08.28
As an animal lover, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to refrain from tying my six-month-old puppy into a blog post somehow. I’ve decided to stop fighting it, as I think the little Yorkie (weighing in at less than 3 pounds) has proved a valuable point to me over the past few months.
I must reiterate that this dog is nano-sized (he puts size XXS to shame.) But if you ask him … he’s no smaller than a Great Dane. This mini canine refuses to be ignored, even if it means parading right up to a St. Barnard for a few full-fledged barks that merit at least a glance. They tell me he’s the archetype of “terrier-like” personalities. He doesn’t back down, and his fearlessness proves how unaware he is of his small stature.
Luckily, he’s so darn cute that, despite my embarrassment, most people are amused and even overjoyed by these inappropriate antics. The big dogs rarely entertain his behavior, as they seem to feel they have nothing to prove. Suddenly, it becomes very obvious that all eyes are on the little guy. He instantly gets all the buzz and seems to be the only dog anyone sees— even though he’s standing at the feet of 150 pounds of mass and fur.
These humorous interactions remind me of how social media has created a much more even playing field for small and mega companies alike. In many instances, they have access to the exact same tools to reach the same amount of people with their message.
Traditionally, smaller companies were priced out by the competition on virtually all marketing fronts, like advertising, collateral and direct mail. While the Web and its related technologies have made all those marketing activities more cost efficient, they still come with a price tag.
But today, everyone has an equal opportunity to access Twitter’s millions of users. It costs nothing to post as many viral videos you want on You Tube, and much of the content you’ll find posted by companies isn’t directed by costly production companies.
As for blogs, the software is not only readily available (and in some cases free), but it’s also easy to work with, even if you aren’t a web developer. And as far as I know, there is no way to buy your way into the organic search rankings on major search engines.
When it comes to social media, it’s not about the budget or the size of a company. It’s about strategy and commitment. The level of penetration a company achieves on the Web is going to impact potential customers’ perception of that company’s size and capabilities. That means finding out where potential buyers are online and making sure you are there to offer the insights and information they are looking for.
And don’t worry, even if the “big” competition is already there, the right approach can take the focus off them and right onto you. If a Yorkie can do it, so can you.
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About the author:
Lorena Crowley is a Sr. Social Media & PR Executive at Schubert focusing primarily on how new Web 2.0 trends can support traditional PR tactics. Lorena hails from Florida and is still a die-hard Gators fan. Her almost 3 pound Yorkie, Dunkin, keeps her very busy on nights and weekends.
Follow Lorena on Twitter: @BusyBee2B
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