Social media should be a helper, not a crutch

by Jack Burke -- Jack@HighVelocityCommunications.com

Social media—Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc., etc.—is here to stay and a growing facet of most businesses. A recent survey of 148 private companies by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research found that 43 percent of businesses say social media is “very important” to their business and marketing strategy, 52 percent are tweeting and 45 percent are blogging.

But don’t forget that social media is still one weapon in your arsenal and is no substitute for old-fashioned customer relations. You can’t expect a tweet to replace a person-to-person encounter or a blog post to eliminate the need for a sales call. Social media can help you build relationships and find new outlets for your products, but it won’t close the deal.

Keep your eyes, ears open to opportunity

by Jason France--Jason@HighVelocityCommunications.com

On a recent trip to San Diego with my wife, I met a guy in the Starbucks line at the airport while waiting for our departing flight. I happened to hear him talking on the phone about an upcoming LinkedIn webinar on effective Facebook utilization for companies. Hmm…interesting, I thought. I introduced myself and asked about his conversation and when the webinar would be held. He was happy to give me the information since he was holding the webinar. He told me about key points that he'd address during the webinar--all while ordering his Grande White Chocolate Mocha and offering to pay for my tall coffee.

Chance encounters like that can provide valuable information. Be attuned to your surroundings. You never know what you might learn!

Clean out your junk for quick cash

by Jason France--Jason@HighVelocityCommunications.com

Every small or large business has hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of “junk” on hand not being used. Like the old saying, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”

Take that old copier, printer, coat rack, desk, box of USB drives from an old tradeshow and get them up on Ebay or Craigslist and profit! It’s amazing how much money is tied up in items you might not be using but another person wants. The best part with larger items is most times the purchaser will come pick it up! Even if you sell a beat up old desk for $10, it’s better to sell it rather than have to haul it to the dump.

In a tough economy, what’s old is new again

by Jack Burke – Jack@HighVelocityCommunications.com

Bartering is the oldest form of commerce around. Exchanging goods or services for other goods or services is how economies worked before the widespread acceptance of the use of money for business transactions.

Still, bartering has a place in today’s economy—think craigslist. The Wall Street Journal has an interesting story about how independent restaurants are bartering meals for services from tradespeople.

According to the story, bartering helps restaurants fill seats, reassuring prospective customers who might be turned off by the sight of a vacant eatery. It also attracts new customers when tradespeople bring friends along, reduces some costs, and helps retain employees who can't scoop tips off empty tables. Bartering is also helpful when cash flow is low.

Maybe bartering is something you should consider for your business.