Yesterday evening I spoke with 25 entrepreneurs at the NY Designs Business Incubator at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY for a session on social media for the Entrepreneurship and Development Program. I was invited by my friend Katherine Gregory from Mi Kitchen es su Kitchen, who is a tremendous resource and advocate for entrepreneurs in the food industry.
One of the biggest questions was how much time is required to nurture these online communities to get them to flourish for your business. It is as difficult to answer this as it is admitting how much time it really takes to follow up on leads at in-person networking events (I say this as I cringe looking at the pile of business cards that require follow-up sitting by my keyboard).
One post, should cover a lot of bases and even more so--especially when I may not have everybody's contact information. Needless to say, when it comes to marketing, all the data shows that more customers at less cost are more likely to be found through digital rather traditional media. And, there is real pleasure in making these connections and being able to maintain communications. If you do need help there is a network of folks that can help you get set up, just let me know.
I would summarize more of the event, but it is close to 4:00 pm, I have client emails to return, YouCake toppers to manage, a financial projection spreadsheet to complete and an in person marketing event to get to by 5:30--and I cannot forget the dog needs to be walked! Clearly it cannot all get done, but with the help of my marketing director, tweets are going and digital communication is managed.
Thanks to everyone who attended the event last night. It is my hope that you find an enjoyable and successful social media strategy that will engage and make real connections for your business! Please share your experiences and thoughts, carolyn@sevos.com.
Twitter YouCake
Become a YouCake Fan
Carolyn Sevos LinkedIn
Websites: Intracommunities.org • YouCake.com
