iBusiness

Social media is not just a pastime for neighborhood resident Porsha Thomas. It’s her business. The 25-year-old operates public relations firm Zora Ellison Writing Co., and she says about 80 percent of her work is social media. Local companies and organizations, including the Bishop Arts District Merchants Association, pay her to post social media updates about them.

“There are people who know they need Facebook, but they don’t understand it,” she says. “My clients are either people who understand it and don’t have time, or people who don’t understand it.”

She often designs event posters that are never printed. They’re used only on Facebook. Posting pictures and interacting with customers in social media is a valuable service, Thomas says. When she posts pictures for one of her clients, The Gypsy Wagon, people who “like” the page often post to ask whether it comes in their size.

“They don’t even call the store,” Thomas says. “They just ask on Facebook if we have it.”

Most trendy businesses in Oak Cliff maintain a steady presence on social media. Lockhart Smokehouse’s Twitter followers are the first to know when the barbecue joint offers its beef ribs special. Oak Cliff Bicycle Co. can showcase its latest gear on Facebook, and its page serves as a touchstone for the cycling community. Use Foursquare to check in at the Texas Theatre and get $1 off a large popcorn.

Oddfellows restaurant uses social media to promote events such at happy hour and “taco Tuesdays.” Cowan, who is an Oddfellows co-owner, says she thinks the restaurant was popular immediately because the owners used social media to promote it long before it opened. They showed the community, through Facebook, how they were transforming the space and creating the menu.

“My clients are either people who understand it and don’t have time, or people who don’t understand it.”

“People watched us transform a space and grow a business via social media,” she says. “They felt like they were part of the process.”

Lockhart Smokehouse

twitter.com/DallasLockhart

Oak Cliff Bicycle Co.

Facebook.com

Search: Oak Cliff Bicycle

Texas Theatre

Foursquare.com

Search: Texas Theatre

Oddfellows

Facebook.com

Search: Oddfellows Cafe

Spreading the word when mailing printed newsletters was the most efficient way to update your neighbors, members and customers? Today it’s easier than ever to reach your group fast and free (or at least on the cheap). With all the social media services and online tools now at our fingertips, there’s something that makes sense for every type of communication. Visit our blog to find out how the Advocate uses social media and to get tips on options that could meet your group’s needs. Scan the code above or search: Advocate social media at oakcliff.advocatemag.com.

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Advocate Radio archives

There was a time when Advocate Magazinewas just Advocate magazine, but over the last few years, we’ve evolved into Advocate Media, comprising blogs, podcasts, videos, Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter and enewsletters. Some of the aforementioned items concerned us, and in fact, Advocate editors had trouble becoming accustomed to using social media in our daily routine.

Below are excerpts from a 2009 podcast featuring our first web director, Kris Scott — the voices belong to her, editors Christina Hughes Babb, RachelStone and Marlena Chavira-Medford, and photo editor Can “Turk” Turkyilmaz. We admit: The audio on this thing is truly awful. And we introduced the podcast with a song. It’s supposed to be funny, but we have a weird sense of humor. We had fun with the podcasts in those days, because we were pretty sure that none of you listened.

Listen to the entire show.

CHB: Today’s topic is Advocate in the age of social media … I guess. I actually just made that up Kris Scott has been leading the Advocate’s social media effort, so I’ll start by asking her, “Why are you making us do this?”

KS: I read recently that people are spending half their time on Facebook and, less so, Twitter than on destination websites, such as Advocatemag.com. So those who were once going to our website might be spending that time on Facebook now. I kind of think of Facebook as the Yellow Pages of yesteryear, in that, if you want to learn something about a business, you go almost immediately to Facebook, so we needed to have a presence there for that reason alone.

CT: And it’s free.

CHB: And pretty easy to use.

KS: We used to be a monthly magazine and people read it and then put it down. This way, we can be in your face all the time.

MCM: And people can now see our faces, on Twitter, rather than just our names and our bylines.

KS: And your pictures are all pretty cute.

CHB: Thank Turk for that and we get to see our readers’ faces and get to know you.

KS: It is an amazing dialogue. And it helps you guys do your jobs, too, because, say you are covering neighborhood seafood places, you can get on Facebook or Twitter and get feedback from neighbors about their favorite places. and we are going to be giving out free things so follow us friend us?

CT: Friending is on Facebook and following is on Twitter.

RS: Yes, and Twitter is a good place to find breaking news, right?

MCM: We learned about Bliss restaurant’s new location on Twitter, and we announced that In–N-Out Burger is coming to Dallas on Facebook.

KS: And you can use it for fun stuff, like those photos we posted of the best-dressed fire hydrant.