by Danielle DeLonge, Business Accelerator Client Champion, Automation Alley

I’ve seen these blogs before. Usually, they begin with the author having carved out some niche for him or herself as the expert in something specific. Reading further will get you to the author’s complete bio, some interesting detail about their personal life, and the specifics of their guru-like qualifications. Sometimes, you’ll even get a picture of their pet.

I am neither an expert nor a guru; I just volunteered to tweet for ACE 2010. I am, however, a former sole proprietor (don’t worry; it was way before blogging was popular, so I’m not going to refer you to mine), and I currently help facilitate the success of high-tech entrepreneurs at Automation Alley for my day job.

As one of the youngest members of the ACE planning committee and as someone who knows that having “followers” doesn’t mean I have to constantly look behind me, I volunteered to help promote the event this year in hopes of bringing to the table a little of the technology spirit for which Automation Alley is famous. So far, we have 21 followers. Not an amazing number by any standards, but it’s a start—not bad, considering we all know how being a startup can be slow going.

So the promise of social media is that it heralds the dawn of a new marketing age in many ways: increased visibility, prominently displayed customer interaction, more authentic engagement, etc. Bottom line: better ways to reach more customers. Theoretically. However, as we’ve seen in both many past examples and the current social media experiment we’re undergoing with ACE 2010 and Twitter, it takes more than just a few clever postings (36, to be exact) and a nice logo to “make it happen”, whether it be for a company like yours or an event like ours. Now, on to what you really care about.

In his article, “10 Ways a Startup Can Use Social Media to Market Itself”, (accessible here http://tinyurl.com/ygthr3n) author Edward Boches writes, “It takes time to build a large Twitter following, but it’s a quick way to connect with industry influencers, bloggers, and press that might matter to you.” Getting on Twitter is in fact #4 on the list, followed by “Craft a Brand Position Rooted in a Customer Benefit”, “Take Your Message and Content to Your Consumer. Engineer Your Presence”, and “Find Inventive Ways to Create or Gather Content”. I argue that it can be a quick way, if you’ve thought out your strategy, the number of times per week (or day) you plan on tweeting, and have some well-thought out content before you embark on your journey. Otherwise, you may just end up getting frustrated and giving up (oh wait; you’re an entrepreneur. You’ll never give up!).

Number Five on the list is “Connect Your Customers and Prospects to Each Other”, which is why we’re having a Tweet-up before the actual event starts. Details will be posted soon, but since we like both our new followers and those supporters who’ve been coming to the event for years (it’s our tenth anniversary, you know), we wanted to introduce you to each other. This is a good idea if you have clients/customers in one geographic location and can easily find a convenient meeting spot, and if you have the time to help facilitate the event. They’re usually pretty informal, and provide an in-person way for online personas to mix and mingle in a casual setting. Usually, much good comes of this, as the bonds formed over a latte or a Cosmo can easily translate to good Tweets about you ( if you’ve done a good job with the event).

Without a doubt, the most important point he makes is the last one: “Make the time, build in the role, or hire the right partner.” Indeed. It is time-intensive, no matter what anyone tells you. I am only in charge of our Twitter account, and both reaching out to people and keeping track of what details need to be posted at what time could make you go a little crazy if you aren’t the organized sort. So put some serious time into considering whether a) you’re one of those people at parties who prides themselves in not being “plugged in” to social media b) you’re ok with putting a bit of time in because the results will be worth it, or c) you think it’s a great idea, but don’t want to be the one to do it. There are pros and cons either way, but the cost of not being part of this movement could be worth more than the last check you got from an investor.

So, for an example of what to do (or what not to do, I suppose, depending on your perspective) in terms of social media and events, feel free to follow us on Twitter at @ACEevent, check us out on Facebook (http://tinyurl.com/yd4d8wr)or join our LinkedIn group. (I should mention, my counterpart-in-crime in this whole thing is Shannon Beeman, of the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center, who is in charge of our FB and LI accounts—and who is much more adept at getting new followers than am I).

Or, if you’d rather dip your toe in cautiously and not jump in just yet, you’re welcome to meet us in person first on January 21, 2010. (For extra points, you can come up to me and say you know I have two dogs).

We’re also doing a very cool online competition, the details of which have not been released yet, but it will involve a cash prize. We’ll post details on how to talk about us online the day of the event, and how to participate in the business plan competition voting. One last thing—a little (blue) birdie told me you haven’t signed up yet, so don’t forget: http://ace-event.org/register.aspx , and happy Tweeting!