Social Apps Fit Better for Social Clubs

If anyone ever told you that you shouldn't go to a bar or club to meet people it wasn't because you'd meet people. It was for some other reason entirely. Bars, clubs and other social establishments are where you people. In fact, when you think of 'going out', most people think of a favorite club, a nearby bar or some other gathering place (in some cases, this may be a mall or shopping location - which, incidentally should use mobile technology too). People congregate to socialize at these locations. Social Media plays right into this. A Smartphone equipped with a social app which harnesses this "socialization" fits beautifully.

Let's consider how the youth and partying folks of today coordinate:

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Person A sends an SMS message to Person B, "Hey, going to Acme Bar, want to meet up?" Person B responds, "Sweet, let's get Person C to go too." (To which, Person A responds, "Sweet!") Person C gets a Facebook message from Person B and a Tweet from Person A. Faced with the incredible peer pressure, Person C relents and agrees to meet A and B at Acme.

Do you see how technology has changed the way these transactions are established? First, no phone conversations were made. Actually, it's possible real words weren't even used! (Seriously, have you seen how you can shortcut good English into mere code? U no 2 B gr8.) This is becoming the norm.

A smart business person who owns a bar or other socially oriented (or entertainment oriented) club like the above Acme Bar would realize that Social Media is the start of good communication and marketing. Let's consider how the above conversation would look if Acme was 'linked in' (yes, this is a deliberate play on the words) to the social media world:

Person A gets a Tweet from @AcmeBar200 (i had to use this since there actually is a Twitter account for an Acme Bar out there!) which reads: "Get your dance on with DJ and 2 for 1 drink specials 2Nite". This Twitter message (the "Tweet") causes Person A to become nearly giddy with excitement. Person A immediately Quotes the Tweet from @AcmeBar200 to their friends (hey, we really mean 'followers' here). Person B happens to follow Person A. (Since Person A is also a bit assertive, let's say they also Direct Message Person B with an invite to Acme.) Person B retweets the message from Person A and not only does Person C get the Tweet. but so do 1238 other people who follow Person B. (Don't forget the 45 people who follow Person A.) Person B and Person C both Tweet that they are going to Acme Bar to socialize (yeah, let's call it that.)

As a marketer, your initial Tweet to the followers you have (let's just say you have 400 followers) has been exposed to over 1600 people! This is also free marketing!

I could detail a number of additional 'possible' scenarios that would apply the use of social media for activity planning. However, you likely already have a good idea of how it can be used.

Social Media has grown in popularity so much; its use is represented in all age groups. The use of social media on a mobile device (this can include iPod and iPad and other tablets, not just smartphones) has also grown accordingly. The early adopters in businesses have embraced this technology set. This pioneering spirit provides nearly immediate dividends to the marketing efforts.

In the above example, Acme can use Facebook to promote their establishment. "Friends" of Acme can post to the wall with pictures and video. This, combined with a few well-placed comments like "Had a great time!" are akin to being the best possible peer recommendations a company can't buy!

I've written articles before on the power of peer recommendation. It's vital to recognize the power that can be achieved with social media's platform of Peer review and recommendation. The amazing successes of business models that employ social media aspects underscore this. Consider "Angie's List". This is a model that heavily leverages peer review and recommendations. This is no different from a few photos on someone's Facebook page with a location tag of Acme. The only difference, really, is that Angie's List is a destination site (you go there for reviews, specifically) whereas Facebook is a browsing site (you don't go to Facebook to find a review on a restaurant - although you could).

All this equates to a significant suggestion: Any socially oriented business such as a bar, nightclub, restaurant, social group or organization, or similar will benefit if they create a marketing plan which includes the use of social media. If you don't already have a marketing plan for your business, then get going! This is like heading out on vacation to Florida without knowing which direction south is. You'll end up somewhere; it just may not be in Florida.

I've seen very successful social media implementations for businesses that contribute greatly to marketing success. The best solutions use business type accounts (business named Twitter) AND personal accounts. The reason for this: People view business Tweets as "ads". People view personal Tweets as "Reviews or recommendations". The same holds true for Facebook and other social media apps and sites.

For those of you who've read this information and are wondering, "How do I get started?" go ahead and start educating yourself on Social Media. There are numerous sources to help you get a handhold into the realm of social media. Don't worry about making too many mistakes at first. Follow the sage advice that you can get and see where things go. Track your successes and failures. This is the only way to have a roadmap for duplication of wins. If you're the owner or manager of a socially-oriented business or organization, then you owe it to yourself to do what you can to get the low-cost and very effective social media marketing in place. Start succeeding with social!

Social Apps Fit Better for Social Clubs