Not for Wallflowers: How one Entrepreneur Taps the Riches of Social Media Marketing
by Robyn Sachs

Nestled in the quiet Book Hill neighborhood of Georgetown in Washington, DC, Presse Bookstore attracts an eclectic audience of learners interested in the adult and children’s books and accessories the store offers with international flair.  But, since opening in August 2008, getting buyers into the store has been a challenge.

Owner Harvetta Asamoah tried traditional advertising media – including print ads and radio – with some success.  Then, she began to experiment with social media marketing and was surprised at the results.

Harvetta has a personal Facebook page and a Presse Bookstore page, with a link between the two.  She posts daily messages about books and other items the store offers, and people “opt in” to see her posts.  Fans hear about Presse Bookstore through friends and friends of friends, pass along posts they think might interest a friend, respond to a post perhaps, and encourage others to join.

The secret to social media marketing lies in spreading the word.  “You can have multiple Facebook pages and the most clever posts, but if your audience is small your results will be small,” explains Harvetta. “You have to reach out beyond your comfort zone, you have to communicate personally and frequently and even ‘friend’ people you don’t know.”  As word of your postings spreads and more people see and comment on them, it won’t be long before you have widened your circle of potential customers.

In Harvetta’s case, she has widened Presse Bookstore’s customer circle well beyond the D.C. area and even attracted international customers.  To accomplish this with traditional media, Harvetta would have to commit to a large media buy in multiple publications that reach global audiences.  Instead, she spends nothing but the cost of her time.

Harvetta has paid for Facebook ads and Pay Per Click (PPC) services with some success, and may try it again in the future.  But for now, Harvetta is enjoying experimenting with growing her audience and customer base through free social media marketing.

Harvetta has also connected with a famous author this way, and a local event planner who has since attended an event at the bookstore.  When it catches on and word spreads among friends, Harvetta says, it’s like “a virtual cocktail party.”  But, as with a cocktail party, it isn’t enough to just be there, tucked in a corner. 

“You can’t be afraid to talk to strangers if you want to use social media marketing,” Harvetta says.  Like making connections at a cocktail party, or networking at an association meeting, successful social media marketing requires interaction, and lots of it.

For all its inherent openness, social media marketing does offer measures of control.  People can see the site before they sign up, opt in or out at any time, read posts and decide whether to post a comment.  And they can do all this from the comfort of wherever they are, without having to physically visit a business they may or may not like.

For marketers, social media marketing is the way to reach today’s tech savvy consumers and to do so cost-effectively.  To ignore social media marketing is the same as ignoring the growing group of buyers who spend a tremendous amount of their time on these networks.  You have nothing to lose in adding social media to your marketing plan – but a lot of potential customers to lose if you don’t. 

Robyn Sachs is the president of RMR & Associates, a full-service advertising, marketing, and public relations firm based in the Washington metropolitan area. She can be reached at rsachs@rmr.com.