Dear Diary, I'm a Business Owner
FACT: After reading this blog post, 47% of you will convert from Democrat to Republican; 32% - Republican to Democrat. FACT: 17% of my readers will unregister to vote - yes, you can do that. FACT: The remaining 12% of you have already moved to Canada.*
What I cannot guarantee is that anyone will check my math or legitimacy in these reports.
(*Facts submitted by Rusty Dog Surveys, independent research group with no affiliation to Rusty Dog Studio)
Inaccurate, misleading and judgmental statistics overwhelm today's Facebook feeds. Thankfully, 3/4 of American adults will get some, if not all, of their news from unregulated social media sites - and that shit is real.
(Source: www.journalism.org/2016/05/26/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2016)
Be honest with yourself - how many friends, family members or colleagues could enrage you right now by visiting their Facebook feed and seeing how they support and who they support as their Presidential hopeful? The fast-paced, in-your-face, short-skirt-wearing, political-charged and cultural-moving videos shared by your co-worker give you an insight into their psyche that no bottle of tequila after a break-up ever could. Sometimes it's a relief that your brother-in-law agrees with your political persuasion, but more often we find that boundaries are established in our daily and digital relationships. That "brother-in-law who lets me use his tools" can quickly become that "brother-IN-LAW who is a tool" with a simple click of the mouse.
Insanity needs breaks, so what fills the gaps between these bursts of online outrage? Photos from a weekend trip to make your friends jealous? That cute thing your kid did today that no one cares about? How about something inspirational - like a Make America Gre...DAMNIT! These sponsored campaign posts are inescapable!
How about a local business' weekly video post? There's a filler I can get on board with. Yet many businesses treat their social media threads as if it were their personal pages. Unambitious cell phone photos from around the shop - memes copied and pasted from Google - hand held video footage that starts mid sentence, delivers no final call to action and could cause seizures due to shakiness. Yes, that's a word.
Facebook may not be your only (or best) source of advertisement, but for those 3/4 of us browsing for our daily water cooler talk, it's a great way to slip in an informative and professional promotion of a business' products and services to the general public.
So how does a small business get away from posting as if Facebook was their personal diary?
I'm glad I asked. The image branding, creative advertisement and video editing services offered by Rusty Dog Studio are the perfect cure-all for your social media woes. Branded motion graphics and educational/promotional videos give the business owner a direct line of communication to their current and prospective consumers. Before that, though, a customized and informative page banner lets visitors know who you are and how serious you take your business. And don't forget about boosted posts - infiltrating the feeds of unsuspecting consumers we've demographically targeted. BOOM! That's a dynamic video in your face, Grandma!
{A quick sidebar on Facebook banners. If you operate a business' Facebook page - view it on a desktop - now view it on your mobile device. See how the sides of your banner get cropped off? There are templates available showing the shared area between desktop, tablet and mobile devices - which is where your banner's vital content should be placed. I can't tell you how many businesses I see make this avoidable mistake. Treat that Facebook banner as if it were a roadside billboard you paid thousands for.}
Okay, we're back. Where was I? Oh, treating a business page as if it were a personal page. Listen, a fun photo of the prank pulled on a coworker returning from vacation - Awesome! That 10 second Instagram story of today's big sale - Superb! But like anything cheap and easy in life, don't abuse it - unless it's those orange Tic-Tacs. Your loyal followers and random visitors want to see that you're a human - a fun human - who enjoys your job and likes to show off an enjoyable work atmosphere, but enough with the photos of Pokemon you've found in the office.
Don't bury a post that highlights your services with garbage posts just because you feel the need to get something out there. A business' social media feed should be as valuable as meeting a potential customer face to face. You'd want to be informative, presentable and consistent. If you suddenly halted your sales pitch to tell the customer how you covered Bob's desk in aluminum foil while he was in Hawaii, you probably just lost some credibility - and a sale - and a good employee. Bob worked his ass off for you and this is how he's treated?
Business owners rejoice! We have a month and some change until our great election and I can guarantee you one more statistic after November 8th - half of the United States will hate the other half - or at least be passive aggressive about it with the posts they share. Thankfully we have Facebook to keep the public glued to their phones, just aching for a break from the madness. And your business' social media account, managed and filled with customized visual content by Rusty Dog Studio, can be that getaway they need and a new customer for you.
These services are great for doctors (human and animal kind), real estate agents, contractors, restaurants and the trades services. Referrals are greatly appreciated.
Contact me, Luke, at 412-874-1039 today and let's get to work on that sorry excuse you call a legitimate advertising tool - your social media pages.
Please share on your favorite social media source if you've enjoyed the read.
Oh, and perform your duties as citizens for the country so many have fought for, with the pen and the sword.
Luke Hillegas
Owner, Rusty Dog Studio
412-874-1039
RustyDogStudio.com
rustydogstudio@gmail.com
Special thanks to Dr. Geno Pisciottano for the sample content. PCCMcMurray.com