By making smart use of social media and technology, small companies can exist on par with larger ones when it comes to being professional, relevant, and accessible to customers. Here's how Twitter in particular helps small businesses like us achieve big things.
1. Immediacy - When serious events like severe weather and airline strikes might potentially affect pet travelers, we use Twitter to offer updates and advice for how to deal with the situation at hand. We aim to be a trusted news source in our little corner of the world, and Twitter makes this possible by letting us share what we know as soon as we know it.
Find out how Hurricane #Sandy will affect pet travel. #staysafe #pets petrelocation.com/blog/pet-trave…
— PetRelocation (@PetRelocation) October 29, 2012
2. Assistance - Pet travel can be a confusing endeavor to undertake alone, and we're happy to pass along the knowledge we've acquired whenever possible. Twitter offers the perfect forum for Q&As and authentic conversations to take place, and we also find that providing nimble, accurate responses to frequently asked questions is much more interesting than simply using this microblog as a loudspeaker.
@petrelocation Thank you! I'm sure I'll have more questions and will tweet as needed. 😊
— Teresa Basich (@TeresaBasich) November 7, 2012
3. Connection - PetRelocation customers, like everyone else, tend to be active online, and many love reaching out to us on Twitter even after their moves are long over. We encourage our pet-loving friends to use this as just another way to keep in touch, and many use Twitter to connect with other pet travelers -- either to ask for advice or just for fun.
4. Personality - The PetRelocation office is located in vibrant downtown Austin, TX, we're a pet-friendly workplace, and our employees are a fun and interesting bunch of people. Letting our customers get to know us better is another important part of building a long-lasting business, and we're more than happy to tweet a few dog pics and light-hearted office updates here and there.
It's always a good day when Aussie's in the office with us. #dogfriendly @ PetRelocation HQ instagr.am/p/R0C1quwXcR/
— PetRelocation (@PetRelocation) November 9, 2012
5. Accessibility - Finally, Twitter is an ideal way to remain available and responsive to both our customers and our partners in the industry. Whether it's answering a quick question, linking to a relevant blog post, or even accepting a compliment from a happy pet owner, using Twitter helps us show that we're not just a brand, we're a reactive and caring group of people.
@petrelocation I really like the service you provide. Moving can be so traumatic for pets. You making distance moves easier rocks.
— Dee Bogetti (@DeeBogetti) November 13, 2012
How does our Twitter presence help you get to know us better? Let us know in the comments section. Also, on Nov. 24, use the hashtag #SmallBizSat to follow and learn about other small companies who, like us, are working to do great things.