Facebook Marketing is still FREE

Gosh, there’s a lot of talk out there right now by pages regarding Facebook’s newest feature, “Promoted Posts”. It’s unfortunate what I’m hearing, so I wanted to be able to voice first my opinion and second, some helpful information to my audience.

As a Facebook marketer myself, I was always slightly annoyed that my posts weren’t reaching more of my fans. I had always preached quality vs. quantity, that is until Facebook’s internal search engine morphed into an arithmetic nightmare. (And, let me mention now, you need to be following your EdgeRank and Klout stats.)

I want to compare your collection of fans to your collection of email addresses gathered over the last several years… We know that databases need to be cleaned up and kept fresh or they loose value fast. Your fan base is your virtual database and requires ongoing maintenance. (Yes, you can remove fans as an administrator.)

I thought this was brilliant and very timely!.. I met a professional woman just recently who filled me in on her company’s database philosophy. She mentioned that each of their sales people keeps no more than 300 people in their database. If they get new, hot leads and good connections – good enough to keep – they have to delete someone. …Shut the front door! Brilliant!

Initially when you first launched your page, chances are you solicited all of your family and friends to “like” your page. Many of them did it to show they supported your newest venture. How many of them actually fall into your target demographics? Precisely! I hate to say it, but maybe they are dead weight now. …Just a thought…

Then, there are those who you have met outside of the online world who have “liked” your page just for that reason – you asked them to and they did it. They may be fellow colleagues, networking buddies, those who found you through the viral effects of your one great post 4 months ago. Have you given them any reason to engage again with your page?

The last group of fans are the ones who want to be there, want to see your posts – they like what they see and tell you so. Also in the mix are affiliate businesses who benefit themselves from interacting with your page and your fans. This is group of fans you want to grow!

So how do you grow this group of fans? The one-word answer is content. I’ve been hearing it for years and saying it more recently, “Content is king!” Content is the reason to respond, the reason to share, the reason to go back looking for more. If your content is good, no, I mean GREAT, your fans will gather around it and engage with it and share it – the ultimate goal.

If you’re not a content writer, not witty, not personable, not able to show some personality, not able to think on your feet, not able to be flexible and timely and relevant, I suggest you hire someone who knows what they are doing!

The first step in delivering content is to listen to what is being said about your brand and your industry. What questions are out there that you can provide some insight to? What do your fans want to see or hear? What posts have you delivered already that have gained traction? …Do more of that!

Here are some ideas to get you thinking…

  • promotions and deals (they can still be free on your page)
  • tips and how-to’s
  • little known facts
  • interesting statistics
  • a top 10 list (reveal it over time starting with #10)
  • guest author or person of influence to hijack your page for an hour
  • photos

You should always have a content calendar to work with so that you are consistent and timely, and so you don’t forget mentioning your important dates or events. Mix it up, be creative, leave the sales pitch out of it, include a visual aspect when possible, be flexible and have fun!

“It’s free and always will be” is visible on the sign-up/log-in page of Facebook. I have no reason to believe that they have any other intentions. I think we have to be more focused on staying true to our business strategy on Facebook rather than how many people see your post. If I could be so bold, shame on you for not adding value to your page and delivering it to those who want it most!

Happy posting!

Aside | Posted on June 5, 2012 by | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Content, Content, Content!”

Who remembers, “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!”?? I couldn’t resist. Okay, nevermind…

Facebook is switching us all over to business fan pages on TIMELINE  by Friday of this week. …Whether we like it or not. Honestly, the more I talk to my clients about it, the more they like it! I believe the opposition is simply lacking the education around Timeline.

I love the new Timeline design! It just makes sense to me. I have been explaining Timeline as a sort of virtual scrapbook. You wouldn’t want to put every day of your life in your scrapbook. The same is true for Timeline. In backing, Facebook is using terms like “Life Events” and “Milestones” within Timeline. For businesses, Timeline is a chance for a brand to tell their story from the beginning. One of the best examples is Starbuck’s fan page. Check out their fascinating photo dated 1971!

In addition to the date line running down the center of your page, you can’t help but notice the visual impact your images have! What a chance to turn some heads!

