Over the past year and a half, I have been developing an understanding of how to engage Social Media to assit clients. The philosophy behind social media is very simple. ” Word of mouth” advertising is the most effective type. People trust the opinions of a good friend. Therefore, if people online come to know you as a “real person,” or a friend, they will trust a product or service or idea, that you offer or endorse. Social media, since it is the place where people meet, chat, and exchange stories has become the new “village square” – the new market place. I try to expand on this concept with clients, and suggest that all of them have active Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter accounts, and a blog to accompany their websites.
Social media sources give information to people “where they are” – that is in the “global village square of social media.” However, that is not the only advantage of using Social Media. All these entrance points create more paths to your sales or services information. Statistically, they greatly increase the probability that people will be able to find you in the extremely congested world of the Internet.
Outcomes
February brought outcomes for our exploration into social media. Our clients Todd Warren and Dale Cameron owners of the George House Heritage Bed and Breakfast in Dildo, NL, have won the Sixth-annual Tourism Atlantic Technology Award at Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador’s Lookout! Tourism Summit 2010. In addition, we have set up a new blog for Cupids 400 Inc, which we have called Cupids Cove Chatter – www.cupidscovechatter.com.
George House Heritage Bed and Breakfast
George House Heritage Bed & Breakfast
Todd and Dale approached me last year to set up a new website for George House Heritage Bed and Breakfast. We discussed the role of social media. In addition to developing their website www.georgehousebnb.com, I set up a WordPress Blog and suggested the name “An Outport Called Dildo.” We were all amazed that we the domain name www.newfoundlandoutport.com had not been taken. I also suggested that they actively use their Twitter Account FaceBook account and use a Flickr account which they also called “Newfoundland Outport” for photos. They engaged Reservation Nexus (ResNexus) to set up their online reservation, and we incorporated the coding in their existing website. As well, they updated Google.com and Google Maps with their GPS coordinates and contact information.
An Outport Called Dildo
Cupids Cove Chatter
Cupids Cove Chatter
Dray Media had already established the main website for Cupids 400 Inc. – www.cupids400.com and the Cupids 400 staff had set up on FaceBook and Flickr, when they approached Baccalieu Consulting to establish a blog. Cupids Cove Chatter, which is the name we chose, is up and running. The blog will introduce and describe events from an “on the ground” perspective. Henry Crout, one of John Guy’s Colonists. is the avatar. Although a number of people including John Guy and Sir Percival Willoughby recorded information about the first English colony in Canada, Henry Crout recorded what was happening “on the ground.” We are using Cupids Cove Chatter to introduce and describe events from an “on the ground” perspective.
We have also set up a Flickr Group: Cupids 400 – Birth of English Canada There are already 180 photos in the group and we are inviting people to become members and add their own photos.
Cupids Cove Chatter has accounts and photos of the Royal Visit of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall as well as visits from Premier Danny Williams, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and the arrival of the Olympic Torch.
For the month of February, a Valentine’s Fund Raising Dinner and a visit from acclaimed Newfoundland author of Galore, Michael Crummy are highlights.
We hope this blog will last in the virtual world for as long as the journals, books and other documents of the other colonists have lasted! In 400 years time, perhaps someone will see them and get a picture of life in the 21st century, just as the documents from Henry Crout and other colonists give us a picture of life as it was in the 17th century.
Yaffles of Services 