My name is Oscar. I want to tell you a “tail” about the power of social media. It is a “pawsome” story about my “humom’s” great idea to create a twitter community for animals. My 3 best dog friends, LJ Doodle, Toby and Hiru and I became friends through twitter 2 years ago. We spend hours woofing back and forth. Our tweets are hilarious and our followers wanted to join in the fun.

As I lay sleeping at my humom’s feet, she started jumping on the couch with excitement. Amazed that she interrupted my favorite nap time, I began to play with my yellow tennis ball. “What’s all the excitement about, and what’s in it for me?” I asked myself. I gave her my most adoring look and covered her face with wet kisses. I didn’t see any new toys or treats coming my way. I know I’m just a dog but I can sniff out a good idea when I hear one. Mom told me she wanted to create a virtual motorcycle club for animals. My ears perked up when she told me each dog would have their own virtual custom motorcycle in the color of their choice. New club members submit a picture of their pet, and our custom bike shop production staff would create the pet’s motorcycle. The mission of the club is to create an animal community that would virtually travel the world together. We chose the name RuffRiderz (twitter handle @theruffriderz). In 2016, we had adventures in London, Key West, Niagara Falls, San Francisco, and Vermont. Our first ride in 2017 ushered in the new year in New York.  Our rides and tweets have trended on twitter multiple times. As social media influencers, we produce unique and engaging content daily.

Our membership is open to all animals. We have cats, dogs, horses, hamsters, birds, teddy bears and turtles. I hope to recruit an elephant to ride next to me in 2017 on a giant “hog”. I am feeling optimistic about the RuffRiderz in 2017. We have other plans for the club that I am not allowed to woof about yet.

Mom and I learned a valuable lesson – there is no bad idea. The RuffRiderz was created utilizing social media with no brand, product, or investment. We created a community that provides support, interaction and fun. Twitter, and our club, provide an instant connection with other pet owners. It has created a platform where animal lovers can connect with each other. We woof about pet insurance, dog food, wellness and inspirational quotes. Our engagements and the power of social networking have resonated within the animal community.

Like my mom, I now consider myself an “accidental marketer”. Regardless of the product, service, or brand, social media is a critical marketing channel. Who knew that a little white dog and his 3 best twitter friends could create a community of almost 1,000 followers. Even my own twitter account and the #OscarBarks quotes of the day have just under 2,500 followers. The power of social media is a force to be reckoned with.

Contact me @oscarthedog_arm if you want to learn more about the club. Doggone it, have a wonderful 2017 from all of us at the RuffRiderz.

Many woofs,
Oscar