Social Networks Pose Opportunities, Problems | Local firms tread cautiously on sites like Facebook, Twitter
A year ago, Marlborough-based Digital Federal Credit Union struck out into the world of social networking by setting up its own Facebook page.
Today, the region’s largest credit union has more than 4,000 fans on Facebook, mainly members who use it to get information about bank branches or special events in a much more informal atmosphere than traditional marketing communication allows, according to John LaHair, DCU’s manager of public relations.
“We wanted to create a page that wasn’t just about banking,” he said.
DCU has been approached by other credit unions asking for tips on using Facebook and has helped some of its commercial banking clients set up their own social media presences.
Double-Edged Sword
Local businesses that have embraced Facebook and other social networking tools are eager to talk about the benefits they see from a relatively small resource investment, while also being quick to acknowledge the potential pitfalls of the medium.
Just as DCU’s membership is a tech-savvy group — this spring, it unveiled an application that enables photos of checks to be sent in for deposit from wireless devices — the constituency that Anna Maria College in Paxton hopes to reach already lives and breathes Facebook, said Meghan McDonough, the college’s director of admissions.
“We saw how much they were using it and wanted to be in a medium they are interested in,” McDonough said.
While the alumni office is now using Facebook as well, the admissions department may benefit the most, with students signing up for the Anna Maria page often right after they are accepted. From there, they can connect with future classmates and roommates even before they arrive at campus.
Last year, a group of incoming freshmen organized a meet-up at a local amusement park and this year, the class plans to go to the beach as a group.
“We know it helps students to feel they already have a network of friends when they arrive on campus,” McDonough added.
The page will also be valuable in four years, when the class graduates and the existing page can be transferred to the alumni office.
The college has several people authorized to update and check the page and monitors it regularly, said school spokesperson Paula Green.
Smaller businesses may be able to get even more bang for their buck out of social networking.
This spring, Jennifer Hernandez opened an office and future boutique for her 2-year-old wedding planning and consulting business, Simply Bella Weddings of Worcester.
The expansion was made possible in part by growth fueled by Hernandez’ use of social media marketing to reach her target audience and establish her credentials.
“The value of Facebook for me is in connecting and offering my advice,” said Hernandez. She uses her page to post information and start conservations about wedding planning topics.
The platform is also a way to connect with suppliers and vendors she works with and an effective advertising platform that enables her to target specific demographic and geographic audiences, according to Hernandez.
“I can target just people from 18 to 30 who just got engaged,” she said.
But larger businesses are getting into the act, too. Westminster-based Aubuchon Hardware’s Facebook page has more than 1,600 fans.
“Our goal is to connect with our customers,” said James McNamara, an e-mail marketing specialist at Aubuchon.
“Facebook is free, it’s simple to use and simple to update. We are still figuring as we move forward just how much time we’ll devote to it,” he said.
Open For Criticism
Among other potential pitfalls is the open nature of Facebook pages, where all members can post comments or links. as a result pages need to be monitored for potentially inappropriate content. “It also seems like as you get big enough, you become a target for spam in the form of links to content we don’t want to be associated with,” said LaHair.
On the other hand, the credit union’s call center employees can also reach out to members on Facebook to address concerns or complaints.
Even relatively early adopters of Facebook still seem more uncertain of its chattier cousin, Twitter, the microblogging site that blasts out messages in 140-character bursts.
Hernandez said she hopes to have the time to leverage Twitter and DCU’s LaHair said it is still being evaluated. At Aubuchon, Tweets sent on the service are mainly meant to drive traffic to the Facebook page for the time being.
But for Valerie McSorley, the president of Avant Garde Events Inc. in Milton, Twitter helped her reach audiences that might have otherwise gone untapped. Using the site and carefully worded messages, she was able to attract three international sponsors for an association’s annual event held recently in Foxborough.
“The results were global,” she said. While many people have been flustered by efforts to decipher how Twitter can be used effectively, McSorley believes some advanced planning and careful thought can unlock the mystery. Her advice for getting the most of Twitter and Facebook: Moderation.
“It’s not for everyone and people can get bogged down,” she said. “For me it’s always better to have quality over quantity and I try to make those words and characters count.”
Keith Regan is a freelance writer based in Hopkinton.
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