

Why not give social media a try, at least one of them, and pass the word around about how it worked for you? If you have problems getting it going, the Chamber staff will either sit down with you, and get you going, or they will point you in the right direction.

I do think there may be a spot in the market place for a business doing nothing more than training know-nothings like me in the fine art of social media. And if you think you have a handle on it, ask David Burlis at Express Employment Professionals how many contacts he has on his page.