Blog Post #4 – COM0014

The business I chose for this case study is Leroy’s Auto Care, in Elmira, Ontario. They are using social media to connect with their customers, provide them with information about vehicle services and maintenance tips, and share little ‘tidbits’ about the employees of the business. This is an example of Business-to-Consumer (B2C) transactions.  

Leroy’s uses Instagram, Facebook, a blog, and a website to reach their clients. I particularly like how all the posts across each platform are the same; regardless of which customers are using which platform, they’re all getting the same information. This may get a little irritating if one of the customers follows them on multiple platforms because they would see the same thing multiple times, but it’s easily avoidable should anyone be bothered by it.  

There is a great mix of content from Leroy’s; they have lots of information about how their business works and what to expect when you visit them, there are lots of helpful tips (such as what you should keep in your car during the winter), and they post about their employees so you can get to know them better! I also noticed that they respond to every comment on a post; this is a great way to stay engaged with customers and really be tuned in to what they want/need.  

The only thing I would change about the post from this business would be to see more ‘behind the scenes’ photos or videos. I personally love seeing how things work, so having some photos that showcase the process behind the finished product is always fun! Overall, I think Leroy’s does a great job at connecting with customers through social media.  

Target Audiences – COM0014

As a service manager at an auto service/repair shop, I like to think that I know my clients well; I know their families, their pets, where they live, what they do for a living, and which vehicle they drive, and why they chose it. 

Our clientele consists mostly of ‘small town’ families, I would guess that about 60-70% are Christian and about 50% are Mennonites or grew up Mennonite, and still hold a lot of the same values. Quite a few are farmers, some are teachers, but the most obvious thing to me, a female, is that 85% of the clients I speak to are male. Five of our seven employees are male, as well. 

When interacting with clients on social media, I suddenly realize that I know them less than I think I do.  Do they want to see the Tesla, or would they rather see the well-loved F-150 with 400,000 kilometers on the odometer? Do we have clients that are disappointed that we don’t talk about electric vehicles, or do they even know we have the knowledge and ability to maintain them? What does John, the farmer driving a diesel truck, want to see? Does he care that the latest car trend is to put plants in your cupholders? Probably not, but Jessica, the high school student driving a hybrid vehicle, might. 

Over the last few years, Napa (we’re a Napa AutoPro affiliate) has made more efforts to focus on targeting younger generations. One way they did this is by showing T.V. ads during NHL games. I think it’s a great idea, and they have continued with it since 2019 so it must be working well! Canadians are known to love hockey, so they will reach younger viewers and their parents and grandparents.  

In my experience, Facebook posts seem to receive more attention from older clients, while Instagram is the way to reach younger clients. Men are more likely to drop a ‘heart eyes’ emoji on a photo of a classic car or sports car; women are more likely to answer polls and write comments on photos or posts. Finding balance is difficult, but I do my best to include everyone and add variety!  

Blog Post #2 – COM0014

What I Learned This Week  

Just get to the point. That’s it; that’s all anyone wants. Getting an instant answer to a question is part of what makes Google searches so popular. Think about it. When was the last time you scrolled farther than the first page of search results? If the first page didn’t give you what you wanted, you likely rephrased the question or gave up entirely. So, when you’re making a post online or telling a story out loud, give your readers/listeners the most essential information first, and then from there, they can decide if they want to keep reading/listening. 

Knowing what you want to say or write before you start is important. Ask yourself what you want your readers to take away from your message. Do you want them to think about what they’ve read and leave a comment? Do you want them to question or change their opinion about a subject? Asking specific questions is more engaging and is more likely to get a response from a reader than simply stating facts and/or opinions. Using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation is also important; it helps set the tone of your message. I recently unfollowed a business account on social media because they consistently used more than five exclamation marks at the end of every sentence. 

Storytelling has been happening for thousands of years; it has evolved over time, it is still evolving, and will continue to evolve. So keep writing, keep posting, keep practicing, and you will get better at it!  

COM0014 – Blog #1: Feels Like A Dream

Do you remember your last vacation? I’m not sure I’d remember mine if it weren’t for Snapchat Memories. Just last week, I saw ‘5 years ago, today’ with this photo.

It feels like it’s been more than five years since I was in the Dominican Republic, but just seeing the photo brought back the smell of the ocean air, the sound of the waves crashing on the beach, and the splashing from the children in the pool, and the feeling of warm weather (which was 50 degrees higher than the -22 degrees Celcius we’re sitting at right now).

Oh, how I’d love to go back there and lounge on slightly uncomfortable plastic pool chairs!

That trip was a giant family vacation; two of my Mom’s brothers, along with their wives and children, brought our group’s headcount to 18. Luckily for me, everyone in the group gets along well; none of the other guests at the resort witnessed any family drama.

We ran into three or four other families staying at our resort who lived within a 30 km radius of our home in Ontario. It’s strange to think that we most likely would never have met them, had we not all been on vacation in the Dominican at the same time. What are the odds of five families, from the same city, deciding to take a trip and all ending up at the same place?

There are many good memories from this vacation. We went on a dune buggy adventure to see a waterfall; anyone over the age of 18 was able to drive, so my sister, two of my cousins, and I, all took turns. There was a photographer waiting at a ‘checkpoint’ taking photos of every buggy that went by. He then tried to sell those photos to the guests for 20 USD. Good thing we live in the age of cell phone cameras!

The next day, we went ziplining. It was the first time I’d ever done that, and I loved it! The Dominican Republic has the third-longest zipline in the world; at least, they did in 2017. Somebody Google where they rank now.

The resort organized an event every night, ranging from magic acts, interactive dance shows, and movie nights. Some of these events are a little fuzzy in my brain, no doubt due to the unlimited supply of alcoholic drinks we had access to! They tasted a little watered down, but that hardly matters after you drink a couple per hour, nearly all day…

Once again, thank you to Snapchat Memories for bringing this back.

Note: flashing lights in the video

This show was one of the last ones I watched during my 10-day stay.

The positive energy of the resort staff made the entire trip a blast! I can’t wait to return someday.