If you own a small business, especially one that works locally, you might find it helpful to follow other small business professionals to see what they are up to and how they reach out to their public.

Four great examples from my own acquaintances:

Dr. Donald DeFabio, DeFabio Chiropractic –
In addition to being a great chiropractor, Dr. DeFabio has an email newsletter and also makes short videos explaining benefits of chiropractic care, sports medicine, fitness, and injury prevention.

Just as the big snowstorm was descending on us in early January, he sent an email newsletter with a link to a YouTube video he did on safe snow shoveling titled Top Five Snow Shoveling Tips. In addition, he has a very informative Web site on his Berkeley Heights, NJ, chiropractic care and sports medicine clinic and a DeFabio Chiropractic Facebook page which he is starting to use to connect with his community members.

Tracey Stephens, Tracey Stephens Interior Design –
She has a photo-rich Web site describing her Montclair, NJ, interior design services and a monthly email newsletter featuring interior design makeover project pages. She also posts this material to her Tracey Stephens Interior Design Facebook page and has received a few great reviews on local sites like Google Maps and Yahoo Local.

Hank Zona, Swirl Wine Events –
He just starred in a TV show called Grapes Unwrapped where he interviewed these two brothers at Arturo’s Pizzeria in Maplewood and talked about great wines to pair with the brick oven pizza selections. The YouTube video of the Grapes Unwrapped show is posted to the SomaTV channel. He also posts wine information to The Grapes Unwrapped Facebook page.

He also has a blog for his NJ-based Swirl Wine Events, which he eventually plans to change to The Grapes Unwrapped in conjunction with the new TV show.

Patricia Moore, Thinking Paper –
Patricia has been growing her a beautiful and thoughtful event invitation design company primarily through word of mouth and social networking using her New Jersey wedding and event invitation Web site and Thinking Paper Facebook page. Her fabulous illustrations and photos give prospective customers a great idea of the personal touch they will be getting when they work with her. She also attends bridal shows to show her samples and discuss ideas with brides and grooms in person.

It’s great to see the way these people interact with the community to keep the engagement levels high with their audiences.