The view from St. Paul–specifically St. Catherine University looks a lot like this today. Although I wish the sidewalks around the neighborhood were as clean as the ones in Teresa Boardman‘s photo below–I trudged through a lot of deep snow to get to campus.
Minnesotans seem to be natural innovators who can spend an hour talking about the weather while coming up with new ways to enjoy it. Social media give us that power, too. If you’re reading this blog, you already know that social media gives voice to small businesses in a crowded media landscape. The secret is not being everywhere, but being different–making yourself stand out where your customers are.
Two years ago we had a glorious December blizzard in St. Paul that dumped about a foot of snow and effectively shut down the city for the day. I wrote about the Groveland Tap’s half price offer and praised their marketing. They were open and their target market mostly lived within a 2-mile radius. How could they make people want to brave the weather and savor a Summit and a Juicy Lucy? I wish I had a picture of all the skis and snowshoes lined up against the building that day. This kind of nimbleness requires leadership AND a sense of humor. Just think about the great Oreo (slam) dunk on Twitter during the Superbowl.
UPDATE 9:15 pm: And while you’re thinking about the snow in your neighborhood, you could take Scusi up on their offer posted on Facebook around 8 pm!
Facebook offer from Scusi Wine Bar
Are you enjoying today’s snow?
What’s happening in your neighborhood?
What are your favorite businesses doing to make you want to stop by?
What could they do?
How could they use social media?
