Image: iStockphoto

Most people say that networking across your industry is the way to go to promote your small business. But according to an article in Inc.com, you should actually be spending more time with your friends.

“As the company grows to 20, 30, or even hundreds of people, the CEO must become more discerning about which lunches to set up, which phone calls to take, and which emails to return. It’s no longer possible to talk to everyone, so the CEO must prioritize the best opportunities — the biggest customers, the most important partners, and others with the most potential to have an impact on business growth,” says the article.

CEOs should spend time with trusted advisors, a.k.a. their friends. If a friend refers someone to meet with you about your business, take this meeting, advises the article, before meeting with total strangers. Also, take time to meet with your friends about your business. “Educate them on the things you need to grow your business–customers, partners, quality recruits, etc. Then ask them to suggest meetings for you,” says Inc.com.

Besides making introductions, a friend can also be a wellspring of useful information in other areas. In addition to venting about workplace problems, bounce new ideas off of your savvier friends. They have a better insight to how you handle new situations and stress and can help you come up with solutions that best fit your style. You can even go so far as to set up brainstorming sessions with a group of friends. If you buy the drinks and nachos, you can probably get a good group to show up.

Friends can also be your best promotion via word of mouth. They can wear and use your products, and utilize their own social media networks to tell others about your goods and services.

But remember to reciprocate the favor. Pass on work and recommendations to your friends as well. You want to make sure you’re part of their trusted network of friends as well.

Image: Pixland

Regardless of your industry, it is no longer a question of “if” your small business should have a social media presence, but “how” those platforms should be used. According to the 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 85 percent of businesses that have a dedicated social media platform reported an increase in their market exposure, and 58 percent reported an increase in sales.

Your social media accounts can do much more than serve as an outpost for your website. Social media is a great way to establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry. It also can be used to build a community of evangelists, involve your customers in your creative process, and reach new audiences.

The key to a dynamic social media presence is good content. Satisfying Internet users’ insatiable appetite for content can seem daunting. But, most brands are sitting on a gold mine of stories to share without realizing it. Here are a few ways to find those stories:

1. Get employees involved.

The people who make your business work are the best resources for content. Social media should be a part of everyone’s job description. Ask employees to create guest posts, or ask for regular updates on clients, corporate culture, and other under the radar developments that you can share online. Making employees visible online humanizes your brand, and they offer a unique perspective that is compelling to readers.

2. Offer behind-the-scenes access.

Everyone likes to feel like they have access to something exclusive or rarely seen. Give your fans and followers that feeling of privilege by offering something extra that they wouldn’t be able to find on your blog or website. Share slides from presentations, videos from events, or a sneak peek at a new product or service.

3. Set a Google Alert on keywords that impact your business.

Narcissism isn’t attractive in person or online. Don’t just talk about yourself, talk about what’s happening in your industry. A reputation for sharing important content will make you a thought leader in your field. Google Alerts and RSS feed subscriptions are especially helpful if you don’t have enough time to produce original content of your own. Direct your followers to good content that’s already out there.

4. Spotlight your customers.

Share the spotlight with the people who use your products or services. It will not only showcase your success but also give exposure to your customers, something they will appreciate. Promote your clients when they do something noteworthy, and they will do the same for you.

5. Build a community.

Social media is not a one-way channel of communication. Posting content without engaging audiences may work for some large brands, but small businesses need to make friends online. New friends can quickly become new customers. Customers don’t want to be advertised to, they want to be engaged. Ask questions and get feedback on the work you’re doing. Contests and promotions are also a great way to keep fans and followers excited and coming back for more.

Has your small business found success leveraging social media? Share some of your favorite tactics in the comment section.

C. Cleveland is a freelance writer and content strategist in New York City, perfecting living the fierce life at The Red Read. She is at your service on Twitter @CleveInTheCity.

That bad service you received last time you dined out may not have been an optical illusion. A new survey of waiters in North Carolina revealed that nearly two-fifths of the respondents admitted to treating customers differently based on their race. About 53 percent of servers reported seeing other servers discriminate against African American customers by giving them poor service at least some of the time, and as much as 90 percent of the respondents also said they engaged in or overheard racially-charged conversations among co-workers.

