Is it easier for small business to "get" social media?

Frank Almeida started a business with his wife a few years ago. Sugar and Spice bakes high-end cookies, biscotti, budin and more based upon Frank's wife's recipes. They sell them via retail partners and do some white label sales, as well.

One of the things he likes about Buenos Aires is that in post-economic crisis BA, it's a good environment for a very driven entrepeneur. It may not be easy to start and run a business (where is it ever easy) but something about the city shines down on the little guy trying to create some value.

First things first - the cookies are to die for. He gave me a bag - a shopping bag - full of them when I left his shop. So, it helps to have a good product. I met Frank online when I was planning on coming to Argentina. I noticed that he a had an English-language blog connected to his cookie business. Judging from his blogroll, he was connected with the core of BA bloggers - some expats, some Argentinians. He has been blogging for about a year. I don't know if I was expecting the same type of blog-snobbery we see some time in the US. But what I got was very different.

Frank started his blog to help his business Web site appear better in search engine results. Plan and simple. He was not consciously pining for a new way to express himself, nor even trying to make "an authentic connection" with his customers. He started the blog to rank better in Google.com.ar and Yahoo. And it worked. 

In the process he discovered other bloggers and maintains a connection with them. But he is a family guy and a small businessman to boot. That means he is as time-starved as the rest of us and not spending his evenings at whatever passes for Barcamp in Buenos Aires.  I think he is scratching his head a little wondering how else he can get his blog to impact his business.

He may find ways to connect with potential customers as his business grows across borders in the region. Customers in Peru or Uruguay may feel more comfortable doing business with a guy who honestly writes a blog. I am not sure Frank can measure that type of impact. All he really needs are a couple of anecdotal mentions from clients that they browsed his blog and felt better about signing a contract to make him feel its value. here are two posts that - for different reasons - tell me he understands the potential:

• The first is a drama that unfolded when his street flooded beyond all expectation. He posted a video of how his staff helped keep the business from damage.
• The second is a promotion he ran with a popular wine in Argentina in celebration of International Women's Day. It just shows that he remains connected to his company's identity (his wife is responsible for the recipes and many other aspects fo the business) and what is going on in the world.  (and that he understands the "halo" effect of established brands on up-and-comers)

Even his simple decision to use the blog to help search rankings is refreshingly simple. i think about that and then I think about the social media-based programs we develop for major brands. It seems so much easier for small business to try and learn from using social media than big organizations with so many more resources. Part of it is entrepeneurship at play. Although I would like to argue that there are as many entrepeneurs at big companies than small. I am not sure that is true.

Small business understands the benefits of social media quicker. Social media can improve search engine performance for them quickly. It can serve as a natural outlet for their personalized approach to business. And most small businesspeople don't walk into marketing with a bias towards measureable advertising. In fact, they'll do anything before spending cash on ad buys.

So, it seems that small business has some terrific advantages over large brands to using social media for marketing. (Check out this post from Virginia Miracle on another small business social media boost)

Sugar and Spice is a great example of a worthy business that understands the basics of what social media can do to help the bottom line. They are also open to discovering through "doing" how else social media can help their business. Frank may get tired of posting but then someone will call him up for an order and mention how they enjoyed the blog. I bet that'll get him posting pretty quick.

In the meantime, they have the best cookies in Buenos Aires. Tell your friends. Tell your branch office in BA. Tell anyone who cares about cookies, is anywhere near Argentina, and cares about the success of a worthy business with a great product.

Comments

[Esteban]

John, too bad we didn't get a chance to meet while you were here. Hope you enjoyed your stay.

Regards,

Esteban

[John Bell]

Esteban - terrible to miss you. I really love BA. So, go get some cookes from Sugar & Spice!

[Alex Bellinger]

This is a great story. If I'm ever in BA I know where I'm heading as one of my first ports of call!

Cluetrain and social media are very often aligned - markets are conversations and all that. Small business owners know this better than anyone from real life. And are leading the way in demonstrating the value of these principles online too.

Thanks for sharing.

[CarlenLea Lesser]

I think it is. I've worked with both large international brands and smaller "mom & pop" companies. The smaller organizations have a higher tolerance for risk, as long as there's little spend involved. Social media is, generally, more about commitment and time - not spend. There's also fewer lawyers involved when it's a small organization -- that definitely makes it easier.