As someone who grew up without everyday access to the internet, I marvel at the way younger generations communicate. Today, text messaging (not being "left on read") and social media engagement seem to give people a sense of self-worth. Especially with social media and technology as such a major part of my professional life, I often wonder if the lack of face-to-face interactions has a negative effect on the collective human psyche.
According to Fortune, one of the top two reasons first-year college students drop out of school is because of a sense of social isolation. While social media is often used as a tool to draw in leads and promote your brand, smart brands with a sizeable following may be interested in facilitating real-life interactions within their community. For you, here is a list of 4 apps and online tools that facilitate more face-to-face interactions amongst your audience.
Online Tool #1: Meetup Pro
Meetup is an online platform, iOS and Android app that connects groups of people interested in similar personal, career-related, and creative activities. It’s free to join and makes it easy to explore interests and join others in your local community who might want to “meet up.” This is probably the most popular platform of its kind.
Meetup Pro connects companies to their target audience -- in real-life -- to drive community growth, engagement, and brand awareness.
Nearly any company can leverage the benefits of Meetup Pro to attract new leads and nurture relationships with customers. Taking advantage of this platform is smart because it allows you to amplify your brand and expand your reach to existing Meetup members in your community.
How can you use Meetup Pro to Power Your Business?
When planning Meetup events, keep in mind that users of this platform are interested in making connections, not buying products. So, your event plan should place you in a position of authority in your niche, yet not involve sales (other than maybe product mentions, business card distribution, or small pop-up store that isn't the highlight of the event). Classes, concerts, and charity fundraisers are all great ideas for Meetup events.
Online Tool #2: Facebook Events
Facebook Events are part of the world’s largest social media platform, and allows anyone to plan, post, and share social gatherings, from birthday parties and mixers to corporate events and fundraisers. I’ve used for all of the above, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you might be living in the dark ages.
Any Facebook member can leverage this tool to grow their brand by way of invitations to live events. Leveraging Facebook Events is wise because public events can be shared (potentially) amongst millions of users.
How can you use Facebook Events to Attract New Leads?
You've probably been invited to your best friend's birthday party via Facebook event. The process for utilizing this platform is no different. Promote your event to existing customers and ask them to invite their friends. Make sure your event is public if one of your goals is to attract new leads.
Tool #3: Do the Mambo
Do the Mambo is a social engagement platform for event accessibility and enhanced interactions within a community. It’s named after the Latin dance because it involves coordinated movements between leaders and followers (event creators and participants). Here’s yet another tool that brings groups together for real-life connections.
Do the Mambo is an incredible tool for businesses and organizations who already have a following -- it can be used to bring people together and create a sense of genuine community. Using this platform is a great supplement to any business strategy that needs to foster relationships within their customer base and beyond.
How Can You Use Do the Mambo to Nurture Face-to-Face Interactions?
The beauty of Do the Mambo is that you can customize it for your current audience. For example, a university might leverage this tool to promote not only lectures, but fundraisers, mixers, continuing ed courses, and even off-campus events for students to attend.
Tool #4: Local Online Classifieds
Every community has its own version of local online classifieds. Craigslist is probably the most well-known globally, but there are others. Do a quick search for “[your city] classified events” to see what others in your area see first in search results.
Local online classified events are great for any person or company who wants to encourage face-to-face interactions in their local community. They're great because, as with Meetup, you can attract new leads looking for things to do in your area.
How Can You Use Local Online Classifieds to Your Advantage?
As we all know, local classifieds are one of the oldest, most trusted ways to promote a business event. Advertise what's going on, who is hosting the event, and include everything people need to know (cover charges, etc.). Don't forget to cross-promote your event on any and all local listings for the highest turnout.
Final Thoughts
Online tools don't have to keep prospects glued to their phones. Real human connections can work wonders for your brand. Use the tools above to facilitate in-person conversations within your community.
You might also like to read: "Using Social Media to Boost In-Store Sales."
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