This weekend I traded emails with Becky O’Brien of Optimal Wellness about my Subscribe! blog posts that described the importance and steps to subscribing to a blog.  As part of the discussion I went to her blog, checked out the subscription setup and left a comment – nothing serious.

Here’s where it gets interesting…

I walked into Sigma College of Small Business yesterday afternoon and there on the desk was a little pink box with a great thank-you note from Becky.  The little pink box contained a Southern Red Velvet cupcake from one of my business neighbors in Haymarket, VA, Cupcake Heaven.  Now, 5 years ago I would have e-mailed or called Becky to thank her and probably told my wife and a few others what she had done and how wonderful the cupcake tasted.  In the end maybe 5 or 10 people would have known how thoughtful Becky had been, what a wonderful cupcake they have over at Cupcake Heaven and the fact that I took some time to help Becky out with her blog.

The Difference with Social Media

Instead of just e-mailing or calling, I posted my thank you on Becky’s Fan page and on my personal profile in Facebook, tagging her fan page.  I also mentioned Cupcake Heaven and the quality of their product.  The difference with social media is that the same message that went to 5 or 10 people a few years ago can now reach hundreds of people between my friends, my fans and Becky’s fans.  And it took no more effort on my part than if I had just sent an email.  If I could have quickly found the Cupcake Heaven Fan Page, (I have since found them on FB) the message would have been received by all their fans as well!  So the advantage is that in the simplest of transactions and communication, all three of us are promoted from trusted sources (people choose to fan, follow and like those that they trust) to a few hundred people.

And By the Way…

You may be asking the question “Why would Becky choose Cupcake Heaven, with its pink box and swirly frosting for a male business associate?”  Well, it is right next door and I look like I enjoy a good cupcake, but that’s not the case.  The fact is that I have been posting my visits to Cupcake Heaven for coffee through Foursquare, and commenting on how tempting the cupcakes (and ice cream) look, for several weeks!  In fact I’m the Mayor!  So Becky knew going in that this would the perfect thank-you gift, and it absolutely was!  I was wiping frosting off my face as I walked into my next meeting.

A Lot of Hype

There is certainly a lot of hype around social media.  And there are some who can fit the technology so well with their business and personality that it becomes a huge business driver.  But like any other marketing tool it takes time and consistency to build success.  Don’t get scared by the hype because even a simple presence and effort can become beneficial.  In fact, in many cases, like the one I described above, you just need to set up the presence and let your customers and network do the work for you through their social media channels!