Three small businesses venture toward social sites

Let's say 2010 is your year to join the online social networking scene - except you're not quite sure how to get to the party.

The experiences of Sara Douglas, Jack Thompson and Jan Gibson may help. Each is in a different, early stage of social networking.

Douglas, namesake owner of Douglas Drawings in Libertyville, is an artist who specializes in pencil drawings of homes and horses. It was her Facebook connection with Brian Basilico, a high school acquaintance from years ago who is director of direction at B2b Interactive Marketing, Inc., Aurora, that got her a web page and blog. (See last week's column for details.) "Brian started me with the basics," Douglas says. "First, he said I had to buy a domain name. Now I have to write about my drawings and myself."

She's started, which makes drawingsbysara.com an interesting example of what a blog page-home page meld might look like. Take a look.

Thompson provides meeting and related event services to trade associations and businesses at his Chicago-headquartered EXPOexpert, Inc. "We're working on a new Web site, and Brian is going to help me create a blog that will connect with my site," Thompson says. "The blog will be written by me, pretty soft sell. People are taken aback by too much selling. I want to touch on the human side and allow people to respond."

Thompson already has a LinkedIn profile and plans to link his blog "to all the people who have connected with me."

Then, Thompson continues, Basilico "will help me set up a business page on Facebook," where business pages are called Fan Pages and a business builds fans much like individuals build friends.

"They'll get the blog as well. In terms of marketing, I have to spend more time getting my name in front of people - not every week but every two weeks or every month. I have to work it a little."

At Gibby's Wine Den, Batavia, co-owner Gibson says: "Many of our customers use Facebook to stay connected. Our main way (of reaching customers) was an e-mail blast. They were effective, but people like different forms of communication. We need to learn how to do (social networking)."

Gibson tried building a social networking procedure in-house, but found it too difficult. "We learned the hard way that unless you have someone really hi-tech, it's best to get outside help. You'll spend the money one way or another," she says. "We tried a fan page on our own over the summer, but we didn't do it correctly. Brian has had to help us."

A series of blogs written in October fell to the wayside, thanks to the holiday sales rush. With that rush over, however, Gibson is planning a staff marketing meeting that will include Facebook and blogging.

• Questions, comments to Jim Kendall, JKendall@121MarketingResources.com

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