A few days before Father’s Day, I found myself driving across town to buy some meat to barbecue on the weekend. I passed numerous grocery stores and probably quite a few butcher shops on the way.
What had me driving out of my way? Acme Meat Market, located in Old Strathcona in Edmonton.
And, why did I go there?
Well, it all started when I met ‘Corey the Butcher’ on Instagram.
Corey started following me a while back, and I immediately checked him out. Really, if part of someone’s handle includes the word ‘butcher’, you want to make sure they are okay. I found out that Corey owns Acme Meat Market he enjoys taking pictures of his work and his life.
From there, I followed him on Twitter along with his work account which is managed by his wife, Amanda. Then, I couldn’t take it anymore. Seeing those pictures on their account of meat cooking on the grill made my mouth water and I Tweeted them to let them know I was going to stop by. Seriously, look at these recent photos:

Image copyrights to Corey The Butcher on Instagram.
When I walked in, I saw a familiar face look up and I heard my name. Putting a face to the Twitter handle is always so amazing for me. It is the final confirmation that the person you follow is or isn’t who they appear to be behind their handle(s). In their case, they are exactly as I imagined they would be. They are friendly, full of life and they enjoy what they do.
This got me thinking about local business using social media and if there is a benefit. I emailed Corey and Amanda awhile back and asked if I could ask them about their use of social media since I personally think they do such a great job with it.
Has using social media affected your business? How?
Yes! Social Media has been a great medium for our business. It has allowed us to take our customer service to a whole new level. It’s put us out there and we’ve thankfully received nothing but positive feedback from our presence on Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram.
It’s allowed us to connect with current customers while obtaining new customers that they have also become both great friends and supporters (such as yourself:) of what we do. We have had opportunities and the chance to build relationships, both business and personal that we wouldn’t otherwise had. Owing your own businesses while in the midst of raising a small family can sometimes leave you with little to no time on your hands. Twitter has allowed us to tap into and connect with Edmonton (or #yeg as we now all call it) and the whole foodie community.
We know that people have many choices when it comes to buying their meat and that they make a conscious effort in choosing our store so I try and make a point of following everyone that follows us. It kind of bothers me when businesses perhaps don’t feel the need to follow their followers but in our case our followers are our customers (or the potential is there) and you can’t connect with them if you don’t know what’s going on in their lives. We are not on twitter or facebook to just sell, sell, sell we have fun with it and make it personal in a way that makes our business stand out in the first place. I have fun with it and keep it real, just as we do in store and stay away from controversial subjects that do not pertain to our business. I truly believe that “if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all” as the only potential downside to the Internet is once you put it out there, it’s OUT there! So I’ll have to give my mom props for that one!
What are your thoughts on social media for business owners?
I would think that most businesses/business owners could benefit from social media but from personal experience, I’d have to say, “Don’t be on it if you’re not going to use it!” Nothing bugs me more than tweeting or facebooking a company and hearing back a day later, and that’s if they even get back to you at all.
It all boils down to the basics of what will set you apart from other businesses, customer service!
CHECK THEM OUT!
If you are in Edmonton, you can find Acme Meat Market at 9531-76 Avenue.
You can also follow and like them online at:
Acme Meat Market on Twitter
Corey the Butcher on Twitter
Corey the Butcher on Instagram
Acme Meat Market on Facebook
And so you know, the meat we bought for our Father’s Day celebration was fantastic.
I’d like to thank Amanda for her responses to my questions. This is great information for anyone thinking about using social media to compliment their business.
Sheri publishes, and writes at This Bird’s Day where she shares all of the thoughts in her head without the voices. Sticking mainly with content for Canadians, Sheri shares family stories, product information and anything that fits into her (and her family’s) daily activities.
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Thanks Supersu. I agree, they are awesome. Would be nice to meet you too :)