Photo by Matt Hamm.
I was having a debate last night with my best friend who is quite fired up about a business she’s planning to launch in the next 12 months. Her business coach suggested her first step should be a blog. She came to me to get started on that.
I agreed that blogging would help her build a name for herself as an expert in her field so she could begin to carve out a community of like-minded folks. But we ended up debating whether this was a necessary step. She has a vision of finding a partner, building a killer business plan, then hitting the pavement in search of funding. In her mind, working on a blog and developing a following of people who don’t currently connect anywhere on her topic seems like a waste of time. Plus she doesn’t read blogs, doesn’t have much to say on her topic specifically and she doesn’t want to waster her time this way. She’s a deal maker after all.
Her argument: Many companies have been built without the foundation of social media, why does hers have to?
Good point.
My response: Today’s startups HAVE to develop a social media foundation, because if you’re not talking or being talked about online, then you just don’t exist.
Don’t believe me? Think about this.
Unless you are selling chewing gum or chair stoppers, you are susceptible to conversation. I don’t care if you’re a local barber that has had the same clients for 40 years, or a bakery with an avid following. Your 40-year clients will eventually die, and your bakery clientele will never grow further than a short 5-mile radius, (or whatever distance people are willing to travel for cupcakes) unless someone is spreading the word about you. New clients are going to find you on yelp and yahoo because they don’t have time to stroll strip malls looking for talent. It goes for Realtors, Dentists, Dog Sitters and Bikini Wax ladies. Word of mouth is great, but guess what – its moving online now too.
If you’re a niche company selling high end products to a unique audience then you’re even more dependent on social media to build your brand. For example, lets say you’re launching a Wonder-Jell-O bra on the market. How do you compete with Victoria Secret, Macy’s and Nordy’s if you’re not online first talking to flat-chested women with a complex? Sell your products at specialty stores? Great. What do you think the storeowners are going to do when you pitch your product to them? Go online and do a search about you, and your customers. And if you’re not there, you don’t exist. Even if you’re standing right in front of them demo-ing your grape-jelly push-up.
Even if your customers aren’t online (let say you sell diapers to incontinent 90 year olds with no fingers), you’re probably going to need a distributor in between that will want to know a little more about you and your product. Without an online presence, you have zero credibility. If no one is talking about you, it’s because no one knows you, and no one cares. Don’t think people are talking about diapers for old people? I invite you to google Depends undergarments. You’ll see just how big that community is. Sadly.
So, need to be online? Yes. Need to be engaged in two-way conversations with your customers? Absolutely. Otherwise, all the great business partners and killer business plans will not get you funded. Prove that you have a passionate following of customers ready to throw money at you to solve their problems and you’ll have VC’s eating out of the palm of your hot little hands.
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