Susanna Gebauer is a dog lover, rescue dog handler and Bavarian mountain hiker. She also is a social marketing whiz who recognizes good advice when her dog licks her face.
Gebauer and her brother Jonathan, co-founders of their own social marketing agency, grew up with Newfoundland dogs, which are large, furry, gentle and unrecognized marketing gurus.
Gebauer’s current Newfoundland is named Mikos. She captured his dogly wisdom for socializing on social media in six licks, which she shared, as much as one can, in a blog. We borrowed Mikos’ tongue for our blog.
Try not to smile or pet your own dog while reading this.
Lick #1 – “Leave time for some sniffing and getting to know”
Social media may move fast, but Mikos says you don’t have to. “Sniff around before deciding if your potential connection is friend or foe – and certainly before bombarding them with a business proposition.”
Lick #2 – “It’s not the loudest dog that is the strongest, fastest or best”
Like most Newfoundlands, Mikos rarely barks. When he does bark, it’s worth listening to. Yapping dogs are annoying and get sent to the backyard. Mikos says speaking or writing in ALL CAPS is just as annoying.
Lick #3 – “Do not fight each other; social media is social”
Mikos doesn’t act like a wolf, howling and snapping at anything that moves. He prefers to sniff friends, stay calm and not pee on non-friends so he reinforces his reputation as a big, cuddly dog.
Lick #4 – “Do not bite the weak”
Big dogs look small when they bully tiny dogs – or woof when a Chihuahua invades their turf, Mikos says. Instead, Mikos likes to encourage new pups on social media or pant in support of hapless dogs that step in their own poo.
Lick #5 – “Not everybody is your enemy”
Mikos knows dogs run in packs, but that doesn’t mean they have to be attack dogs. With a face like a teddy bear, Mikos gives two-leggers the benefit of the doubt when they try to pet him on his nose by mistake – or just don’t have a clue about dogs, like how easy it is a for a big dog to knock over your average human. He avoids getting excited and knocking over people.
Mikos knows dogs run in packs, but that doesn’t mean they have to be attack dogs.
Lick #6 – “Not every bone is worth fighting over”
Mikos loves a bone as much as any dog, but some bones just aren’t tasty enough to go rabid and bite someone. He would prefer sauntering on and finding a heartier bone somewhere else in the social media yard.
Mikos seems as clever as he is huge.
