The final edition of the Yellow Pages landed on my doorstep last week
What a shadow of it’s former self and how far removed from J R Hartley
J R Harley would be spinning in his grave
And it’s the same reaction when I see the local newspaper about twice a year
Local advertising has moved on in a big way
So in our latest blog – How To Move On From The Yellow Pages To The Age Of Social Media we look at a few non obvious business examples and how they could use social media
TV AERIAL FIXER
Imagine for a moment you run a TV Aerial Company
You’re a solopreneur and you want to grow your business
TV Aerials aren’t sexy however so #aerialporn isn’t really a thing (ok at the time of writing this there are 807 instagram posts – but they’re not TV aerials) and taking selfies on the top of roofs is probably going end up unfortunately like Rod Hull
So instead you realise Twitter is a place where people talk about TV programs as it happens
So you set yourself up as somewhere between Ian Hyland and Lad Bible putting out creative (and funny) content about the shows that people are watching
You build an audience up and on your website you have a blog on the biggest shows and weekly youtube videos
Occasionally you throw it out there that also fix TV Aerials and mention a funny tale that has happened that week
A couple of years down the line producing content is what you do permanently and you have a team of lads fixing aerials all around the country because everyone knows your name
FRIDGE FREEZER REPAIR
Sometimes looking outside the box is the wrong advice – you need to look inside it
You realise that it’s what’s in the fridge and freezer that matters more than the fridge and freezer itself
You totally understand that the trio of pillars of Food Waste, Austerity and Foodie Trends are where you need to focus your time
You buddy up with your husband or wife and each week you produce a video blog
The video blogs are a mixture of interviews with customers about what they love to cook at home and you mix this up with recipes and money saving tips on the food shop
You really start to enjoy helping people save money on their weekly shop so you snap every Fridge / Freezer foodie bargain you see and put it on your facebook page
At the top and bottom of your video you have subtle branding about your business i.e sponsored by
You’ve built trust with your audience. You enjoy doing it and get to spend more time with your family. And your business grows as a result
MOT TESTING
There’s a lack of trust when it comes to MOTs, Garages and anything to do with Vehicles
So you go under the bonnet on Youtube
Each week you deliver a video of common issues on an MOT and the what, how and why things go wrong with cars
You explain everything in layman’s terms so people totally understand everything you look at during an MOT
You also highlight when cars have come in with “supposed” issues from other garages and highlight why in fact nothing was every wrong with a video
This audience builds and you become known as the honest car guy
And everyone flocks to your business instead of your local competitors
SHED COMPANY
You’ve been in the Shed business for as long as you can remember
You’ve seen sheds come and go and now you’re in an age where Shed Of The Year is a real thing – an actual TV Show
You decide to market your business via Instagram and Youtube
On instagram you post beautiful photos of Sheds mixed with #shelfporn from your travels around the country
On Youtube you set up your own channel and turn your own shed into a studio where you invite a weekly guest on to the show each week
Thing of your shed as the Broom Cupboard and your Andy Crane or Pip Schofield
Because you build up such a following the local councillors want to speak to you instead of the local newspaper, the successful businesses around the town realise it’s a great route to market
And before long every knows your name
And then people just constantly refer work to you because they’re so grateful for the exposure
That’s just 4 ways you could take non obvious businesses and take the leap from Yell to Social Media
We have plenty more marketing ideas that are fun and will generate business for you
Chat to us
NEED HELP WITH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA?
Chat to us about Social Media Marketing for YOUR organisation , so we can better understand YOU and what will grow your organisation
We can only find out what is unique to your business by chatting with you
Look at our Social Media Training and Social Media Management services
Or
Please call Alex on 07806774279 or email alex@altrinchamhq.co.uk
