Social media and Business

WARRIORWELDING

WARRIORWELDING

Owner opperator Of WarriorWelding LLC.
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Location
Chillin, Hwy 64 Mocksville NC
Social media? Needed evil for modern small business?
Which avenue or all in. Wondering what the "NC think tank" thought about its use, abuse, or lazy persons way to communicate.
As a side to the discussion. I feel a lot of times an untold awkwardness from folks when I ask them to just call or list a phone number when they start with a text.
 
Do it right, it'll bring exposure and "free" advertising.
Do it wrong and it'll be, at best, a waste of time.

Less and less people will pick up the phone these days. If you can't be reached out via facebook messenger or similar, you're missing out on a lot of customers.

YMMV, and it of course depends what type of small business you're dealing with.
 
This^^^^ I know Andy @ Ironman4x4fab uses a few. Says they account for a huge portion of his sales.
 
ghost said:
This^^^^ I know Andy @ Ironman4x4fab uses a few. Says they account for a huge portion of his sales.
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As in Marketplace or just advertising and shop update type post?
 
Bebop said:
Do it right, it'll bring exposure and "free" advertising.
Do it wrong and it'll be, at best, a waste of time.

Less and less people will pick up the phone these days. If you can't be reached out via facebook messenger or similar, you're missing out on a lot of customers.

YMMV, and it of course depends what type of small business you're dealing with.
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Would like to know more about doing it right.
Seems like it will require a bit of planning and set aside business real work time.......I'm horrible at chasing squirrels.
 
If social media isn't your thing, you might be better off hiring yourself a youngster or someone that is into that sort of thing to handle that aspect for you...as was said earlier, a lot of people won't even call and talk to a live human, they want to text or chat on your website or social media page. Welcome to the future, isn't it grand?
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
As in Marketplace or just advertising and shop update type post?
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He does product post on IG and SC and FB. Special sales on products and things of that nature. He use to post a good bit in Jeep group pages on FB too. He actually has a guy that handles a lot of that for him If I remember correctly.
 
So far its been successful for my woodworking stuff. The table I'm building now is directly related to my IG posts. The lady saw a previous table in person, asked who built it and if they had an IG and she shortly followed me, then DM'ed me inquiring about it. I have refrained from posting "updates" to the build, partly because its a surprise Fathers Day gift and partly because for most social media users, they want to see the finished product and not 20 different stages of the build. More of a "want the end goal immediately" and not sit and wait while its being built.

I linked my IG page to a FB page and so far its been easy.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
Would like to know more about doing it right.
Seems like it will require a bit of planning and set aside business real work time.......I'm horrible at chasing squirrels.
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I am NOT a pro.
But before giving you any opinion, it would help knowing what business line we are talking about.
 
I will tell you that 80% of the companies I found out about and buy from regularly, I've learned about through Social Media. I'm big into knives and my top 5 companies I support and love I would have never known about had it not been for social media, Plus I have made some really cool "Internet" friends.

Local Company around here that builds furniture does Social Media and is on there alot, just showing off what they've built and I have to say...they are doing pretty damn good and they credit a lot of that to networking via social media.
 
buellconvert said:
If social media isn't your thing, you might be better off hiring yourself a youngster or someone that is into that sort of thing to handle that aspect for you...as was said earlier, a lot of people won't even call and talk to a live human, they want to text or chat on your website or social media page. Welcome to the future, isn't it grand?
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I would second this. Find someone that is in the demographic that you are trying to sell to, and let them help you. They will know what that demo wants to see and hear, and what will get views.

Our small business is on social currently, but am always wanting to know more so that I can increase the views and potential demand.
 
In my experience, the less human interaction, the better the sales and more customer engagement.

- LEB, need to call to talk build specs, crickets. But click a button and wait a couple days for parts to show up, nice.
- Day time job, advertise a phone number to call and/or real time interviews...crickets. Create an application portal on the website, results.
- Landscaping business, do you have a number so we can discuss a free estimate and your address...no thanks, I'll use someone else. Create a facebook page, when is your first available time and charge me whatever necessary.
- Wife does a trunk show for her shirts and crafts business, minimal return. But set up an IG and FB account for the business and share the posts on personal pages, have your venmo and paypal ready.
 
I'll go one step further and assume you'll start some sort of SM presence. Don't interject your politics or personal feelings on topical subjects of the day. I can't stand to see companies tell me their beliefs or try to pander to the masses. Show me what you got and I'm in. Start telling me how you feel about BLM or Juneteeth and I'm out whether I agree with your position or not.
 
UTfball68 said:
In my experience, the less human interaction, the better the sales and more customer engagement.

