Local search and social networking merging

Social Search Results:
Google is merging search and social networking.  Google will show in their search results your social connection's post in results.  You can read about this in the official Google blog:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/update-to-google-social-search.html

This creates a great opportunity for local hardware stores, lumber yards, and home centers who are employing a local search marketing strategy and social media marketing strategy.

Here's what you need to do to succeed in this space:

1) Social Posting.  Have a wide social posting footprint.  Post daily.

Twitter.com, Facebook.com, youtube.com, flickr.com.

Why: These sites that have "Social Authority"

2) Comment.  Look up current topics your customers will be looking up and comment on them.  Be sure that you sign your comments with your Twitter, Facebook account names, website, and store name

Why: This creates social links between you and searched topics.

3) Keep it focused.  Focus on your customers.  Comment on local events,  topics related what people are going to be shopping for in the coming months.

Why:  The more post you make related to a given topic will make you a "Social Authority" and move you up on the social search results.

The Results:
Joe customer is trying to start his lawn mower for the first time this year.  It's not starting.  He decides to look up Lawn mower reviews on line.  A video you posted comes up because you posted it on youtube, shared it on your facebook account, tweeted about it, shared a link to your video in a comment on a blog about lawn moyer reviews, and you are connected to Joe customer on your local connections on twitter.  You follow local twitter accounts and he does too.

Want help with this?  House Hasson can help.  If you would like more information about local search marketing & Social media marketing of hardware stores, home centers, or lumber yards contact House Hasson Hardware at househasson.com.

Ron Yatteau
House Hasson Hardware

Follow us on Facebook:http://facebook.com/househasson


House-Hasson' Social Media Group is focused on social media,.email, and local search marketing of hardware stores,  home centers, and lumber yards.

The Facebook Viral Promotion for Hardware stores, Lumber Yards, and Home Centers

A Viral promotion a way to expand your followers.. The goal of the promotion is to encourages your followers to recommend your page to their friends for a free gift.  Here are the steps to conduct this promotion.
.
1. You want to make your wall look informative and appealing to newcomers.  
Review your current wall first few pages.  Make sure the post are informative and active.  You might want to find a few videos to post. Write a blog to post.  Find some good content.  What does your profile picture look like? Is all your company information complete?  Make sure you have at least 50-100 followers before you do this promotion. Look at your wall as a newcomer will see it.

2.  Create a landing page for your promotion.
The landing page should have a picture of your company, your main logo, and a call to action to press the "Like" button.

3. You need a great gift to give out that people will like and will motivate them to share your company page with their friends.

Here is  a product I found that would targets people who are smart phone savvy upscale home improvement customers.  Since It's a Mac App they are less price sensitive, quality over price.



The handy man app..

  It’s a home improvement planner designed to assist you in renovating your home by providing the information you need to complete a new project. Need to find out how much paint, flooring or trim you need? Enter in your room measurements and let Handy Man do the math.

http://wowzersoftware.com/Wowzer_Software/Home.html

Runs on the I touch, I pad, I phone and It cost: $2.95 each

4. Define the terms of the promotion:
Example: Fifty customers who share your facebook page with all their friends gets the app for free.  A drawing will be held on X date at the store. you can only win one app.  1 entry for each share a user makes to your page

5.  Plan your post for the promotion.

Link:
http://wowzersoftware.com/Wowzer_Software/Home.html

Text to go with the link:
Have you ever been working on a project only to realize you forgot something you needed for a project and you have to return back to the store to buy what you missed?  Well here is a neat app that solves that problem and I’m going to give 50 away in a drawing. All you have to do is suggesting your friends should "like" our page. Entering is easy. Just go to our www.facebook.com/yourpagename  page, click the blue "suggest to friends" link below my profile picture, highlight your friends and click the blue "send invitations" button. Don't forget to post the number of friends you suggested on our wall because that's how many entries you get in the contest.  Then On X date we are going to Draw 50 Winners in the store.

6. Managing the promotion:

1)    After each person post on you site.  Thank them as a comment to the post w a comment like:
-Your gona love this app.
-Good luck hope you win.
-Be sure to tell all your friends to enter the contest as well.
(Others will see your comments and enter the contest as well.)
2)    Build a list of each person’s name and the number of entries in a spreed sheet.
3)    Be sure to re mention the promotion every week leading up the final drawing.
4)    On the day of the contest.  Send a facebook message telling them their ticket numbers.  Basically you are allocating numbers based on the number of friends they forwarded.

Example:

Name         Number of Friends Shared      Start #                       End#

Missy H               125                                1                           125
John Morgan       325                                126                       451
Fred Fisher         225                                452                      676
ect...

7. To select the winner use a random number generator at random.org .
If someone wins twice re run the random number generator until you have 50 winners.  Post the winners online and send out a personal message to each one.  To send the gift you will need to get their email and go to the itunes.com and send a gift tome.  Be sure to enter their email into your email marketing system.

8. Post the winning ticket numbers on your facebook page.

Follow us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/househasson


House-Hasson' Social Media Group is focused on social media,.email, and local search marketing of hardware stores,  home centers, and lumber yards.