A new social media startup with the aim of shining a much-needed spotlight to small entrepreneurs and businesses was launched in Detroit. According to reports, it also geared towards bringing more paying customers to their own respective doors.
Founded and launched by Margarita Barry, the startup, or Mainstreet Mob as it's called, is one part marketing firm and one part online platform with the objective of bridging the gap between customers and businesses.
According to Barry, "The idea is to focus on small businesses that may not be as connected online as they should be. The target market is ma and pa shops."
With a website that launched earlier this month, the startup's foray into the business world is being celebrated at Detroit's The Commons with what it calls as a "cash mob," which is also another part of the business, and a key one at that.
A firm like no other
As Barry's new full-time gig, the Mainstreet Mob presents a business model that's a bit unorthodox, setting itself apart from traditional marketing firms. What it does is for a fee of $300, the Mainstreet Mob team will take over of the company's social media account, be it Facebook, or Twitter, or Instagram, and use it for a total of 90 days to promote the said company. After the three-month takeover, Mainstreet Mob will then make a "cash mob" for the business, where an assembled group of people will be assigned to support and patronize the shop for a day. Of course, businesses that are satisfied with Mainstreet's business can extend their contract beyond the usual 90-day arrangement.
In addition, the company also offers branding, as well as custom graphic designs.
For Barry, the startup is made to help fill a void in the space that's been prevalent for years. According to the Mainstreet Mob founder, a growing number of small businesses still have a very weak online presence, which is something that can greatly affect its future in today's digital age. Furthermore, a lot of these companies also find difficulty with integrating itself into the digital space, let alone hire someone who has the skills and expertise to do so. So this is where the startup comes in.
Free to join for both business owners and customers, Mainstreetmob.com is built by Barry herself, using her own money to invest $10,000 into the business.
Barry said, "My thought was that there's all this digital marketing, but I feel like it doesn't always transform into customers in the door."
