What if you don't have time to expand your social-networking profile? The Richmond couple behind Rocket Pop Media makes a living in part by tweeting on Twitter and posting Facebook messages on behalf of businesses, individuals and nonprofits.
Scott and Cara Dickens relaunched their media firm last year after the closing of their Carytown store, Glass & Powder Board Shop. Ground Zero, as their 9-year-old company was known, specialized in producing high-definition videos, which Rocket Pop incorporates into its services. The firm also develops smart-phone applications.
Its Social Networking Acclimation Package (SNAP) is a three-month service that helps businesses and nonprofits create a unified look and feel across major Web platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
"In the beginning, most of these people have no clue how to make a relevant post," Cara says — in other words, offering more than "Buy my product! Buy my product!"
A Facebook page is a good way to establish a brand and project your business's personality, Scott says, but he adds, "Never try to sell anything on social media."
So, what do you do with your pages? Testimonial videos have their place, as do links to other sites highlighting readers' interests — "value-driven posting," as Cara says. Also, Scott says, "People like to weigh in. People like to interact."
Establishing a notable online presence can lead to progress, Scott notes. Rocket Pop designed Charlie Diradour's Web site, FriendsOfRichmondBaseball.com, and now the Dickenses are media advisers for his political campaign challenging U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor, the House's minority whip.
Rocket Pop doesn't see itself as a "ghost-tweeting" firm for a stable of companies; many clients take a half-day class to learn how to keep up with the work the Dickenses have done after the three months are up. "They have to run their own businesses," Cara says, "but they realize the importance of networking."
