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TOP IDEA: Jackie Adkins The Paradox of Building Stronger Online Relationships - http://www.brazencareerist/2010/02/25/the-paradox-of-building-stronger-o...

117 weeks ago

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Will Muller: Good stuff Jackie; thanks!

An engaged online audience can absolutely become further engaged by physical contact. However, one of the biggest ...MoreGood stuff Jackie; thanks!

An engaged online audience can absolutely become further engaged by physical contact. However, one of the biggest reasons for social media's growth for business is that it allows companies to connect with lots of people inexpensively. So, to travel the world to 'hug' all of your community members would probably not be possible for most organizations, but here are a few ideas that can have a similar effect:

1) Invite members to a casual event. Even if a liaison for the company cannot actually attend, facilitating a networking event like a happy hour or a baseball game for members of the community to high five each other can go a long way in strengthening their bond with you and your community.

2) Phone surveys. Giving someone a voice to connect with will not only strengthen emotional ties, but uncover new opportunities and allow you to better understand your audience.

3) Send hand-written letters. Don't worry about your agenda or call to action, just having something physical that shows that your a person, not a faceless organization or name to rally behing. Hand written is key, keep it simple. Often, contributing members of social communities thrive on recognition - a small thank you can be huge.
116 weeks ago

Jackie Adkins: @David - Thanks for taking the time to comment, and I agree, we can't exactly duplicate the experience that an in-person interaction with ...More@David - Thanks for taking the time to comment, and I agree, we can't exactly duplicate the experience that an in-person interaction with customers would result in here on the Internet. However, we can foster relationships so that when the time comes for that actual physical interaction comes (whether it be they order a physical product, attend an event, or walk in a store), that interaction is even more impactful.

@Lindsey - Haha, glad I could help you think through some stuff out loud! That is definitely one of the coolest advantages of social media. In real life, you'd never be able to step into a conversation and help a customer out. But now, you can easily search for these complaints/questions about your product and offer your assistance.

@Will - Great examples! You're definitely right that actually traveling around in hopes of reaching all of your customers in person isn't feasible, but these are all great ways of still being able to give them that offline experience of your brand.
116 weeks ago

Scott Carver Easy question. Starting up a home based business providing PC/Network support for home/home office/small business market. Needing a printer for invoicing, scanning, copying etc. Not faxing. I've looked at and worked with both laser and inkjet MF printers but not extensively. What do you use, laser or inkjet multifunction printer? Model? Do you like/recommend it? Which do you think is better, laser or inkjet?

117 weeks ago from Entrepreneurs

Photis Patriotis recommended this

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Scott Carver: Lindsey, http://trustedreviews.com is what I think, was ...MoreLindsey, http://trustedreviews.com is what I think, was one of the better sources for reviews that I've found. I've found an MFP laser and inkjet but I'm just having hard time determining which would be better.

Jennifer, the laser MFP that I've been looking at happens to be a Brother. The Brother MFC-7840W seems to have lots of good reviews, it's not a color printer but at this point I don't think that matters.

Michael, faxing is another issue. Not sure whether I want an online service or an actual fax machine. Leaning toward a fax service.

Will, I'm partial to HP for all types of printers. Just not a big fan of their prices usually. I think Brother is comparable to the HP from what I've been able to tell in the past. But, do you think inkjet would be OK for invoicing? I've never been down this road with printers. I can see them smearing or what not while going through the USPS in the rain and such. But the price difference in a good laser MFP and a good inkjet MFP is what is making this a bit of a difficult decision for me. And it's such a small issue. :)
116 weeks ago

Lindsey Donner: Thanks for the detailed response, Scott! I'm going out and buying a printer tomorrow. I'll report back with my thoughts after a month or so. ;-)
116 weeks ago

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