Social media is easy when you are trying to promote a restaurant, entertainment venue, kids game or sports team.  Where should we go to dinner or who is going to win the play offs; these are topics people naturally talk about.  Social media was made for these products.

But what other types of businesses?   What if you are a personal injury attorney, dentist, heating and air conditioning company?   How do these small businesses use  social media.  What do you talk about?   The same things you would talk about if you were in a room with a group of people.  Sure you would talk about your business, but you would also talk about your hobbies, community events, and interesting trivia.  That mixture makes a great social media strategy.

Sounds good in theory, but how does it work in practice?    Take a look at some of these examples from our clients:

Law Firm:  Doehrman/Chamberlain – Personal injury specialists, they are active in the local community serving on boards and helping to build awareness of the risks of brain injury.   Their facebook page reflects this mixture –  with posts about bicycle riding and helmets, the Indy 500 and conferences they are attending  http://www.facebook.com/tortslaw

Eye Doctor:  Revolution Eyes – Dr. Ciano is personally active on facebook, and when you go to his personal page you may see him celebrate the victories of his favorite sports teams ( which may not be from Indiana) and the occasional political comment.  On his fan page he sticks to conversations about fashion eye wear, optical illusions, (just for fun), updates on the Indianapolis Ice & Indianapolis Indians ( he  is the team eye doctor) and an occasional eye health fact http://www.facebook.com/revolutioneyes

What’s missing?  The blatant advertising that would feel out of sync with Facebook, and be largely ignored.  As you build your fan page, remember to be a person first.

For more on this topic check out my conversation with Allison on More than a Few Words