Robert Riggs: Hi, I’m Robert Riggs. This is Brad Besancon with Clarity Digital Marketing and we are sitting in downtown Waxahachie, Texas. This is one of the few surviving examples of Main Street Town Square Texas.

Brad Besancon: It’s a Survivor.

Riggs:, I grew up like this. You grew up like this. But it’s gone and it’s gone because of shopping malls, big box stores, and later, Walmart but although it may be gone, the principles of how to relate to a customer that walks in the door here are the still the same online.

Besancon: I mean, the way these businesses were formed, it was mom and pop, right? And I want to start a business to serve my community, right? That’s what I’m doing, I’m providing a service for my community and my friends, and my family. It should still be the principles of business today whether someone is walking in your store, a dry cleaners, or they need your help for something, or a plumber’s out–whatever the case may be, you should still have that kind of conversation marketing, that conversation attitude which is a cup of coffee and a handshake. And we’re seeing it all the time where our clients or the reason they’re hiring us is because they don’t have that and they’re really struggling online especially on social, but it really is Main Street marketing.

Riggs: So I remember walking into the shoe store on the square in Paris, Texas and the conversation did not start with, “Hey, let me sell you some shoes here today.” It was always, “How are you doing today? How’s your mom doing? And grandma?” and all of this.

Besancon: And what was the next question they ask you? “What can I help you with?”

Riggs: “You with.” You.

Besancon: “What can I help you with? What shoes do you want?” It doesn’t matter if your style of shoe is different from mine, you’re the customer.

Riggs: So that is a good point for social media online. You’ve got to put the “you” in social media.

Besancon: Yeah, you’ve got to put that. It’s customer-centric, right? And you hear big businesses talk about, “We’re going to be customer-centric. We’re going to be customer-focused,” and you go to social media, it’s all about them.

Riggs: Yeah, so for some reason, people in business have gotten the notion now that online is somehow different. I’ve got to pound it—sell, sell, sell. People do not like to be sold to online or frankly, anywhere else.

Besancon: No, I mean, we’re here in Main Street, the survivor. Why are these little businesses still thriving? Because they have a connection with their customers.