Buddy Guy Had 2 Hours to Live
Buddy Guy (BG) is our black lab that we adopted 2 years ago. He was only 2 days away from being euthanized, when we learned about him a friend sent a video of him playing ball in a Chicago pound. It was July 2012 and someone stole the copper pipes from the air conditioning system. It was 100 degrees outside and these dogs would just die inside from heat stroke. Big dogs don't fair well in big cities because of space. Boomer (his given name because he was not microchipped), was rescued by ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation), and we were asked if we wanted to adopt a 100 lb sweet black lab. We did and he is the the sweetest, most obedient and (questionably) smartest dog we have ever had. We actually had a “Name this Dog” contest on Facebook, and Buddy Guy was the winning name!
Last Friday, he threw up and Friday night he refused to eat (not normal for our chow hound). Saturday morning he would not eat and could not poop so we knew something was wrong. I took him to the vet who took an Xray and said she did not like the biggy air pocket in his chest. We rushed him down to another emergency vet who looked at the Xrays and said he needed emergency surgery. That air pocket was his colon which had twisted and he was 2 hours away from dying. The good news is we saved his life (again), and he is doing great!
Social Media Support Network
I took pictures throughout the process and posted to Facebook. What blew me away was the response. Each post had hundreds of likes and comments. One of my veterinarian friends was guiding me through the process of what to look for and what to do. She was a rockstar because we had no clue what was happening and why?
Throughout the process, Buddy Guy was being followed and encouraged, even though he was sedated and recovering from surgery. The surgeon Dr. Peacock, took a selfie (at my request) after he saved BG's life, and it was hard to keep up with all the likes and comments. Brittany, one of BG's vet techs, did the same thing the day after, and the same results!
The Point Of This Post
Don't get me wrong… I am ECSTATIC that our dog is home, alive, and going to live a full and better life. Then I learned something… my audience may not care much about me and what I do for a living, but they “LOVE MY DOG!” So what makes an emotional connection with your customers? I am not suggesting you should exploit your pets, just pay attention to what creates conversations and engagement.
- It's About Emotion – In my book, “It's Not About You, It's About Bacon! Relationship Marketing In A Social Media World!“, the third chapter is “Babies, Puppies and Bacon”. The point of the chapter is that people reacts to what makes them feel emotion. Are your messages connecting with your audience on just a sales level or an emotional level? The story of BG was not a sales message, but purely an emotional connection for pet lovers!
- It's About a Connection – Most of the people who connected and commented have little to nothing to do with my business and that was not the point. It is about him and his story! The connection to the posts was pet lovers who love a success story. If it would have turned out differently, I think that people would have dropped off. Since Buddy Guy made it, people would constantly check in to see how he was doing and cheer him on (and still do)!
- Your Audience Dictates – Sometimes you just have to post, watch and ask. Your audience will tell you what they want to hear based on their reactions and interactions. You can and will post anything you want. Then your audience will vote on what they want to see with their attention and interactions. Pay attention to what makes your audience happy and creates the most engagement, then do more of that!
It's About Engagement
What matters most is what matters most to your audience. That is the reason we communicate. Sometimes we get so focused on what we are saying, that we forget who we are saying it to. They will vote with their likes, comments and shares. One friend even took an older picture of Buddy Guy from Facebook, made a card and sent him get well treats. Connecting on an emotional level is something that is so critical to creating GREAT engagement.
What have you posted that has created an emotional outburst of engagement?
Of course Buddy Guy is a superstar. Big brown eyes, wet nose. The king of “Likes” and “Follows.” Glad he’s on the mend!!!
Buddy Guy says “Woof”… (loosely translated – (Thanks Doggy Godmother”)
I was just going to ask if you would do a blog about BG’s experience for my FB page when I saw this blog.
Great Minds Think Alike Grady!
So happy to hear Buddy Guy has come through another challenge! All that great “love” energy from so many people had to make a positive difference. Thanks for sharing it all!
Thanks Dalia!