MAKE MONEY WITH NEW MEDIA
Says the Mike Mitchell, the man who created the “I'm with CoCo” Facebook group and who has, to date, 982,106 fans: “What now?” As companies, we know the drill. Collect as many fans using social media as we can with informative updates. Tease with upcoming events. Provide value to our patrons. But here's an here's an equation that all too often businesses forget: fans and followers do not = customers.
Why?
The reason is this: it's a lot easier to push a “Become a Fan” button than to dish out some of our hard-earned scratch. And whether we like it or not (and whether we let our Facebook fans in on the secret or not), companies are in the business of making money. It's the true measure of a company's success, and the route of a rise to Rockefeller-esque stature. But that doesn't mean social media isn't an incredibly valuable tool to organizations. On the contrary, the ability to tap into your fan base is a source of business, revenue, and sales. Successful businesses exist today using social media as 100% of their marketing.
How can you tap into your growing, albeit slightly stagnant fan base? Link your fans to real-world events. Offer discounts available only through social media outlets. Ask for new business. Make business contacts and explore new sources of revenue. Once you begin looking at your online presence as a possible source of treasure and not simply an end unto itself, you're going to want to grab that pickaxe and go exploring.
