How to use social media tools to bring your company, employees to life

The voices inside my head might shift from a conversation about old vine zinfandel and wild mushroom ravioli to seasonal clothing trends and what looks good with boyfriend jeans. It's not confusion; it's the best part of my job. As a social media guide for some of my favorite businesses in Reno, I get to talk with thousands of people every day about what excites them. Sometimes the best conversations depend on how you frame the questions.

For example, plenty of restaurants in Reno and Sparks post their daily specials on Facebook. Some even see a customer or two come through the doors because of it. So it appeared in Facebook. It's still just an ad, and who remembers that?

Turning a one-way ad into a two-way conversation starts the customer experience on a positive. Easier said than done, right? It doesn't have to be. Tap into the passions of the diner's life. Think of them leaving the office for a brief respite in a day full of reports and emails, flirting with a cute waiter, giving a slight jab to the so-called "foodie" from accounting about the delectable Gourmet BLT with jalapeno bacon they had for lunch while he is gnawing on a baloney sandwich.

By talking about the funny little things that occur in everyday life you can build a passion for your brand, a personality for your business and showcase the best asset your company has its employees. We funnel the voices inside our heads into two to three sentences of copy paired with a great visual, and we create a conversation amongst hundreds if not thousands of people.

Paint a picture for your consumers about your business, give them a sounding board to be heard, answer them back, and reward them for participating. It really is that easy.

We oversee the social media for some of the best restaurants, retail stores, entrepreneurs and even political candidates in Reno. Social media is celebrated as a new arm of marketing, but we give it a different kind of credit. We consider social media to be great word-of-mouth-advertising on steroids with some good old-fashioned storytelling thrown in.

Most companies treat social media as a way to sell their products and services. You see hundreds of posts a day on Facebook of people hawking their wares. We view it as a way to let people behind the business employees and customers alike infuse it with life.

Loren Condron is the proprietor of Dotted & Crossed Marketing which assists restaurants, retail and entrepreneurs with advertising, social media and event marketing. They work with Nevada businesses and professionals like La Vecchia Ristorante, Plato's Closet, SoDo Restaurant & Bar, Clothes Mentor, Hair Lounge, Reno Bites, Rakatier and City of Reno Councilwoman Hillary Schieve.