Choco Latte

In the small town of Brookings, South Dakota, there are eleven coffee shops. With so many coffee shops to choose from, how do Brookings residents make their choice? Is the availability of fresh pastries and desserts a must? How about an online presence? A theme song? A drive-thru? All these features make Choco Latte a top choice for coffee drinkers in the Brookings community.

How does a coffee shop in Brookings stand out among the rest? This fairly new establishment opened its doors to the community last June and has since then taken a liking to Facebook to reach its consumers. "I know everybody in the world uses Facebook. It is a form of communication," said co-owner and manager Donna Behrend. Through Facebook, Behrend has seen a positive impact on Choco Latte and as another way to get Choco Latte's name out to the community. "I know that it is important for a business to stay up and up," said Behrend.

Choco Latte's Facebook page provides visitors with information on available products, store hours, reviews, promotions, photos and most importantly, a look at the store's "unofficial" theme song. "I sing the Choco Latte song on a daily basis; my 3-year-old and I just break out in the Choco Latte song and dance," said Behrend. The song by Soul Control, popular in the Caribbean Islands, was used by one of Behrend's employees who teaches Zumba in her spare time. Who knew a Caribbean song could fit so well with a Midwestern coffee shop?

"I think that social media is part of the future, and as much as some companies may not want to take on social media, I think that it would be a terrible idea for a company not to use social media," said Behrend. "I think companies and local businesses need to always strive to keep up." Behrend and her group of Choco Latte employees are doing just that. Behrend recognizes the need for local businesses to use social media in order to stand out from its competitors.

So, as the weather in Brookings stays cool, take a drive down Brookings' only drive thru coffee shop, or stop in for a scone, homemade fudge and a variety of coffee drinks. Whichever way you choose, Choco Latte is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth and always greet you with a friendly smile.

"Like" them on Facebook or visit their website http://chocolattecoffeeshop.com/default.aspx for more information!

Facebook Reinventing Marketing on College Campuses

We all know Facebook runs our social life, but who knew it would soon run the way we see advertising, daily deals, or whats going on around our campus community. Sarah Bunde works for Aramark here in Brookings at SDSU where she is the marketing manager and the master behind all marketing that goes on for Jacks' Dining.

Bunde thinks creating a Facebook page for Jacks' Dining has played a significant role in recognition for the different dining locations around campus and events that are held at each location. She believes that having the page allows her to reach out to more on and off campus students. "Social media is a must for Jacks' Dining and any other business because of the capabilities it gives to a business to reach more of its customer," was a belief Bunde had.

With the number of friends growing, Jacks' Dining Facebook page continuing, Bunde has no plans to stop promoting events and dining locations specials anytime soon. Jacks' Dining has around 320 friends currently on Facebook and all the friends love commenting on pictures and events that are posted.

BCYMP is turning to Facebook

Groups, pages, messaging, likes, events, photos, games. Who would have thought Facebook could enable a person so many opportunities. What opportunities has Facebook opened for the local Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program? Well, let's get right to the source and ask the page creator himself, Ben Lippert. I asked Ben how he hoped to benefit BCYMP by using Facebook, and he answers, "The goal of creating the page was for volunteers to communicate ideas with other volunteers and to see what other people are doing in the community. This page will hopefully also help generate traffic to the new BCYMP website." In addition, I asked Ben Lippert if he had any specific goals to accomplish in creating a Facebook page for BCYMP. To this he thought momentarily and replied, "Some of the volunteers get a child and then have no contact with the program administration for six months or better. I hope that Facebook will help connect them to the organization on a deeper level."

And lastly, I wanted a little insight as to where Ben, self-coined "social media guru of South Dakota," sees social media five years from now. He says. " I see social media being much more public. I think people still have a lot of privacy issues and are really cautious of what they share. People will be a lot more open with the intimate details of their lives. I also think that it will become mandatory to have a social media presence. Believe it or not, there are still some people and businesses that don't have a Facebook page. In five years, if you do not have a Facebook page, you won't exist in the eyes of marketers and potential employers."

To agree or disagree? Do you personally, the business you work for, or a organization you are part of have a social media presence? Should they?

To find out more about BCYMP, watch what the program is all about! And of course, check up on BCYMP to see how their social media networking is growing!