Comments on Small Biz Survival: Building a social media community in a small town

I and the other local "Interneteers" in ...

2009-12-17T09:39:35.881-06:00

I and the other local "Interneteers" in my community plan to start two local MeetUp groups (which we will promote heavily offline as most of our market is not currently online). One group will be geared toward those of us in the industry and one group will be geared toward small business owners.

Laurie Bixler sent this comment via email: I thi...

2009-12-14T11:00:26.365-06:00

Laurie Bixler sent this comment via email:

I think Charleston SC is still small town USA....even though we are growing quickly. And last week Boeing announced a relocation to charleston which may change everything. But for 20 years in business it has been a small town struggle against the chains and big boxes that have moved in.

I have been doing anything and everything I can to keep our biz going.

1. I formed a new/group that is still growing: www. BLNrewards.com blnrewards I think it would be more successful in a larger city, but I am using it to gain customers and bring our suppliers together. I formed it just around the big crash last year.

2. Our long time business is : flooritnow I am working to revamp our website and hope to have it mega improved in the next couple of months.

3. I have gone onto facebook with both businesses and myself and all. You can friend me. -:)

4. I have started a blog: www.iWorkWithMyHusband.com http://sleepingwithmyboss.blogspot.com/I work with my husband

5. I have not done Linked-in

I am reading and learning to blog and trying to catch up to a world I missed somehow while I had my head in the sand doing biz the old way.
I am incredibly impressed by your success and what you have achieved and I hope to learn from you.

I signed up for your newsletter I think. Some of this is still way over my head, but I can be a fast learner!

Please stay in touch and help me grow. We are in survival mode.

I just read a fab book: Profits aren't everything...they are the only thing. I highly recommend it. It super charged me up.

thanks -
Laurie Bixler

Good stuff. Thanks for highlighting it for us Bec...

2009-12-14T09:04:42.665-06:00

Good stuff. Thanks for highlighting it for us Becky and Chris. I'll be sure to recommend Twitter Professor to rural organizations seeking to use Twitter.

I'm toying with the idea of putting together a...

2009-12-14T09:04:32.645-06:00

I'm toying with the idea of putting together a social media group in the Alva area. We have a few businesses using social networks for promotion, and I'd like to connect. But with just a few people, it's hard to make a group work. And there is the "too busy" barrier to overcome. So it's still just an idea.

Getting people turned on to Twitter in a small tow...

2009-12-14T05:21:47.152-06:00

Getting people turned on to Twitter in a small town can take some real effort. I know this from first hand experience. Featuring individuals and organizations is a brilliant step in the process. People introduced to this media need something to tweet about, and what better incentive than asking your friends & family to "take a look at me" on such and such website?

Thank you, Chris.