ODE TO ANDY ROONEY: My Social Media ‘Pet Peeves’, Part One

TO BEGIN

Sometimes it seems like the bottom falls out and everything hits the fan at once. There are so many social media platforms and so many activities that it is almost impossible to believe that one could actually focus in on a specific issue or two that have become ‘pet peeves’. Well, the spirit of Andy Rooney must be around because this two part blog post is just what this is all about, this author’s bottom line, or social media ‘pet peeves’.
OUR FOCUS
So we are in agreement that it is possible to find a needle in a haystack. It is therefore also agreed that one can focus in on one or two situations exclusive to only one social media venues that needs to be brought to the fore. So what is the venue and where is this focus to be? That’s next.
WHAT AND WHERE
To get right down to it, the ‘what’ is facebook and ‘where’ has to be taken one at a time. Part One of this blog post will deal with facebook ‘pet peeve’ #1.
FACEBOOK PET PEEVE #1

The major recent consumer of my time and energy has been an exhaustive, extensive research project about facebook’s timelines for business page covers.
This detailed statistical analysis provides an ironclad conclusion. It proves that most small business owners and even some large companies, who should and could afford to know better, are clueless when it comes to facebook’s guidelines. In addition, some know the guidelines but just don’t care.
BE CARE-FULL
Well, that ‘devil may care’ attitude has come home to roost and has resulted in two major facebook business accounts being pulled from circulation. That’s right. Poof. Good-bye. Gone. One had 10,000 fans; the other had 20,000. Pleading ignorance or carelessness holds no weight with facebook. Facebook has made it crystal clear that it, not any of us, is in charge.  After all, we have ‘signed on the dotted line’ in agreement to their terms.
WARNING REPEATED

I have written two previous posts about the facebook timelines for business page covers and created an actual facebook page called, Page Cover Mastery. In addition, as part of the research project, I have personally messaged business owners who have ‘violated the guidelines’.
My goal has been to inform and assist them. Their responses have been mixed. Some are in disbelief about their being a problem. After all, they get lots of ‘LIKES’ just the way their page is, even without an image in the photo area. Others are grateful for the information, understanding the gravity of the situation.
TOLD YOU SO

The owner of one rather large company responded to my warning saying that he did not care. He stood firm in his conviction that he had paid plenty for facebook ads and he intended to put his URL wherever he wanted to. His company may be next. Who knows; who cares. ‘Told you so’.
END OF PET PEEVE #1
Now that I have your undivided attention, I know you can hardly wait to hear what ‘pet peeve’ #2 is. But you will have to wait until next week.
AUTHOR:
 
Alison Gilbert is a Digital Age Journalist. She is a regular contributing author to DBMEi, writes The Marketing Byte Blog and is The New York Graphic Design Examiner. Alison is the owner of MARKETING BYTES Solutions 4 Local Biz  located on Long Island, New York.
This boutique style – very personal service – hybrid company specializes in helping local/small biz generate sales leads by combining the best of traditional advertising with the latest online marketing technology. Contact Alison Gilbert at info@marketingbytes.biz or call 516-665-9034 EDT/NY/US. MARKETING BYTES serves local/small businesses virtually everywhere.
SOURCES 

• The Facebook Timelines for Business Page Cover Primer
• The Facebook Page Cover Challenge
• What You CANNOT Do On Facebook
• Meaning of Pet Peeve 
• Three Things Andy Rooney Can Do Now That He Is Leaving ’60 Minutes’
• Andy Rooney Obituary