Broadway Books, Portland Oregon

It is a story about blogs, burritos, and books, (I know – a seemingly odd threesome)  and how it saved Broadway Books, an independent bookstore in Portland.

You can read the entire article here.  It is a great read and made me want to stand up and cheer.

A couple of interesting things stood out for me in the article.

1. Turning to social media to help the business was more of a knee jerk reaction than a planned marketing campaign … therefore it was very authentic and heartfelt.  A good reminder for us who use social media for business that sometimes the best laid plans get trumped by total authenticity and passion.
2. It brought a different set of buyers into the store than they usually got.  A great illustration of how you can start connecting with entirely new audiences using social media.
3. The power of ‘going viral’.  What was posted by just one person … ended up being shared with thousands.  Who could ask for more?

While the local bookseller still has challenges ahead in this economy and social media is not necessarily a magic bullet, it looks like they are fully embracing it and it has made a real difference in their business.  Way to go Broadway!

I’d love to hear your stories of how you’re using social media in your business to attract new prospects and clients.  Just leave me a comment below.  And if you’d like to discuss your social media strategy, give us a call at 503.581.4554.  I look forward to the conversation.

~ Tim Fahndrich is the President and Chief Relationship officer with The Third River, Inc. a Salem Oregon web design and marketing firm.  He is passionate about people, technology, and relationships, and loves to help his clients harness the power of the web.