We received these letters from entrepreneurs in response to the question, How have you recently used social media to connect with clients or uncover new business opportunities?

Constructive Feedback
I use social media daily to promote my business. I post what I’m working on and some finished projects. I also post and promote products that I put on Etsy.com, via Marketplace, Google Places, Yahoo! local, Flickr and my Facebook page. The feedback from each of these social sites has been very helpful in pinpointing what my customer is interested in; then I can focus on items geared toward better sales. Yes, it’s time-consuming, and social media doesn’t guarantee sales, but I feel the exposure and customer connection are priceless when compared to print media.
Carolyn Cagle
Strikke Knits LLC

Get In On the Action
I like to keep our Facebook page fresh and updated by incorporating specials (via PostHelpers, the Facebook app for the promotional products industry), behind-the-scenes images/videos, and industry news. My goal is to create conversations with our fans, have them interact with us and let them know we want to hear from them. This allows us to interact with our existingcustomers, and also lets us reach out to potential customers.

Facebook is also great for real-time interaction. One of my favorite posts was from a customer who was new to our Facebook page. She was trying to find the rep for her area so she could redeem a prize certificate. I was able to quickly respond with her Pro Service rep’s name and contact information. This left a great impression! She was really pleased with the fast response.

We also belong to industry Facebook groups that are filled with great conversations. Distributors and decorators are using these groups as an alternate search method to get more personal suggestions on products and suppliers. The use of Facebook has become an important tool to share our products, whether it is through us or through our fans. These conversations have driven customers our way, albeit by us or by other suppliers and distributors suggesting us. Word-of-mouth via social media has certainly increased our presence with new and existing customers. The more active we are with providing answers and positive experiences, the stronger our relationships will grow.
Jessica Onions
Pro Towels (asi/79750)

Promote Yourself
We use Facebook daily to promote to our existing customers and show potential clients what we do and can offer. With that site, we do price quotes for people, promote our customers and show off what we can do.
Howard Potter
A&P Master Images

Supporting Our Troops
We use Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn and now Commonsku to connect our friends, fans and customers. Recently we’ve been working with a variety of military battalions we’ve connected with via Facebook. It’s such a win-win, since they’re supporting their loved ones who are being deployed overseas. The families use their rhinestone apparel for fundraising and showing support to the troops.
Lee Romano Sequeira
Sparkle Plenty Designs (asi/88442)