Join the Brandon042® Restaurants & Retail Facebook Group
February 27th 2023 – Brandon MS – Would you like to have ONE place on Facebook where you can find all the latest sales, specials, events, lunch specials, live music, Happy Hours, closeouts, etc from businesses right here in Brandon? Then we have a new Facebook Group just for you.
Brandon042 Restaurants & Retail Facebook Group – CLICK HERE
Say hey to the new Facebook Group, “Brandon042 Restaurants & Retail”. The FB Group is the place for local Facebook Business Pages as well as regular profiles (regular people, customers, etc) to join. Many FB Groups don’t allow Business Pages to be members, primarily because they may not want “advertising” in their Group. This is one of the differences in the new Brandon042 Restaurants & Retail Group. The Group isn’t necessarily looking for “advertising” from Business Facebook Pages. But the Group is supposed to be a place for businesses to display their specials, their big sales, who’s playing live music that night, restaurants can upload their menus, and businesses can post their special events. Regular FB Profiles (non-business owners, customers, etc) can join as well, so they can see all this in one place, share ideas, tell others what’s going on, ask others for info, discuss positive experiences with local businesses, and more.
Business Owners/Managers: Do you own, manage, or operate a local business, or just manage social media for a location business? Then BE SURE to join the Group. Business owners or managers can post on behalf of their businesses. Got a lunch special, or 50% off sale, or have live music tonight? Tell the Group about it! Just be SURE to read the RULES of the Group.
The Group does have a few rules, just as nearly all Facebook Groups have. Being as the Group is open for all Business Pages to join, there’s a couple rules specifically related to businesses, including the following:
Rule 5: REMINDER: Business Posts – Businesses may not make more than 1 post per day. This Group is for YOU, to help support small businesses in Brandon, but no one wants to see 3 or 4 posts per day from the same restaurant. And honestly, no one likely wants to see the same business posting something every single day either. So please don’t spam the Group. If it looks like spam, it’ll be deleted. The business will be warned, and possibly removed.
Rule 6: Small Service Business Posts – ATTN: Cleaning services, duct cleaners, painters, plumbers, handymen, lawncare, etc… Please no more than 1 post per WEEK OR SO. Sorry, but unlike restaurants who may have different lunch specials each day, there’s just not enough change in your service offerings that warrant a daily post. If it looks like spammy content, it’ll be considered spam. If it looks like spam, it’ll be deleted. The business will be warned, and possibly removed.
Rule 7: NO Negative Reviews – No negative reviews or putting a small business “on blast” in our group. Why? Because there are other places for that, but more importantly because this is a SUPPORTIVE small business group. Got an issue with a business? Write a review somewhere else, or better yet, speak with the business’ manager or owner.
Rule 8: Business Private Messages – Please be respectful of businesses and their social media private messages. They’re busy doing the best job they can to take care of their employees and the public. They don’t usually have staff dedicated to responding to private messages within minutes. DM’s are probably not the best way to ask a biz to provide a donation for your school, church, youth sports, or other organization. Sorry, but you probably wouldn’t believe how many requests they get for that. DM’s aren’t the best way to do it.
Discussion of the Group Rules: What? NO negative reviews? Haha, yep, that’s right. It’s just not part of what the Group is about. The Group is not for creating a target on our local businesses. It’s a place for local businesses to keep the public up to date on their latest offerings, their lunch specials, their closeout sales, their 50% off winter clothing sales, and things like that… and for the public to see it all in one place. We all WANT businesses to be members of the Group, and to participate in the Group. This isn’t a Group for putting a local business on blast. If you have a poor experience with a business and just want a pound of flesh, there are other places for it… or just speak to the manager or owner. These people work their tails off to provide goods & services to the community, they typically employ local people, they sponsor things, they donate things, many live in our own neighborhoods with children who attend school with our own children, many attend church with us, and they pay sales tax to support our economy… many while risking their savings in doing so. Please keep that in mind ANY time you want to write that 1-Star review.
What’s with Rule 8? We can’t Direct Message a Facebook Business Page? Sure, you can. Most businesses love engaging with customers. But if you don’t own a local business, particularly a restaurant, you may have no idea how many times each month they’re sent “copy & paste” messages from various organizations, groups, etc via Facebook Messenger or Instagram DM, asking for a donation to help their cause or event. We all want businesses to be responsive and be involved on social media. Most local businesses donate things all the time and they love getting their name out there for marketing purposes. But if you want to solicit a local business for that $50 gift card donation or to help pay for a team’s trip somewhere, please consider at least going in and buying lunch (or something else, if it’s not a restaurant), and while doing so, ask for the manager or owner and present your case. It’s tough running a business in today’s economy. The person you’re DM’ing probably doesn’t even have the authority to make such a decision anyway. And the truth is, you’d probably never think of sending a DM to Amazon, Square, Shopify, or Walmart to ask them for a donation… and even expect a response. And we’ve never seen an Amazon or Square sign on an outfield fence at a youth sports game. Ok, rant over on this topic… haha.
So click the link for the Brandon042 Restaurants & Retail Facebook Group, keep apprised of their specials and events, and show support for our area’s local businesses. Thanks for caring, and please shop local.
Brandon042 Restaurants & Retail Facebook Group – CLICK HERE
Brandon042 Website – CLICK HERE
Brandon042 Facebook Page – CLICK HERE