Social Media is still hot and is not going away. Pretty much all business owners know the importance of being on Facebook. but the problem is that most companies are doing Facebook on their own. It’s easy, right? Not so fast. The reality is that most companies are doing things wrong that can sabotage their own success and common mistakes that should be avoided. The point of social media is content creation. As a business on Facebook, your job is to create interesting content that engages your target audience. Anything else is a waste of your time and money. Skip the content creation, and you are blowing a golden opportunity to grow your base of fans.
There’s actually a science behind keeping a social media presence. Yes, it’s an art to create good content, but there are also many concrete things you are probably doing that are keeping your page from being more successful.
- If you promise people something for liking you, make sure they get it. That seems simple enough but many companies get concerned over how many likes they get. Simply put, if you give people what they ask for they may actually like you in real life. Even if you don’t have anything to give away, at least point out to your potential fans that once they become a fan, they will be getting regular updates from your Page in their newsfeed (because that is what will automatically happen).
- Don’t post the same thing multiple times. This is a sign of desperation. If no one responds to your post, move on; otherwise, you will quickly lose the fans you already have. No one wants to find duplicate posts in their stream. It’s annoying. Facebook visitors get annoyed enough by posts from their actual friends. Fresh content keeps them excited when they see your post in their stream. Fresh content makes them click or share it. In turn, that makes your posts show up more.
- Don’t assume customers see all your posts. Facebook has a tricky formula for determining which of your fans see your posts. Make each post count so that your fans who do see it will want to share them. Again, the more they share – the more Facebook will let you be seen. So make sure that you’re speaking to your target audience, engaging with them, and figuring out what it is that makes them tick. Then, sit back and watch the views, likes, comments, and shares roll in.
- Don’t post during low-traffic hours. 90% of people who “like” your page never go back to visit. The only time they see your posts is when your post appears in their stream. Spread multiple posts out over the course of the day at times when you expect your audience to be online. If that isn’t convenient, use a site like hootsuite.com or loomly.com to schedule multiple posts in advance.
- LIKES for the sake of LIKES mean nothing – All “likes” are not create equal. Facebook marketing is not just a numbers game. The goal is to engage with your customers and those likely to become customers. It is better to have 100 “likes” from engaged and interested people than 10,000 likes gathered by blasting out pictures of cute puppies (unless you are a veterinarian). And, by all means, don’t purchase “likes” in bulk. Those are not real profiles. Facebook just recently admitted in an SEC filing that over 80 million profiles are fakes. The way you get qualified “likes” is by making what you say interesting or beneficial to your audience, something that they actually hear and that responds to the pain point they are experiencing that you solve.
- Make sure you belong on Facebook. Not every business type belongs on Facebook or can benefit from being there. Most plumbers or accountants would be hard pressed to build a fan base on Facebook that means anything unless they had a unique business angle. But that’s another discussion coming soon.
Following these simple guidelines can greatly enhance the effectiveness of your social media presence. Effective social media means a great return on your time and investment. If you can’t do all of this regularly, hire a pro or outsource – it will be worth your money. Good luck!
