Chris Brogan Challenge : Should My Town Use Social Media?

As I was sitting in a lonely hotel room, waiting for my husband to get out of work, I was searching the web for new ideas for my blog. During my search, I came across a guy named Chris Brogan, author of Social Media 101 and coauthor of Trust Agents. Mr. Brogan had made a list of 100 blog topics that he hoped “I” would write about. Many of his ideas fit me perfectly, while others I’m not really sure what they are. In all my boredom, I decided to challenge myself to write about all 100 of his topics. This won’t be easy, since some of the topics are a big question mark to me, but a little research never hurt anyone. Figuring in the fact that I don’t write real posts on the weekend, this challenge will be 100% successful if I complete it in 20 weeks. So let’s begin…Day Three – Topic Three (still on track)!

I am embarrassed to admit this, but before writing a response to this topic, I had to do a double check on what social media was. I am new to the computer and blogging world and I wanted to make sure my idea of social media was indeed accurate. Luckily, I was correct in assuming that sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are all examples of social media. I’m sure there are hundreds more, but I’ll just stick with the ones I’ve heard of. So back to the question at hand, I definitely think it would be valuable for a town to use social media. Where large corporate businesses have the benefit of mass advertisements on TV, radio, and newspaper, local businesses could use free social media sites to promote themselves. These businesses could announce sales or coupons through twitter and Facebook. We all know that sales bring out more customers, but if no one knows about them, they don’t help. On sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, word of mouth could bring many new followers/customers. Having a Facebook fan page for your business, can also help spread the word that your business actually exists. When one person becomes a fan, all their friends on Facebook are alerted. Then if one of their friends becomes a fan, their friends would be alerted. This would begin a domino effect that would bring in more and more people.

Social media could also be helpful in spreading the word of various events that are happening around your town. In the fall, families could be made aware of various pumpkin patches or hay rides. In the winter, those following the town’s Facebook or twitter page could know the best sledding hills or where to visit Santa. In the spring, one quick check would alert you to the various egg hunts going on around your town. And in the summer, you would know about all the camps and recreational activities happening in your area. What other ways would social media be beneficial to your town? Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!