Coleman Heating, Bus Stop Signs, and Twitter

You have probably seen those bus stop benches that have the sign saying something like, “You just proved these bus stop signs work!” I always chuckled at them myself while thinking, how does the fact that I saw that sign prove that it works?

Well, the fact is, those signs do work. And in the same way those bus stop signs work, businesses that have a social media presence, well, that works as well. I know it does and I can tell you why it works.

As you may know, we are on Twitter (http://twitter.com/papastacey) and somehow, sometime along the way, we started following “someone” called Coleman Heating (http://twitter.com/coleman_heating). I don’t know why and it really doesn’t matter why. As Twitter people know, you follow, and get followed by a variety of people.

I didn’t really think about the Coleman Heating thing until one day I was in our local grocery store parking lot and I noticed a van that had “Coleman Heating” emblazoned on the side of it. I thought to myself, “Hey, that is the company that I follow on Twitter.” Just a weird coincidence right? Probably.

Then I started to think, why is Coleman Heating on Twitter? Isn’t that a bit weird for a heating company to be on Twitter? I mean, shouldn’t they be out doing duct cleaning or installing a new furnace or something?

And then the other morning after I woke up, staggered down the stairs and into our kitchen to put on the coffee. As I entered the kitchen in my sleepy state I suddenly realized that it was freaking COLD in my house. Not just chilly, but cold. Uncomfortably cold. Still in my sleepy state, I thought, “Shit. My furnace has crapped out!”

And the next thing that happened is what brings the bus stop signs, Coleman Heating and Twitter all together; without missing a beat, I thought to myself, “I need to call Coleman Heating.” Coleman Heating just popped into my mind.

By having a Twitter and Facebook presence, Coleman Heating have put their name “out there.” They have very cleverly made their name known in a unique way. Talk about clever and effective marketing! After all, what does it cost them to have a website, Facebook and Twitter presence? (other than Aidan’s wages ; ) Probably very little. And what is the effect? Like those bus stop signs, their name is visible, and memorable to a virtually unlimited marketplace. Just one more place to have your name being visible.

I love ingenuity, especially when it comes to marketing your business. It shows me that the business owner is keen. And from what I have seen, Coleman Heating is keen. So if your furnace craps out or you need your ducts cleaned, I would suggest that you call the Coleman team (604-466-5895). However, before calling about getting your ducts cleaned, I suggest you visit our friends over at the Vancity Buzz and check out the special offer that they are promoting for Coleman Heating (save some $200).

Disclosure; I have received no incentive or financial reward for writing this blog entry. I am not obligated nor expected to write this blog entry about Coleman Heating. In any blog post I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times. Should you have any questions or concerns, contact me at editor@theleftcoast.ca