A total of 200 servers at 18 full-service chain restaurants in the state were surveyed; 86 percent of the respondents were white. Among the 38.5 percent of servers who reported providing inferior service to African-American customers, many expressed views that African American customers are impolite and/or poor tippers, and suggested that black patrons, especially, are likely targets of servers’ self-professed discriminatory actions.

Sarah Rusche, a PhD candidate in sociology at NC State and co-author of a paper, says “tableside racism is yet another example in which African Americans are stereotyped and subsequently treated poorly in everyday situations.” I’ve been on both sides of the coin. Sometimes I’ve been out with people who didn’t see the responsibility to properly tip servers or who were very rude for no reason, but I’ve also been on the side of not receiving the service I deserve from the get-go and reflecting that in a server’s tip.

What do you think? Are black folks genuinely bad tippers or is this an unfair stereotype?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Verizon apparently missed the memo that consumers don’t like to pay to access options that are rightfully theirs–like paying a bill. Remember how quickly Bank of America backtracked with the $5 monthly fee they were going to charge people to access their own money? But if the phone company is looking at things from an airline perspective, they might assume that sure, consumers will put up a fuss initially, but at the end of the day what other choice do they have?

Starting Jan. 15, Verizon will charge customers at $2 fee if they pay their bill with a credit card online or over the phone. Most companies I’ve had personal experience with charge to pay a bill over the phone–and typically more than $2–but those fees were standard policies from the beginning, not a sudden attempt to cover the ability to “continue to support these bill payment options” as Verizon explained it. And being charged to simply pay a bill online with a credit card is extremely rare.

A Verizon memo says it will offer customers free options before charging the fee. That includes snail mail, enrolling in Verizon’s AutoPay, allowing the company to keep a credit, debit or ATM card or bank account on file (their preferred method), electronic check, using your bank’s online bill pay, or paying at a Verizon kiosk.

It should be noted that Verizon Communications Inc., the landline phone company that owns most of Verizon Wireless, tried to impose a $3.50 fee for people who paid their bill for FiOS TV or Internet service month-to-month by credit card last year and backed out after complaints. I’m pretty sure this attempt will follow suit. With enough people struggling to just pay a bill, the last thing customers need are erroneous fees.

Does your phone company charge you fees if you pay your bill a certain way?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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It’s been a while since I’ve stepped foot in a Walmart store and I plan on making that visit my last. The things that have happened in the chain’s stores across the U.S. this year alone are enough to pay whatever extra cost you’ll incur at Target, Kmart, or some other big box store.

Avery Blandin, 46, of South Carolina has been charged with murder for fatally stabbing his wife inside a Greenville County Walmart this weekend, and while you’d think that would be enough to make store management take a break from rolling back prices, they simply roped off the area for homicide investigators and continued with business as usual.

Witnesses told deputies they heard a verbal fight between Blandin and his wife Lilia Blandin, 38. Then things became physical.

Phillip Talent, who was shopping at the time, told WYFF4, “When I looked, I could see a couple of stabbing motions, and I really started to run towards the front (of the store).

“I seen it when [the man] was making a stomping motion at [Lilia Blandin] across her chest and neck area. I picked up the chair and I hit him.”

After pulling out a second knife, Tallent said the man fled the scene. “That’s when I let him go because I already seen what he did with the first one, so I wasn’t going to get involved with the next one.” Blandin was later apprehended when he was involved in a traffic accident.

Walmart company spokesman Dianna Gee told Greenville’s News Channel 4 the company is assisting with the investigation and turned over surveillance video footage from the store, but she seemed oblivious to the oddity of keeping the store open.

“We did, as requested, close our grocery checkout area to allow the police to do their work and provide some level of privacy, given the circumstances.”

I wonder what sales looked like at the end of the day. Do you think Walmart should have shut down its entire store in lieu of this incident? Have you noticed a trend of odd things happening at Walmart stores?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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