Social Media Marketing in Carlsbad

While many people say, "I don't understand Facebook or Twitter," clearly these social media sites are becoming increasingly important, both globally and locally. You don't have to live in Egypt or Iran to see their impact. You can see it in action right here, in Carlsbad, as small businesses market to their niche clientele for a fraction of what it would have cost to set up and maintain a website.

The beauty of these social media sites is that customers don't need to give out their e-mail or home address to receive promo flyers. If customers feel that they're receiving too many updates, they can "unfollow" or "unfriend" the sender. When a business sees their numbers going down, they can adjust their marketing strategy.

Last year, Andrea Vaughn, a Carlsbad resident for more than 15 years, noticed that local shops did not understand how to create business pages on Facebook. When a few friends asked Vaughn to create their Twitter and Facebook page, she saw a business opportunity.

"After quickly learning the ropes, I decided to ask a girlfriend who was opening up a new boutique in Carlsbad if she could use my help on Facebook and Twitter," said Vaughn. "After a few weeks of dealing with the demands of opening a new establishment, she decided to hire me."

Following a review by a local online magazine, Vaughn had the confidence to pursue more social media clients. Vaughn's Carlsbad clients include The Kyss Boutique, Ollie & Me, BBLU and Gems of La Costa, along with other clients throughout San Diego. She now finds herself spending at least a couple hours each day working on social media marketing, including weekly visits to the shops.

How much does a social media marketing consultant cost? Vaughn says, "As far as what I charge, $60 an hour for consulting, $100 a month for partial management of a business page, and $200 a month for total management of both Facebook and Twitter business accounts."

As people spend more time "hanging out" on social media websites they can immediately see new promotions and products. Most importantly, these businesses have seen social media marketing translate directly into sales.

"Being on Facebook and Twitter gives us the ability to reach a variety of people. ... a lot of our regular clients enjoy seeing what we are featuring during the week and have come in and purchased things they have seen on our Facebook page. We are excited to see what the future brings in regards to social media," says Kyss Boutique owner Karen Kampfl.

But not all small businesses hire consultants. Some local businesses handle their own social media marketing, such as Flippin' Pizza, Froots and The Landings at Carlsbad. For each business owner, it depends on how much they know about social media and how much time they can afford to spend sending out updates.

A great benefit of social media marketing is that people don't even need an account on Facebook or Twitter since these pages show up in search engines such as Google or Yahoo! People without social media accounts can still view the deals, they just won't be able to receive the updates when they're posted.

While Twitter and Facebook do not replace the need for a business website, the ease and free cost of updating social media pages complements any business website nicely.