Use it or lose

There's a war shaping up on the internet, and an awful lot of cigar retailers aren't even aware it's coming.

The practical reality is that Social Media, you know, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and more are making it ever more easy for your competition to gain an edge and pull market share away from you.

We, and several other small cigar manufacturers, go out of our way to use your Social Media presence to your advantage, but some of you might as well go back to sticking paper signs on your front doors, because you just don't get it.

So, here are a few basic things you can do to help us help you, since many of you are too apathetic to help yourselves:

1) Follow us back on twitter at the very least. Even if you're too lazy to use it yourself, it helps us to help you with your marketing, because it gives us greater flexibility in promoting your shop. Be active and try to tweet at least a few times a day, but don't just send out the usual "We're desperate so we're giving this much off today!" Engage the audience with interesting and informative information. If you're using a twitter name that has nothing to do with cigars make sure cigars are mentioned in your profile, and in as many of your tweets as possible. Don't just tweet "We have Grimalkins." Make it "We have Grimalkin cigars by @EmilioCigar." That way people interested in cigars can find you when they search, and you're reaching both your followers and mine.

2) Numerous studies have shown that Facebook users are far more likely to interact with you if you include a photo with your post. Posting something like "Me and Bob smoking" gives your Facebook followers nothing to respond to. Ask questions and ask for answers. Every time you receive a new product post it to your Facebook wall with a photo, describe it completely, and add a link to the manufacturers Facebook page as well. Give your customers all the information they need at one time, and become a portal for them to find out more.

3)  Google+ is another social media platform that can allow you to reach your audience, and like others allows you to post pictures and links to interesting and important information. Over time your ability to reach out to potential customers can expand exponentially.

4) Need a place to host pictures? Try using Pinterest. It's an interesting new tool that allows you to categorize photos into areas of interest, and to speak to your followers about other things you're interested in. If you look carefully over time at how your friends and customers categorize their own interests here you may well find you have more in common than you ever knew. Use it to your advantage. Engage them on topics you have a common interest in other than just always business, and solidify your relationship in other ways.

5) Cross post information from one platform to another so that your customers can find you where they want to find you, and not just where you're comfortable spending your time. Some people simply prefer to consume their media in different ways, and you should feed that desire. On every social media platform you use find your actual customers and either friend them, follow them, or whatever is appropriate. You don't need to be friends with the smoking fetish chick in Serbia. You need to be friends with the people who drive to your shop and spend money.

6) Lastly, there are tools available to help you measure your performance in promoting your business on the web, One of these is Klout. It's well worth checking to see how you compare with others in the industry, and to begin examining what is working and not working for you. Take some time to review your Klout profile, and begin improving your web presence in ways that increase your Klout score.

If you're one of those who think all this social media stuff is a waste of time you may as well start having the attorneys prepare your bankruptcy filing. Some day soon a 20 year old kid who has been buying cigars from you is going to think "Hey I'd like to open my own shop!", and when he or she does they're going to outperform and out promote you, because this is what they've grown up with. The media adept generation are not only your future customers, but potentially the future competition you should fear the most.

See what I just did? I'm sure some of you didn't.