Now back to the title of this post… Content! I don’t care what platform you’re using or if you are Timeline ready or not. If you, as a business, are using social media for marketing, your CONTENT will make or break you!

CONTENT is simply defined as the message your page delivers to it’s fans (or followers). The origins are YOU.

The quickest way to decrease the number of fans on your page is by self-promotion! And, if you are posting this kind of content multiple times a week or, worse yet, multiple times a day, be prepared to loose them fast!

HINT: As a typical social media user who is online daily, my mentality is along the lines of socializing. I also look forward to keeping up with current events and other news that might draw me in. Notice that I did not say I was looking for advertisements from businesses! This is true for the good majority of social media users.

So why are you still promoting your services and products to your fans?? …I would be willing to listen if you had a good reason.

No, your success will not come in the form of fans responding to your “ads”. If you are open to change, read on…

This has been a difficult concept for most businesses to comprehend, however your eyes will be wide open if you do get it!

What makes content good (or even great)? It has to do solely on what your audience wants. Every industry is different and it may be true to say that no two businesses within the same industry find success the same way. Wow, that sounds complicated… NO, it doesn’t have to be! My first bit of advice is to LISTEN to your audience and find out what they want, need, are looking for, etc. If no other way, ask probing question to help find out what they might need from you.

Example… If you sell car insurance, a fan’s need to save money on insurance only happens once a year or so. What kind of content should you be delivering the other 51 weeks? Well, let’s step out of your world and into theirs. What defines them… They are a car owner, probably has a job, possibly children and a spouse, their typical day is one of getting up for the job, getting kids around, getting out the door early, after work it’s quick meals at home, helping with homework, relaxing after a long day and looking forward to the weekend.

How can you, Mr. Car Insurance Man, help make their week better? Although it’s outside the box, these people may really appreciate a quick, timely tip on the local traffic, the cheapest gas prices in the area, a notification on a free car wash charity event, a favorite weeknight recipe, local weekend events that are kid-friendly…. I could go on and on.

When posting this type of content from your fan page, your fans will recognize that you, Mr. Car Insurance Man, take a genuine interest in helping out your customers (and potential customers). They will appreciate your gesture and see the value in “Liking” your fan page. If your content is really good, they may feel inclined to share it with their friends, all while linking the original post back to your fan page! More shares = more fans!

It just takes some initial strategy and an honest effort to get the ball rolling.  Commit to a reasonable amount of time each week and be persistent. Your work will pay off!

Happy posting!

Aside | Posted on March 26, 2012 by | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Question: What do your Fans want?

Marketing on Facebook may go against all that you know and have been taught about traditional advertising!

In this day and age, consumers have the tools to fast-forward through advertisements on TV, skip over ads on the internet and zero in on exactly what they want. If they want to find out more about a brand or product, Google (or Bing, or whomever) will deliver to them “what” they want, “when” they want it.

               What do they want?

We are all so busy each and every day and have to consciously make time for a little R&R, a vacation or just a minute of quiet time.

                              What do we want?

Here’s a clue: It certainly isn’t advertisements of products that we have no use for at this particular moment in time or the very near future.

No. But, what we do want is a better way of doing things, an easier way of doing things, something that helps us not look like we’re doing a million things at once… What we want is a trusted friend who knows what we want.

Identifying your target audience.

I am not too keen on the business owner who says “everyone is my target market”… If you have a skincare product or you’re selling gasoline, yes, you may have a broader market than someone who sells green building supplies. However, you have to identify the demographic that helps your business grow!

Why do you think we see the shirtless cowboys in Wrangler jeans in their commercials? Who has the buying influence here?

Using this mentality on Facebook…

So, if we can’t advertise our products to our Facebook fans, what can we do? We can be that trusted friend giving them timely, useful advice to make their day that much better!

Consider this… It’s your “content” that will get in front of your fans every day or every week. Make it good! Make it what they want!

If you sell skincare products (as my earlier example), consider what your typical fan has to go through each day… Wake up, wash up, eat up, etc… How can you help with this routine?

