Lessons learned from carrots and laughable rambutans

Don’t spend your limited energy and time reinventing the wheel. Notice what others are doing well, and when ethical, borrow it for your company or brand’s benefit. Sharing someone else’s post is not only acceptable, it benefits them when you do it right. That’s one lesson in this week’s social media perusal. Another reminder we found: Brag. And finally, modern-day celebrities who use your products are golden. A bonus is when they make you laugh.

Instagram

We can learn something from Pompano Beach, Fla.-based Southern Selects. The company sells fresh produce in microwaveable family packs, grab-and-go packaging and loose, bulk options. And they borrowed a food blogger’s post to promote their own product. Smart. The good people at Southern Selects plucked a very orange, very fall-themed photo of a caramelized maple and thyme roasted carrot recipe from @theavocadonut. Then they used it to market their own baby carrots. It’s a simple concept that many social media marketers and casual users know. But if you don’t, now you do. Use the great work out there — but always, always give linkable credit to the person who created the original. That took time and effort, you know? Find them on Instagram at @southern_selects.

LinkedIn

Posting a link to a press release about your company is a great idea. Posting a link to a press release about your company making a list that names the best companies to work for? Great idea. Vic Savanello, vice president of produce and floral at SpartanNash, Grand Rapids, Mich., posted this accolade — naming SpartanNash among the 2021 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation, according to the National Association for Business Resources. This marks the ninth consecutive year SpartanNash has appeared on the list — and it can serve as a reminder to all of us. Brag about your company when it wins an award or receives an honor. Social media is the Land of Tooting Your Own Horn. If that makes you uncomfortable, couch it in a humblebrag: “Ugh, my hair was a mess when I accepted that Produce Person of the Year Award onstage at the conference. Next time: Use hair spray.” Find them at https://www.linkedin.com/company/spartannash.

TikTok

Sheena Melwani is an often-laughing media artist, singer-songwriter and legit TikTok influencer with 8.3 million followers, so when she tries a rambutan fruit for the first time on a TikTok reel, people notice. In this case, more than 3 million people notice. “It looks like a character from Dr. Seuss?” she asks her husband who’s filming. “How do I open it?” She wonders if it’s like a lychee. As Melwani gets past the fuchsia-colored spiky, hairy skin, she grimaces and says it’s sour and it’s hard in the middle. Oh well. She tried it and it was quite entertaining. And now, if you had no familiarity with rambutan, you do now. You might want to try it yourself to see if you agree with Melwani. When celebrities try a fruit or vegetable or product, it gets noticed. Social media and internet celebrities count too, big time. Maybe she’s not endorsing this fruit, but it got some great free publicity. If your company sells specialties like this, you could share this video and tag your company and product. Find her on TikTok at @SheenaMelwani.