This morning I attended a "Retail Roundtable" meeting at the OR Chamber. Both the Chamber and ORRE are working hard to increase the retail market here in Oak Ridge. At ORRE we are, of course, focused on "specialty" retail and unique restaurants. I strongly believe that the small retail merchant and the unique restaurant can increase their sales through social networking if used properly.
I would like to believe that everyone knows what social networking is - but, just in case, Wikipedia [my favorite source for answers] explains it as follows
A social network service focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, e.g., who share interests and/or activities. A social network service essentially consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional services. Most social network services are web based and provide means for users to interact over the internet, such as e-mail and instant messaging. Although online community services are sometimes considered as a social network service in a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-centered service whereas online community services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks.
To me, it seems that the very BEST way to sell your products and services is by using the internet. We all want to stay connected to friends, old and new, and family - many of us do this via the internet. It is also a terrific means of promoting your product[s].
So go for it...get connected. Get a Facebook page - start tweeting - begin a blog. Let the world know you exist!
To learn more give us a call about the upcoming workshop sponsored by ORCC, ORCVB and ORRE
