Dogs, Balls & Social Media

While driving to work this morning a client called to share a recent story from the office. Of course there's lesson to be learned and so it is going to be titled "Dogs, Balls & Social Media."

My client was looking to forge a business partnership with a gentlemen in another country whom they had not met. In preparation for the meeting they were searching online for any information on the man outside of his business website. (A practice I encourage by the way.)

They stumbled upon the soon-to-be-associate's personal Facebook page which was not secure and personal. His profile picture was of his dog's balls. And not the kind that you see in this picture.

Everyone in the office immediately pulled up the man's page and began laughing at his sense of humor. While they found out that they in fact had something in common (a warped sense of humor) the question is: Is your dog's genitala the first impression you want to make? In most cases the answer is NO.

This senerio could have easily gone the other way and a prospective business associate could have been turned off and the meeting even cancelled. As it is now - everyone from the accountant to the president of the company will first think about dog's balls when they think of this man instead of the fantastic product that he developed.

The lesson is that nothing online is private or personal. Absolutely everything you post will be seen. Please make sure to cover your balls next time.

Social Media - It Works Folks

I still hear those social media doubters from time to time complaining that Facebook, Twitter, Linked In etc. are just great time wasters. As a communications professional I've never doubted any tool or tactic that enables you to control your message and distribute it to the masses. I'd like to share my recent social media experience with a client The 57th Fighter Group Restaurant. This restaurant is reopening after approximately three years of being closed. It was a neighborhood favorite and beloved by many through out Atlanta. Rumors about the reopening were flying about, reports on the internet, calls to the local airport (next to the restaurant), people stopping by asking for updates. It was total confusion. About five weeks ago I started a Facebook Fan page for the 57th Fighter Group Restaurant - invited my friends, posted info on the reopening and link on neighborhood and related pages, etc. I've posted an update every 4-5 days on the Fan page. I've posted pics, comments, and even a video I made from the Taste of Chamblee. The restaurant now has more than 500 fans...and it hasn't even opened yet. People are sharing their memories and pictures of the past. Some fans are making special food requests, booking events, and rallying their friends to hit the dance floor the minute the restaurant opens. (Which we all hope is soon.) Last Friday I tweeted that I was headed to the restaurant for a "pre-opening" food tasting. It was retweeted by a few others. The phone at the restaurant started ringing with people wanting to reserve a table. They had seen my posting on Twitter. Hey folks...social media works. Yes, it can be a time waster if you don't have anything of substance to post, tweet or like. Give me a call to find out how social media can be incorporated into your marketing plan.