Social Media Gives Beachwood Organizations One More Outlet

Today, after I posted a story about local real estate, I tweeted about it with a Beachwood hashtag and posted a status update to Facebook. After I tweeted, I noticed that local charity The Gathering Place had followed me, so I sent a mention to thank them. Then, I shared another Patch’s status update on Facebook.

Does this sound like Greek to you? You’re not alone.

To some, social media websites like Twitter and Facebook are where their friends, customers and fans are: they interact, discuss and catch up from their personal or business profiles on these pages.

To others, it’s an always-evolving, confusing and even overwhelming world. But it's not just for college students and tweens anymore.

Several Beachwood businesses and organizations have embraced the websites. What began with sites like FriendFinder and MySpace – designed to connect Internet users with their friends – has become a viable business networking, advertising and marketing tool.

“It’s the big communication tool right now,” said Margaret Reardon, Adult Services Librarian at the Beachwood Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library (and a columnist for Beachwood Patch). “Everybody is using it. I think the interactive nature is a really big part of it.”

Doug Levin, director of marketing and communication at Beachwood City Schools, uses Facebook and Twitter regularly to post school news, alert students and parents of school closings and engage and organize alumni.

Even though he’s only used the medium actively since September, the school has already gotten over 200 Facebook fans.

“I think the idea is, in any business, you want to find your customers where they are already at,” said Levin.

In addition to spreading information, said Levin, his objective to using social media for the district is to “create a virtual community” – one where students, staff and parents all exist in the same place.

Local restaurant Sushi Rock hired a company to monitor its social media, and marketing director Michelle Lefkowitz said she’s seen the results.

The restaurant’s core demographic, said Lefkowitz, is young professionals – a population that uses Facebook and Twitter heavily – so it only made sense to invest in the marketing medium.

Sushi Rock alerts its Twitter followers to events and deals, and every Monday asks them to vote on a special. Last Monday, half-price lobster bisque won over half-price miso for Tuesday’s special.

“I believe it’s a way to engage your fans and your base of people that follow you,” said Lefkowitz. “To me, and to Sushi Rock, it's just one more avenue that you can build a relationship with a segment of your market.”

If social media seems overwhelming, Reardon recommends that you go ahead and start a page and play with it to get a feel for how it can be used. She offered three tips for new Facebook users:

1. Create an account. Go ahead – click the link and follow the instructions.
2. Don’t think you have to tell the whole world everything. If you’re just joining to see the photos your kids post of your grandkids, for example, there’s no reason to list your career. And you can make your account very restrictive – just adjust your privacy settings.
3. Add your family members and a couple of organizations – such as the Beachwood Library, the Mandel Jewish Community Center and the Maltz Museum – to start. That way, you can get a feel for how it works and what you can gain from it.

Reardon is planning more Facebook classes this year – watch the library's website for more information.

A Few Beachwood Social Media Users (There are hundreds!)