The Social Report

Social Profile: Kim Guymon of Photobooks{etc} & PhotobookBiz

It all started in 2001 for memory preservation industry specialist Kim Guymon.  That’s when she formed ScrapBiz, an online support group for scrapbooking retailers, and started taking advantage of social media tools.  She began blogging to spread her marketing messages, then added instructional and editorial videos to her marketing mix.  After adding two photo book websites to her business portfolio in 2008, Kim started participating on Facebook and Twitter as well.

“The industry I work in is a very personal one,” explains Kim. “Customers like to feel like they know the retailers and designers. Social media gives you a chance to put a personality on your business.  It also allows you to instantly communicate…I have a Photobook company and I have been able to build a customer base this past year using mainly social media.  I don't think traditional marketing methods could have ever reached the targeted audience that social media has allowed me to do.”

One advantage of social media for Kim is the ability to share tutorials and product demonstrations via video.  Her videos on YouTube allow her to go beyond just telling customers about her business, toshow them the features and benefits of it.  “It enables me to have customers all over the place,” she says. To further her branding and increase market exposure, Kim makes sure her logo and website URL “are all over whatever I do.  It doesn't do any good to market your business without letting people know how to find you.”

Kim also appreciates the platform for instantly communication with her customers.  “If I have an idea, I can blog, post on my Facebook fan page or Tweet it.  I don't have to write it down and wait until I publish a newsletter.  I do a monthly newsletter, but I'm too impatient to wait to share a good idea."

Kim’s online marketing experiments have included several other social tools, as well...

Social Sunday Profile: Dina Giolitto of Wordfeeder.com

Web entrepreneur Dina Giolitto writes and edits website content and print ads for corporate and small business clients through her business, WordFeeder.com. She specializes in transforming websites from “just another store front to a thriving online hub of information, activity and profit”.

Dina “arrived online” in 2003, when she quit her corporate job and started her copywriting business. Her first foray into social media was with Ryze.com. “Someone told me to join the Ryze business network as a way to make professional contacts,” she remembers.  She enjoyed the thought-provoking discussions that transpired there. Then another colleague advised her to start a blog – she started blogging at WordFeeder and eventually added a blog at EntrepreneursBreakfast.com. “Over time, those avenues of communication really worked to help get my company, Wordfeeder.com, known and respected within the realm of online copywriting and marketing.”

Dina says that social networking and blogging allowed her access to potential customers around the globe, all without having to leave her office. It made advertising easy, accessible and affordable.

In fact, Dina’s sure that without social media tools, and the Internet, “I would probably still be working for somebody else!”  She finds that common business tasks like quoting new clients and networking are often much easier online than in person, especially for people who tend to be shy or introverted. She refers to this power to connect as "email muscles."
 
Though she soon realized professional success through self-promotion, others were also quickly learning how to maximize their own business reach through the same tools.  With the rapid proliferation of social media tools, and their short learn curve, Dina recognizes “there is less of a need for web professionals like myself. People want to write their own copy and run their own newsletters.

“Of course, you always have the upper tier who understands that doing everything yourself won't make you rich or successful. But that's a select few,” comments Dina.  “My challenge is to keep on finding them (via social media) and herding them in to my website, Wordfeeder.com, where they'll discover my professional services that allow them to focus on what THEY do best, rather than try to manage it all on their own.”
 

Despite the challenges of continually feeding the online business funnel, Dina still values what social media tools can provide... 

Ben Parr on What the Web of Tomorrow Will Look Like

Interesting article from Mashable Co-Editor Ben Parr: What the Web of Tomorrow Will Look Like: 4 Big Trends to Watch.

In the article, Parr discusses four major shifts in how people will be using the Web in the near future (and in some cases, already are):

1. The Web Will Be Accessible Anywhere
2. Web Access Will Not Focus Around the Computer
3. The Web Will Be Media-Centric
4. Social Media Will Be Its Largest Component

That last one is why I started this blog - to explore why people use social media, and the different ways they make use of the tools, sites, and techniques.  I'm looking forward to the conversation.

The Beginning of The Social Report

Welcome to The Social Report, a blog that will feature profile-type articles on how people use social media, both personally and professionally.  We'll be exploring topics like branding, marketing, "going viral", the history and future of social media, productivity, networking, what works (and what doesn't).

I've put together a list of about 30 people I'd like to interview, and a preliminary list of questions.  But I'm curious what you'd like to read about.  Have any burning questions about using social media today?  Any suggestions for people to answer those questions?  Feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments below.