Earlier this week a handful of downtown merchants discussed how they are using the Internet to market their wares.
The meeting was billed as how to help make Iola a destination for shopping and eating out. Tom Byler of the Kansas Small Business Development Center helped lead the discussion.
Some talked about how they use Facebook to announce sales and events. Others use Trip Advisor and Yelp to spread the word.
They talked about market share, analytics, and how there are tools to direct traffic over the Web their way.
What became evident, however, is that it takes a lot more time and effort to market yourself effectively than for which most have the time or talent.
“You either have to decide whether to spend your time promoting your store or actually being in the store selling your goods. You can’t do both,” said one merchant.
Because the Register has an advertising department whose sole purpose is to promote area businesses, I had to bite my tongue while I listened to them discuss the challenges of coming up with just the right look and message to portray their businesses.
I understand all too well the lure of marketing and how, in slow times particularly, you’re willing to go with a new gig even if you never have a face-to-face and they’re thousands of miles away. Because Facebook is a multi-billion dollar industry, it must know something we don’t.
I DON’T consider Facebook a competitor to the Register.
In fact, we take advantage of its free service as a means of reaching out to that netherworld of readers who don’t care to pay for a subscription to the paper.
This isn’t to criticize social media, but to recognize its limitations.
“Liking” a comment is very different from sitting across the table and having a conversation with someone.
A “thumbs up” to an event is a far cry from actually participating in it.
A “post” is not the same as a phone call and even further from a face-to-face encounter.
What’s being lost in all this sophisticated technology is the relationship that comes from working together and the ensuing trust that tells us we have each other’s backs.
It’s a good bet no one from Facebook has ever been to Iola, Kansas, much less tasted the brats at Bolling’s or The Buster at Around the Corner.
Knowing that Cara Thomas makes by hand her specialty sausages or that the purchase of the coffee shop is a dream come true for Jessica Quinhones helps make for better marketing.
At the Register, we deal with people, not algorithms.
We visit with people whose homes have burned down or are struggling in some personal way. We attend local sporting events and public meetings. Heck, we even scored an interview with Santa last week.
Yes, the Internet is an integral part of our lives. But let’s not mistake it for a relationship and the benefits thereof.
