On last week’s Social Local Media launch webinar, we emphasized that to be socially engaging, local businesses and media companies alike must be both socially present and active. In other words, just stepping out on a platform and claiming a profile page won’t cut it. This idea begs several questions, though. How do you define “active”? Are there data to support this assertion? And how much is too much?

Of course, social activity is in the eye of the beholder … or the producer. Activity (volume and creativity of posts, frequency of interaction, etc.) is predicated on whom your audience is, what they expect, and how you can best deliver value to them. There isn’t necessarily a tidy answer to all of this.

There are, however, recent data from two different sources pointing to direct benefits from higher content output and engagement efforts. HubSpot, an inbound marketing software company, released study results showing that active small-business blogs (at least five articles over a seven-day window) spur nearly seven times more organic search traffic than more dormant blogs. Consequently, these SMB bloggers also drive 55 percent high website traffic and 97 percent more inbound links.

These numbers are strong reinforcement of a point that my colleague Andrew Shotland made on the webinar: that even as social networks proliferate and grow ever-sophisticated, “Web 1.0″ social tools (blogging, forums, reviews) remain critical to SMBs’ social presence and brand reputation.

As for the newer, “Web 2.0″ social tools, there is similar evidence. Postling, a social management platform that we recently reviewed, published an infographic (see below) based on polling of a sample of its small-business clients indicating that those who post on social networks 8+ times per week draw an average of 10.3 comments per day. By contrast, small businesses falling between one and seven posts per week net fewer than one-half of one comment per day.

Some accounting for the samples must take place, as SMBs working with HubSpot and/or Postling are generally tech savvy and more likely to be early adopters of new marketing platforms and techniques. Still the evidence is clear: get on and get posting!

The post Social Presence vs. Activity: Cracking the ‘How Much Is Too Much?’ Question appeared first on BIA/Kelsey - Local Media Watch.

The “getting social” challenges for local businesses are simple to understand, yet hard to address: taxed time, strained resources, lack of  platform awareness, tactical needs, fuzzy measurement tools and more. Postling doesn’t propose to solve all of them, but it does take an important step toward local-social efficiency.

Unlike social marketing agencies that build presence for their clients or developers that create customized promotions (Wildfire, Votigo), Postling builds a consolidated dashboard on top of existing social channels, allowing SMBs to manage social actions and track customer interactions in one central hub. Networks include Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and Citysearch pages, WordPress blogs, YouTube channels, and any other reviews sites with RSS feeds (Tripadvisor, for example).

These aren’t fancy tools, mind you, and that’s by design. VP of  Business Development Josh Scherman told BIA/Kelsey that Postling understands the “realistic needs” of its base. Thus, its tools aren’t built for power users.

A business owner, or marketing manager, logs into the dashboard and can push out social media messages across all, or designated, channels. Replying to social mentions is also a single-step process. Postling’s most important innovation to date has a time-capsule feel to it: a standard e-mail “daily digest” that updates the merchant on where the business is being mentioned and if/how the proprietor has responded. Call it your daily social to-do list. Instant e-mail alerts of social mentions are also available. “The reality is that small businesses don’t get 1,000 mentions a day,” Scherman said. “So there’s no reason to miss mentions.”

Customers groups and pricing structure both span several tiers. While grassroots SMBs are participating, the dashboard is ideally suited to accommodate a business with multiple locations and brands (often with several social channels connected to each). Scherman has also seen a wave of local-focused agencies partake.

The model is freemium, with a sampler that includes “one of everything” (brands, social accounts) and limited e-mail benefits. Reasonably priced pay tiers featuring differing brand and account availability levels then kick in, with specially crafted packages for larger, needier clients. In fact, Postling’s business model is very “fluid” to make sure that it captures enough value from clients.

Considering the pressures most SMBs feel to “get social,” combined with their demand for simplicity with any marketing offer, the Postling concept seems obvious. And indeed others are competing, including Sprout Social and Single Platform, which is restaurant-focused. Scherman is quick to clarify who they are not competing with, though — the Hootsuites of the social ecosystem that provide more advanced tools to heavier users.

Though Postling already boasts some 10,000 registered businesses without the aid of a sales team, Scherman acknowledges that finding channel partners to introduce the platform to more SMBs could be an evolutionary step. Right now, Postling makes most of its hay by working with local business associations and holding educational events on social media, primarily in its New York City base.

The post Social Local Media: Postling Simplifies Social for SMBs appeared first on BIA/Kelsey - Local Media Watch.