My first consideration in using additional social media tools would be Google+. Although it is not ranked as high as the leading social media such as Facebook or Twitter, Google+ seems to have an advantage in growing potential of its users as a result of Google's dominance in its search engine/advertising business. Its Circle function is very much aligned with my type of personal services business that usually grows out of referral among circles of friends, acquaintances, colleagues, past and potential clients who is interested in my type of business. The Hangout function could be utilized neatly as a conferencing tool with my clients and colleagues.
I am kind of hesitant to spread out my online marketing effort among too many social media platforms, fearing that I would lack the manpower to manage all of them. Just for the sake of discussion, if I have to choose three additional ones, they would be Groupon, Yelp and Google Map with the degree of importance in the same order.
Even though coupon marketing seems to generate only short term interest which tapers off sharply after the campaign, it is still an effective way of attracting new business with precision target and alacrity. Once my Groupon offer brings the customers into the door, it will up to my ability to retain the customers, which I am quite confident about based on my excellent services.
I have a very unfavorable perception of Yelp out of several bad experiences with the vendors that had rave review on the Yelp but turned out to be crooks. The credibility of the reviews on Yelp is in serious doubt on my mind. I suspect a business can hire people to write good reviews about itself and also bad reviews about its competitors. However, it seems that when people coming to a new town or new place, they do go to Yelp for reference at least for finding things such as restaurants, etc. Yelp has developed a name recognition that I simply should not write off summarily. Therefore, if I decide to enlist the fifth or sixth social media platform to advertising my business, Yelp would be it.
The last one I might consider is Google Map. As a start up company, I do not envision my business renting a high end office space initially due to the budget constraint. My car and laptop would probably serve as my office and the office furniture at the beginning. However, having a physical location always help adding credibility and respect to a business, especially the type of business like mine that depends on building trust with customers. Therefore, eventually I will have an office and Google Map will be a nice tool to direct the customers to my business.
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