  • Tips on a quick morning routine for healthy looking skin
  • Tricks on covering up those dark circles under the eyes
  • Statistics on the best morning foods for sustainable energy

Do you see where I’m going with this? …And not one product was mention…

It’s after you connect on this level that your fans will appreciate you and your efforts. They will be looking forward to your next post! Think about why you do business with people – the ol’ “know, like and trust” scenario. These are exactly the types of relationships we want to foster among our fans.

With that said, you’ll have ample opportunity to “advertise” your products and services, and I believe you will know when those times are right. Initially, though, I would say no more than 20% of the time you spend with your fans do you want to self-promote.

Aside | Posted on February 20, 2012 by | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Recent Additions to My Website…

HAPPY NEW YEAR, y’all!!

I am glad to be back and through with 2011! How many of you feel the same way? Sometimes we just need to push “reset”, and that’s how a new year always feels to me. So let’s get going…

Just a reminder that you will find a new fan page highlighted on my website every month. The businesses I feature are my beloved customers picked at random. I hope you’ll look forward to this every month.

As well, I have posted some of my calendar of events on the first page of my website. You can find them below the fan page highlight section along the right column. I do have a presentation scheduled for the morning of January 24th at the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce. All are welcome!

Please connect with me online – on my website or fan page – sometime in this new year.

Aside | Posted on January 11, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Social Network Users = Consumers

I just read an infographic that would be a great follow-up to my previous post regarding retail (holiday) sales. The heading of the graph is “Social Network Users Want Deals & Discussions” (from Social Rank Media).

Interesting enough, they separated the results as “parents” vs. “non-parents”. (It appears that the parents have greater opinions!)

What this survey told me was that consumers are using social media platforms to investigate brands before they buy. Social media users are relying on their online friends to provide feedback and information on products available for purchase. Many of them do search out deals and coupons via fan pages and the like. Lastly, one thing I found very interesting, while almost even, there are still more users sharing positive feedback than negative.

Word-of-mouth advertising is still alive and well, but it may “look” very different than it did just 10 years ago! If you don’t have an online presence, you may be missing out on the millions of social media users across the globe…

Aside | Posted on November 17, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Presenting to Silpada Reps

Posted on November 8, 2011 by

What a great group of women I meet with last night! They were a super audience for my presentation about “Facebook Fan Pages for Direct Sales”. The 10 local Silpada Jewelry reps proved to be a group of eager learners with a genuine excitement to grow their business via social media.

Posted in Facebook, Social Media Marketing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Direct Sales and Social Media Just Make Sense

Posted on October 27, 2011 by

I hope by now that many independent sales people for the larger direct sales companies have realized that their target market lives and breathes on Facebook (and other social media sites). I also know that the key to their success (for many) is in the ‘face-to-face’ nature of their business. That’s okay… The two work hand in hand!

Just like every business on Facebook, it’s the connections that you make that will lend themselves to your overall marketing plan. That’s why proper strategy planning and time commitment are a must. In direct sales, it’s having a presence on Facebook that will further enhance your relationships with old, new and potential customers. By having a well designed Facebook fan page you are establishing credibility as a business owner and exposing your professionalism. (Not to say that your personality cannot be revealed – by all means, let it shine through!)

By delivering a valuable, daily/weekly/monthly message (depending on how often you post), you are becoming a resource for your viewers. It’s the *good* content that you deliver on a regular basis that will set you apart from your competition! I can’t emphasis this enough – content is king!

I have several clients who are in direct sales with recognizable brands such as Avon, Arbonne and Melaleuca. I recommend to them, as we develop their Facebook fan page, to make it their own. We create their own branding ‘look and feel’ that might incorporate the colors or causes of their mother-ship, or they may want to do something different all together. Whatever you decide to do, just remember that it’s you they are getting to know through your fan page – your brand, your message, your personality. How do you stand out?

Posted in Facebook, Social Media Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Facebook Webinar

Posted on October 23, 2011 by

When you’re looking for information, go right to the source! Facebook offers a variety of webinars available to you anytime. Here is one for businesses: Facebook Business Solutions – An Introduction to Facebook Pages and Facebook Social Plugins.

Posted in Facebook, Social Media Marketing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment