Do You “Like” Me?
Pressing the “like” button. A new form of gauging one’s popularity?! All over the web we are being asked to press that “like” button. The reality I am trying to form is the authentic “like” pressing I personally do and am now asking others to do. Now that I am driving a new business, I find myself on the other end of that “like” pressing. I started a couple of months back asking myself some questions about being “liked”.
Do I want to be “liked” for the sake of a button press or do I want a “like” to be an intentionally “liking” of what I have to say and offer. Running a brick and mortar store vs. building a web-store require a completely different mentality and marketing, which I am learning. When the front door of my store opened, and the bells hanging jangled I would get very excited. Someone got into their car today, and made a special trip to my store. They did not stumble over it through a tweety, update, or pleading of sorts. They are interested in me and “like” the idea of me, so they are here. (not so much me, but the products and service I offered.)
The only connections I could make with a customer were print and TV advertising to nameless and hopeful customers. Or my extroverted spirit that talked to strangers and handed out my business card. So truly that jangle of the bells at the front door was my “like” button. The “love” button would happen when I heard the credit card machine printing a receipt. Seriously there were days when I would call my husband and say, “listen” as the credit card machine would print out the batch for the day. Those transactions meant that there was an authentic “like” of the products and sales were made and they told two friends, and they told two friends.
Along the ticker tape of facebook come the requests for “likes” and I look at the page, visit the website and decide to click or not to click. If it’s a friend, regardless of whether I will ever give them business I will always “like”their pages and follow their websites.
It’s hard to self promote and I truly understand all of us, who are building our business want to build our followers. Building followers is what is going to build sales and for that reason there are constant updates of “go and ‘like’ me”. I have tweeted and facebooked those requests a few times, and once off my fingers and sent I feel kind of silly. “Please, pretty please come and like me.” I want to be liked, I need to be liked and well then guess what, you don’t have the same amount of “likes” as your neighbor and you begin to wonder what you did or are doing wrong.
As a new business learning how to navigate this kind of social media, there is really not a whole lot that changes. The mediums have definitely changed and Social Network is being reinvented every second. There are some things that have not changed. We still have to go after a potencial customer. Those of us in business know that today’s tap on the shoulder of hope could be tomorrows loyal customer, so we do have to keep pressing that button of hope. Asking for a “like”.
No more hiding behind newsprint and TV. There is now a real person who is asking you to “like” them. Make it authentic and intentional. After evaluating my understanding of “like” I resolve it out as I did when I would decorate kids rooms for the Portland, OR Street of Dreams. For years I decorated rooms and then setting up a small table in the garage with all my freebies and ad materials. Making the store known and hoping that maybe someone will come into the store. Every time someone picked up one of my ad slicks, it was the old fashioned way of “like”, “like”, “like”. Then two years later, someone comes in holding that ad slick from the past. They are now ready to step into the fun of shopping in your store, and that one “like” two years earlier reminded them that when they have kids they know where they want to shop.
Thus, I now have meaning to the “like” button. A button that I am becoming more comfortable with. Asking friends, family and strangers to “like” my facebook, twitter, website. Maybe today you are not so interested in our very small start up store. My first store was only 550 square feet. About the size of this current store if you laid all our inventory out. So if you are interested in following us, watching us grow, and perhaps becoming a future customer then go and “like” us. Go to our website and “follow”. Go to our twitter and follow as well. Very humbly I accept the task of asking….will you go and “like” me.
Most important is that my confidence is not shattered by how low a following or like may be. My confidence grows with each little purchase, each customer who is authentically interested, and each person who cheers us on. That brick and mortar store grew into two stores totally over 24,000 square feet. So I am cool with one “like” at a time. It takes time to grow business and awareness and I personally “like” how this all works. Blessings and Love, Elizabeth
p.s. If you really want to esteem my business today, go and “LIKE” us on facebook Hung Out To Buy
Follow on Twitter and visit our website and follow. www.hungouttobuy.com And say hello along the way.
How do you guage if you are “liked” Share some of your thoughts here.
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Interior Designer, Consultant, Artist. Which is it they ask? All of the above. God has blessed me in ways that words cannot describe. Doing what I love and making a career out of it all. Starting with a beautiful designer showroom. Decorating homes and specializing in kid's spaces. Magazine covers and spreads, then show homes. Adding in business consulting. Working alongside my clients to develop a strategic plan to design and market their product or service in the correct markets. Then one day, after years of painting for my clients, a few gallies, my hobby business I decided in the second half of my life to bring Elizabeth Harris Art Gallery to life. I took my paintings to the streets and flipped my website into my "Art You Love" business. Do what you love and love what you do. Adding Elizabeth Harris Art Gallery and creating artful pieces for your home, office, business. An empty wall invites art you love by Elizabeth Harris Art Gallery. Your Dreams & Passions, My Experience & Help. Let's work together and build something beautiful in your home business, or on your walls.
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