AlignGo Answers Some Difficult Social Media Questions

More businesses are exploring the advantage of using social media tools and sites to help grow their business.  Many of these efforts aren't effective, that may be due to many businesses simply misunderstanding what social media is also why it's so important!

First, what exactly is social media? Asking 10 people might get you 10 different answers, but to keep it simple, lets say that social media is a group of tools that let you create and share content online. Blogs, social networks, and video's are the common forms of social media that most of us are at least somewhat familiar with.

The problem that many businesses have, is how they view social media.  Many businesses (of all sizes) see social media sites as new channels to publish content into. In other words, they view social media as being marketing channels.

In reality this couldn't be further from the truth.

Notice in the above definition of social media, We said that these sites and tools are ways to create and share content. Why use the word 'share' instead of 'publish' or 'distribute'

Because sharing implies interaction. Publishing and distributing implies one-way channels. Social media is rooted in sharing content. It can be content you have created, it can be content that someone else has created, but as a whole, social media sites and tools are so popular because of how people are sharing and interacting with content.

So then the question becomes, how can businesses use social media effectively?

By creating more value for the people that interact with your content, than you receive back from them.

So your focus changes from 'what can I get from social media', to 'how can I use these tools to give value to others?'. It sounds completely counterintuitive, I know. But remember again that social media is rooted in sharing. In order to start sharing, you have to create content that others can FIRST find value in. That prompts them to want to share that content with other people.

Hint: That content isn't advertising. For example, we won't find much value in a blog post telling us about the sales your nursery is having on lawncare products this week. But if you post 'Ten Ways to Have a Gorgeous Lawn by the Fourth of July!' on your blog, THAT is content that we can find value in. Since we would likely find value in your second post, that makes it far more likely that we will share that post with other people, which helps promote your lawncare business.

You create value for us with the 'Ten Ways' blog post, which prompts us to promote your post (and by extension, your business), and that creates value for you.

If you want to use social media to grow your business, always remember that your goal is to use these tools and sites to create more value than you receive. Think sharing instead of publishing. Think communication instead of marketing.

The more value you can create for others with social media, the more value you will receive back as a result. But it all starts with creating and sharing value, not extracting.

Websites for Iowa businesses' Free at That......

Google’s Iowa Get Your Business Online program makes it easy
for Iowa businesses to build an online presence.

DES MOINES, IA - Today Google joins with the State of Iowa and a host of other national and local Iowa partners to launch Iowa Get Your Business Online. Designed to help drive economic growth, the new program provides Iowa businesses with the tools and resources to establish a website, find new customers, and grow their businesses.

Iowa Get Your Business Online provides a fast and easy way for Iowa businesses to build an online presence. Google is partnering with Intuit to provide its popular Intuit Websites offering for free, which includes an easy-to-build website, a customized domain name, and web-hosting for one year. Participating Iowa businesses will also receive a local business listing on Google Places, along with free tools, trainings and resources to grow their business online.

Getting online represents an immense economic opportunity for Iowa businesses. While 97% of Americans look online for local products and services, 59% of Iowa small businesses do not have a website. That means that many small businesses are virtually invisible to potential customers looking online. One reason many small businesses haven’t taken the first step is the perception that getting online is complex, costly, and time-consuming.

“One of the best ways we can help small businesses and the economy is to help Iowa businesses increase their visibility online,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds. “This enables them to find new customers and sell more products and services. Google chose to invest $600 million dollars in their state of the art data center in Council Bluffs because it continues to be a center of commerce. As part of their ongoing commitment to Iowa, they have decided to bring this event here and help Iowa businesses grow.”

“Today’s consumers are looking online for products and services, and it’s so important for Iowa’s small businesses to meet those customers online,” says Mary Himinkool, Head of Global Entrepreneurship Outreach at Google. “We’re here in Iowa to not only show business owners that there’s a huge opportunity to expand their business online, but to also provide the guidance to help them do it successfully.”

“As a leading provider of small business solutions, we have witnessed the growth small businesses have seen from getting online,” said Ralph Matlack, Group Product Manager at Intuit. “We are excited to offer Intuit Websites for free to all the wonderful small businesses in Iowa and to help them create a customized presence that represents their unique brands.”

“Technology and the internet are becoming very important to the growth of small businesses in Iowa. The Iowa SBDC is proud and excited to partner with Google and other Iowa resource partners to help Iowa businesses take advantage of the power of the internet” says Jim Heckmann, Iowa SBDC State Director.

"Every day we see more and more people realize that meeting face-to-face to collaborate is by far the best way to get things done." said Mary Telesco, VP of Meetup. "There are thousands of Small Business Meetup members helping each other succeed every day by connecting with one another, in-person. That is exactly why we are thrilled to partner with Google on this initiative —–-— small business owners getting online together better than going at it alone!”

Businesses can get online by visiting www.IowaGetOnline.com, or by attending one of the many Google-hosted events throughout the state.

The first of several events for small businesses will be held in Des Moines on September 12-13 at the FFA Enrichment Center, in Council Bluffs on September 15 at the Mid-America Center, in Waterloo on September 16 at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, in Cedar Falls on September 27 at the University of Northern Iowa, and in Pella on September 30 at the Royal Amsterdam Hotel. At these events, small businesses can attend sessions from Google, as well as ongoing workshops from Intuit that walk attendees through the process of setting up their free websites in real time. Iowa businesses who cannot attend the events can visit www.IowaGetOnline.com to quickly and easily get online today. The program will be available online for a year.

The Iowa Get Your Business Online program is made possible by Google in partnership with Intuit, Association of Small Business Development Centers, Meetup, SCORE, Iowa Association of Business and Industry, Iowa Chamber Alliance, Iowa Economic Development Authority, Iowa Small Business Development Center, Central Iowa Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce, Des Moines Area Community College, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Area Development Group, Iowans for Social & Economic Development, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers, MyEntre.net, Southwest Iowa Coalition, University Northern Iowa Regional Business Center, and VentureNet Iowa.

About Iowa Get Your Business Online

Iowa Get Your Business Online is a joint initiative by Google, Intuit, Association of Small Business Development Centers, Meetup, SCORE, Iowa Association of Business and Industry, Iowa Chamber Alliance, Iowa Economic Development Authority, Iowa Small Business Development Center, Central Iowa Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce, Des Moines Area Community College, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Area Development Group, Iowans for Social & Economic Development, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers, MyEntre.net, Southwest Iowa Coalition, University Northern Iowa Regional Business Center, VentureNet Iowa and other business organizations providing complementary resources to help small businesses get online and take advantage of the economic opportunities offered through the Internet. The program aims to help tens of thousands of Iowa businesses get online over the next 12 months. Via  original site here