Today, we look back at our top posts, profiles, events and videos of the year across Alabama Retail’s website and social media accounts. Enjoy the look back as we say hello to 2023!
TOP FACEBOOK/WEBSITE POST AND CONTEST of 2022
Our top social post for 2022 was the Alabama Retailer of the Year Customer’s Choice Award contest. The Aug. 1-15 Facebook photo album voting system and online poll, featuring the 42 Retailer of the Year entries, reached more than 120,000 on Facebook with almost 99,000 engagements. It was read by almost 2,000 online. The 2022 winner was Rustic Relics in Clanton. The business received 1,669 votes, or 22% of the 7,684 votes cast.
While the Retailer of the Year entries garnered the top social response in 2022, the link to the 54 nominees also made the Top 10 on Facebook and on alabamaretail.org.
TOP MEMBER PROFILES AND POSTS
Annette and Dewey Todd
Dewey and Annette Todd, owners of and partners in Todd Farms in Headland, have the distinction of being the top Alabama Retail Association member profile of 2022. The July 19 Facebook post featuring the owners of a general store, restaurant and recreational vehicle park reached 17,629 people and generated 16,100 engagements.
Mandy Henry
Mandy Henry, owner of Queen City Market, a home décor and clothing boutique in downtown Selma, ranked in the Top 5 Facebook and Top 9 Instagram posts. Meanwhile, Ashley McMakin, founder and chief executive officer of Ashley Mac’s, the Gold Alabama Retailer of the Year award in the Annual Sales $5 Million to $20 Million category, achieved top post status on Instagram as well as Top 10 status on Facebook and alabamaretail.org.
Ashley McMakin
Other profiles or posts that made the Top 10 on one or more of our social media channels this year featured:
- Mike and Lee Vinson, Adam’s Drugs
- Melissa Cross, McAleer’s Office Furniture
- Tricia Thomas, Tricia’s Treasures
- Jodie and Karen Stanfield, Local Joe’s
- Ricky Bromberg, Bromberg’s
- Babbie Styslinger, At Home Furnishings
TOPS ON LINKEDIN
Chris and Christopher Mobley
A #MemberMonday featuring 51-year-old Mobley & Sons in Tuscaloosa ranked as the Top LinkedIn member post for 2022 with more than 6,000 impressions and 112 likes. Chris Mobley founded the business with his father and continues to run it with his son. It now has two Tuscaloosa locations and one in Athens, Ga. The June 20 post also ranked in the Top 3 on Instagram.
George Wilder
Another Top 5 on LinkedIn and Instagram was the November 2022 Alabama Retailer magazine cover story on George Wilder of The Locker Room in Montgomery and Auburn. George’s message after 45 years in business, “We will survive whatever challenge is on the horizon.”
TOP LEGISLATIVE NEWS
Jheovanny Gomez, right
The legislative issue getting the most support on our social media channels this year involved adjusting the minimum age for alcohol servers in restaurants. Almost 2,000 read the web post on the issue and its passage gained more than 3,000 Twitter impressions. The ceremonial bill signing had more than 1,600 impressions. The legislation was the brainchild of Alabama Retail Association board member Jheovanny Gomez, whose appointment to the board also ranked among the top tweets of 2022.
TOP EVENTS, TWEETS AND VIDEOS
Alabama’s sales tax holidays ranked as the top events, tweets and videos for 2022. The February severe weather sales tax holiday earned the top tweet spot with more than 3,000 impressions and 521 media views. Almost 2,000 read the news release about the tax holiday on alabamaretail.org. The back-to-school sales tax holiday in July also made the top 10 tweets both in advance of and during the tax-free weekend.
Other event videos of note in 2022 included:
TOP ELECTION TWEETS
Mark and Susan Anderson with Katie Britt
Photos with Alabama Retail Association members tweeted out during one of Katie Britt’s campaign stops in her successful U.S. Senate race ranked in our Top 10 tweets of 2022.
Coming in second was the candidate with Mark and Susan Anderson, the owners of Eagle Eye Outfitters in Dothan, who served as hosts for the event. In the ninth spot was a candid shot of Annette Todd of Todd Farms in Headland reminiscing about she and Katie’s Junior Miss days.
FOLLOW ALABAMA RETAIL AND SHOP ALABAMA
In 2023, follow Alabama Retail on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.