The Observer Newspapers | Local Organizations, Businesses Starting to Use Social Networking Sites

September 5 , 2008

Local Organizations, Businesses Starting to Use Social Networking Sites

By Leslie Perales

Observer Staff Writer

More local businesses and organizations have been finding ways to attract attention on the Web through networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. These social networking sites have been popular with younger generations for several years, and many businesses are now examining ways to use them as well.

Marion Myers, president of Myers Public Relations, said she and her clients have started to work with social networking sites. "I am sure that this is the way that young people and increasing numbers of older adults—even seniors—are getting their information," she said. "You don't search for stuff in the yellow pages anymore, you go to Google."

Myers said she often works with Beth Bates, social media consultant and owner of Web Strategies, when her clients want to jump into the social networking world. Bates' company helps businesses create an online presence, and Bates said social networking Web sites provide companies with a way to contact the younger generation and reach people in niche markets.

Bates said social networking also levels the playing field between small businesses and large corporations. "They're doing the exact same thing and getting fantastic results," she said. "I really think that by going out and putting yourself in the places where your target market is going to be, it really helps get you more exposure for your business and also makes your business very personable."

Audrey Caldwell, communications manager for the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber is new to Facebook, but it has great hopes that the site will help draw more people to the chamber's Web site. "More and more businesses are using them in their arsenal of strategies to market themselves and increase traffic," she said.

Caldwell said the chamber is also in the process of launching a young professionals group and it hopes to connect with those young businessmen through social networking.

Similarly, the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce recently began a social networking and media initiative and is now using several sites to promote members and events. "Basically people are looking for faster, better ways to connect with the resources around them, both personally and professionally," said Kate Meier, communications director for GRCC. "That's what social media does."

Meier said sites like Facebook promote events and can be used to post photographs and videos, which provide "good viral publicity." If GRCC members create profiles on these social networking sites, they have another avenue of connecting with the chamber and its membership, she said.

Meier and the chamber also are working to create a "spoof" video to promote the upcoming Oktoberfest. "If it's funny, people will do some of the marketing for us by sharing it with friends," she said. Additionally, Meier is developing a blog, working with the photo-sharing site Flickr, creating podcasts, delivering RSS feeds and networking on LinkedIn.com, she said. "We're looking for new channels of communication to meet the growing needs of our membership," Meier said.

Fairfax County has also started a social networking campaign and the libraries are one of the county agencies that has started connecting online. "As a library we want to be relevant and we want to be included in people's lives," said Sam Clay, director of Fairfax County libraries. "We have to go where our customers are and let them know about us."

The library has a presence on sites like Flickr, Myspace and Facebook, and it also allows library members to send reference questions in the form of text messages, Clay said. The library's goal is to offer as many of its regular services as possible online, he said. "For us it's about relevance," Clay said.