The term "Social Media" refers to the FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter web phenomena.  Conversations everywhere are now liberally peppered with phrase like "tweets" and "blogs" and "followers".  When I first heard the  term of "follower" being used, I thought it referred to a cult of some kind.  Just might be I wasn’t so far off.  Twitter, in particular, has become very "in" and cult like.  Either you get it or…you don’t. 

I decided to find out about this new way of interacting and see what implication it holds for doing business.  I googled Twitter, How to do Business, and was astounded as the pages went on and on.  Try it, you will be amazed.  There was some very general info and, while free for the downloading, it was still not specific enough.  I need a tutorial, examples, and specific ways a local service business such as a plantscaper, could benefit.  Most of the help asked for $$ to buy downloadable information and promised that even individuals could jump on the gravy train and reap buckets of cash in the process.  Just buy the book.  Ah, but which one?  I could spend lots of $$ and lots of time and not be any further along.

At the end of a week of frustration, I called friend MJ Gilhooley of Gilhooley Consulting.  Along with her Media Consulting Business, she also works with our own Green Plants for Green Business and is completely familiar with our Industry, Associations and a host of InteriorPlantscape Companies.  She gave me enough information for me to understand that this a whole new proposition.  Graciously she has agreed to write a short piece for my Inner Circle Newsletter about these new avenues and she assured me that yes, indeed, it opens up a whole new way to get and keep business even if we are local and service oriented.  We agreed that this is an old animal(relationship building) in a new costume(social media). 

I firmly believe that for those of us who take the time and trouble to get the right info and implement, we will be much more able to survive as this shark tank economy rolls along.  I will try tyo get as much info as possible and pass it along, but I am still trying to program my Blackberry.  So, I suggest you contact MJ (513)575-0290 and find out what she can do and how much she charges to do it.  Just might be the best $$ you will spend this year (along with Joey Pouches of course.)  Now go get em……..