- LEB, need to call to talk build specs, crickets. But click a button and wait a couple days for parts to show up, nice.
- Day time job, advertise a phone number to call and/or real time interviews...crickets. Create an application portal on the website, results.
- Landscaping business, do you have a number so we can discuss a free estimate and your address...no thanks, I'll use someone else. Create a facebook page, when is your first available time and charge me whatever necessary.
- Wife does a trunk show for her shirts and crafts business, minimal return. But set up an IG and FB account for the business and share the posts on personal pages, have your venmo and paypal ready.
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Does not just apply to this post, but in general: No shit? As in I am dumb founded in a strange way. I mean I knew some of this had to work but in reality naive and somewhat resent the system.
I got some learning and explaining to better myself at this portion. More questions and answers latter when I get time.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
Does not just apply to this post, but in general: No shit? As in I am dumb founded in a strange way. I mean I knew some of this had to work but in reality naive and somewhat resent the system.
I got some learning and explaining to better myself at this portion. More questions and answers latter when I get time.
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I know a guy who would not call a shop to order a custom axle housing.
He ended up buying off of a shitty online configurator and the housing ended up being all kinds of wrong for his application.

He proceeded to complain about the website being badly designed. When I asked why he didn't call the guys I originally suggested, he told me he doesn't like to talk on the phone. Lots of people around agreed.
 
Bebop said:
He proceeded to complain about the website being badly designed...snip...he told me he doesn't like to talk on the phone.
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In my opinion, that snippet sums it up. If you're not talking on the phone, you're not exposing your own ignorance, or saying something you shouldn't. Online, there's a barrier still allowing you to be a dickhead, you can blame the website design, you can blame fat fingers, you can blame poor descriptions, you can blame someone else 'misunderstanding', etc etc. I can't begin to tell you how many returned parts I've seen returned for an 'unclear website'. Uhhh, you guys sent the wrong pulley, well sir your order shows that's what you selected...it doesn't fit, ok, can you tell me what doesn't fit about it...sounds to me like you actually have a 79 block with a 73 pulley system, were you aware of that? Nah, my bruncles daddy says it's all original, nothing has ever been changed. : facepalm :...we'll send you the right parts out immediately, our mistake. Or my wife gets a shirt returned because 'her sizes run small'...bish you ordered a medium and in your profile pic you look like the chick that ate the chick that wears a medium.
 
I fall on both sides of the coin here.
I love ordering online when I can because I can while taking a dump, or while on a conference call, or at 2 AM if the urge strikes.

But I also respect and appreciate customer service and expertise.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
I feel a lot of times an untold awkwardness from folks when I ask them to just call or list a phone number when they start with a text.
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I've got friends that would bury a body for me, no questions asked, that refuse to answer a phone call from me (or anyone short of their mother)

Others hate txt and ONLY want me to call.

As far a social media, it seems if you know what you're doing, and know how to build a base and post consistently (@77GreenMachine says post something to Insta-hoe every day @ 5pm to build a following) you can really get your name out there. But daggone...it seems like almost a full time job managing your social presence
 
I am guilty of the online stuff myself sometimes, hell the best vehicle purchase I've ever made was with Carvana a couple years ago. I bought a Silverado on their site and never spoke to a single person, I had financing and insurance setup online and they only live person I dealt with was the guy that delivered my truck right to my driveway. Sometimes dealing with a human being is a nightmare, but sometimes it's the best way to go.
 
CasterTroy said:
I've got friends that would bury a body for me, no questions asked, that refuse to answer a phone call from me (or anyone short of their mother)
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For the record...that's me when it comes to general conversing. Don't call me for something that can be said in a text. I'll literally wait for the phone to stop ringing so I can text 'what do you need'...and if they call back, I'll wait again and then text again. Chances are pretty high, unless I actually like you...whatever you're about to say is gonna be hit with a cool/yes/no in the event I have to pick up the phone. At that point in time, I'm annoyed enough, I'll probably just hang up after I say it. (Puts phone on silent because I know some of you fawkers are about to blow up my phone).
 
benXJ said:
Whatever you do, and it's strange I have to say this, but never post a political or personal feeling on your or your biz social media platforms once you start advertising online. It's a recipe for disaster. EVERYONE'S money is green.
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yeah, what he said.
 
i will say this. i work for a GC that hasnt updated their website in years, and have no social media. they still are in the mind set of word of mouth. we get calls monthly from people trying to find a builder and say they found our website and thought we were outta business. now think about all the people who didnt waste anytime with calling.
 
Loganwayne said:
i will say this. i work for a GC that hasnt updated their website in years, and have no social media. they still are in the mind set of word of mouth. we get calls monthly from people trying to find a builder and say they found our website and thought we were outta business. now think about all the people who didnt waste anytime with calling.
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Are yall short on work?
 
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