Branding & Engagement, pt. 2: My New Favorite Facebook Page

I’d like you to meet Dave. Dave is the owner of two Ace Hardware stores out in Wisconsin, and he also happens to be pretty darn good at Social Media. In fact, his page for Dave’s Ace Hardware is my new favorite Facebook business page. Go take some time now and check out his page.

And let me say up front, that I don’t even know Dave. We’ve exchanged one or two e-mails, but that’s only because a mutual friend introduced us. My original intent was to interview Dave and talk to him about his philosophy of Social Media. But I decided that before I do that, I wanted to introduce you to him.

I’ve never been to Wisconsin, and don’t see any trips there in my future. But, if Dave were around here, I’d shop at his stores in a heart beat. Why?

1) Dave is personal – Not that long ago, the profile picture for Dave’s Ace Hardware was just a photo of Dave. No Ace Hardware logo, or anything like that. That has since changed, but Dave’s face is still there. When you deal with Dave’s Ace Hardware, you are dealing with Dave. Not just some impersonal voice.

2) Dave is himself – No pretensions here. Dave is Dave. He writes his updates in the first person, and you can tell that he is being real and transparent. He hasn’t turned over the job of his daily Social Media activities to an agency, or even one of his employees. This is authenticity and transparency at its best.

3) Dave isn’t all business – Every once in a while Dave might mention a special deal or sale, but he does so in a very informal and personal way. He shows us his sense of humor, and at times even lets us peek into his personal life.

4) Dave engages – This is possibly the most important thing. When someone posts or comments, he comments back. He asks questions and includes games to get people engaged. He even asks their opinions as he uses Facebook to conduct simple and quick market research.

5) Dave uses media – Dave posts lots of pictures, as well as videos. These are both ways of adding to the look and feel of the page, as well as increasing engagement.

6) Dave provides great customer service – I’ve seen people ask Dave if he carries a certain item, and he’ll respond. And I get the feeling that if he didn’t carry the item, he’d let the person know where they could find it. I’m betting that since Dave provides great customer service online, you’ll probably get the same level of attention when you walk into his stores.

7) Dave is accessible – Dave owns two stores. He can’t be at both of them all the time. I’m sure he has quite a few employees. When you and I walk into a hardware store, do we get to meet the owner? Do we even know who he is? Here, the owner is available to us pretty much whenever we need him.

8) Dave is fumbling along just like the rest of us – Dave doesn’t claim to be a Social Media expert. He admits that he’s been learning as he goes. And yet, he has been successful because when something works, he runs with it. When something doesn’t work, he probably moves on to something else. He’s experimenting and doesn’t pretend to know everything. The beauty of this is that his success has been noticed, and now he’s being asked to speak about Social Media to other hardware store and small business owners. He has developed a level of trust among his peers and customers.

9) Dave is social – Take a look at Dave’s website. You’ll notice that his homepage focuses heavily on his Social Media presence, particularly Facebook. Oh sure, he could do better with Twitter, and it appears as though his blog hasn’t seen much activity in a long time, but Dave knows that his Facebook page is at the heart of what he does. I have a feeling that over time, Dave is just going to get better and better at this whole Social Media thing.

10) Dave isn’t slick – Dave isn’t a guy in a suit crunching numbers, calculating ROI, and reading all the latest marketing blogs. He’s a guy who owns a few stores and recognizes the value of Social Media. I would bet that for him it’s a “gut” thing. He went with it, and it’s working.

If you take all these points and boil them down into one sentence, it would have to be this: Dave is one of us. Like I said, I’ve never met Dave, but I’m pretty sure I’d like him and we’d get along.

Businesses, particularly retail outlets, small or large, could learn a lot from Dave. If more local (and even national) businesses created an online presence like this, I know I’d be more likely to give them my business.

So check out the Facebook business page for Dave’s Ace Hardware…and learn.

What are your favorite Facebook business pages? Who do you think is doing a great job of using Facebook for their business or organization?

Tagged as: Ace Hardware, business, dave's ace hardware, facebook, Hardware store, Marketing, small business, Social Media, Twitter, Wisconsin