Tower District shops highlighted in business crawl

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Social media has evolved from a purely elective activity to a promotional tool for small businesses everywhere.

You've heard of pub crawls, but on Friday, Assemblyman Henry T. Perea, D-Fresno, and the Internet Association -- a national group -- took part in a business crawl through the Tower District -- highlighting small businesses that have seen success by using social media and E-commerce to grow their revenue.

"We want to encourage more people to use the Internet because the Internet is not just for Sillicon Valley; it's for small businesses in Fresno and other parts of the state that want to drive customers through their doors," said Perea.

"There's easy ways to get started to start promoting yourself on social media, and there's a lot of different avenues and folks out there who can help you figure out how to have that presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter," said Robert Callahan, executive director of the Internet Association.

Chase Flower Shop has been in business since 1947, long before the Internet existed. When new owner Michael Butler bought the business, he upgraded it by designing a website. Today, their E-commerce site accounts for 30 percent of their business.

"But even when people don't order online, they might have looked at our website to get an example of what we do," said Butler.

One of the newer businesses highlighted in Friday's business crawl is Frosted Cakery. They have been in business for five years and already have more than 8,000 likes on their Facebook page.

The folks at Frosted Cakery say the key to a successful social media campaign for your business is consistency.

"I think you need to respect people and what they have on their Facebook page or their Instagram, and put things that really mean something," said Beverly Gable with Frosted Cakery.