Do you post sloppily-thought out Facebook messages?

Of course not, any more than you’d run a sloppy resale, consignment, or thrift shop.

But sometimes, I have to shake my head at the things professional shopkeepers post in an effort to communicate with their followers/ fans/ friends. Here’s some shopkeepers who didn’t think out their status updates as well as they probably really meant to.

A message that says, in effect, we’re here but maybe we won’t be when you get here so take yer chances? Yep. Here’s one: We are OPEN today. If you are coming after 4, call. Holidays sometimes drop off significantly, so we MAY close early. Want a deal? Ask …we have some stuff that has to go!

Wouldn’t it have been so much more WIIFM to say something like: Labor Day, we’re dealin’… today, make us an offer on some items you may have been eyeing ’cause, we all Labor hard for our money and  we want to help you out! (I guarantee you won’t “drop off significantly” with that message, especially if you repeated it half-a-dozen times between Saturday evening and Monday 2pm.)

A message that implies that the world watches your every move? If you’re gonna be open, let folks know ahead of time. No one is sitting on Facebook, waiting for you to decide that you might wander down for an hour or two, like this Facebooker might have thought when she posted this over her cereal on Labor Day morning: So…it turns out we will be “stopping by” the store at 11 and opening for a bit…in honor of those of you who don’t usually have a Monday off. 🙂 If you’re only going to be there for a hour or two, don’t bother FBing about it. It does no good, and could do a lot of harm. What if she stops by at 12:10 and the shop’s closed?

and realize that your message might be read on another calendar date than you wrote it… Come in tomorrow to receive a coupon for 20% off any one regular priced item! (Is that like those signs, Free Beer Tomorrow?)

Congratulations to those

who post a reason for folks to come in, or even an excuse Skip making the home-made slaw, come shopping then pick up a pint on your way to Uncle Fester’s BBQ… ’cause our fall fashions are gonna save you a lot of lettuce

or maybe, something a bit less informal You’ve labored hard all year… enjoy Labor Day with us, where shopping’s playful and saving’s a celebration!

And bonus award points from Auntie Kate

to those who use graphics in their post, e.g. an “open” sign, (really, there is NO reason to EVER do a status update without visual aids)

and double bonus to folks

who use a photo of their exterior, which will make more of an impression upon FBers (“oh I love that place, great way to spend some free time, glad they’re open today” ) and actually motivate some “strangers” as well as regulars (“that’s the shop I always mean to go browse in, I’ll call Terry and we’ll make a trip of it”).

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