Expert Q&A: Social Media for Small Business

After talking to Will Hardison last week, I really got to thinking about the benefits of social media for new businesses. In today’s world, it seems as though everyone has a Facebook profile and a Twitter account. It has become so easy to instantly communicate with people all across the globe, making it irresponsible for new business owners to not take advantage of the trend.

I found an interview on American Banking News with Steve Nielsen, founder and CEO of the social network PartnerUp, who provides further insight into how vital social media is to new businesses.

First of all, Nielsen points out the the benefit of real time communication social media provides. Sites like Facebook and Twitter allow businesses to receive and reply to feedback with existing and potential consumers in not only efficient ways, but also for free (for the most part). As most forms of social media are free, business owners can’t help but try it out. Specifically, these networks become very helpful in  spreading the word of promotions, special deals and instant updates.

Another key point Nielsen makes is for businesses to choose an outlet of social media that best suits its interests. Of course, Facebook and Twitter can be helpful to any business, but other sites can specifically tailor to a company’s desired image, needs and so on. Looking back at Will Hardison’s company, Fourcast, he chose to create a profile on Vital BMX; a popular social network in the BMX community. He also chose to create a YouTube account, so existing and potential consumers could see team riders in action, actively participating in the sport.

Overall, social media outlets are key in spreading news and peaking interest for businesses whether new or old. The instant communication proves invaluable itself, and the seemingly endless choices of networks which tailor to any new business’ makes it even more worthwhile.

In the end, social media is not only a useful option for new businesses, it’s a necessary one.

Will Hardison: Founder of Fourcast

Will Hardison, 25, is the founder of a new BMX apparel company out of Indianapolis, Ind. His clothing company, Fourcast, grew out of his desire to produce a footwear line nearly three years ago. However, after a few prototypes, Hardison realized the direction he was headed was just too expensive, leaving him to put the company on hold altogether.

That was until this past summer.

“I was wearing one of the shirts around a local mall and got a handful of compliments on it. Even from a few managers of lifestyle stores,” says Hardison. “It sparked my interest in doing more of an apparel line.”

With two up-and-coming riders on his team, clean designs, a professional looking website and a grassroots approach to things, it seems as though Fourcast has all the workings to be a successful BMX company. As of now, Hardison runs the company entirely out of his home, complete with a bedroom turned office and another turned stockroom.

For him, the current state of the economy is easier to forget than to fret over.

“I pretty much ignore the state of the economy. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad idea,” he says. “Instead of going huge with trade show booths and forcing stores to buy our product, we’re creating a huge underground grassroots movement that we hope will persuade stores to call us asking to carry our brand.”

Currently, Fourcast relies heavily on social media as a means of marketing. Every morning Hardison wakes up at 6:30 a.m. to update and keep up with Facebook, Twitter, the blog and email. Already, the company has nearly 2,000 followers on Twitter, a Facebook fan page, a YouTube channel and a profile on Vital BMX (a popular BMX social network).

Aside from his new company, Hardison also owns a creative agency, designing and developing websites for other companies. Even being armed with a strong business sense already, he admits that splitting time between the two has both its ups and downs.

“Since I own both companies, its not hard to focus on both. I just have to make sure that all of the tasks for both companies are done for the day before I turn the computers off,” he says. “Sometimes it doesn’t happen because you just never know what will happen during the course of a given day.”

For Fourcast’s future, Hardison says he hopes to sponsor a BMX team of  household names, ultimately helping turn the company into a household name itself. As for now, he plans to continue adding new apparel and riders, and focus his attention on providing innovative products no one else in BMX is offering.

Learn more about Fourcast:

• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Vital BMX
• YouTube Channel