If there’s one thing that’s constant about Facebook, it’s change. Seems like every week there’s a new feature or new advertising element, some new trick to learn, or a new way to be more visible. Many companies unknowingly make several common Facebook mistakes…and it’s hindering their success.
Facebook is a valuable tool for business and there are a lot of pitfalls to watch out for. Here’s a list of the 7 most common Facebook mistakes you should avoid.
1. Taking off with a “runway”
Facebook success is in the details. Before you take to the airwaves of social media, you need a plan.
It’s like this: if you’re taking a trip and you don’t know the way to your destination, you check the GPS app on your phone. You do this because it saves time, expense and a whole lot of needless suffering.
Social media strategy works the same way.
Begin with the end goal in mind. For most companies, the goals are to gain more site visits, engage more customers, build an email list, and/or generate leads.
Once you’ve determined your goals, you’ll need a social media strategy “runway” to reach them.
2. Making it all about you
Facebook marketing is successful when you’ve provided entertaining, useful, sharable content. Think about the Facebook pages you follow and why you follow them. It’s not so you can see sales promotions.
Fans and customers are no different than you!
People stay engaged when the posts they see are meaningful to them.
Pro Tip: Avoid violating Facebook’s Terms of Service. I can’t tell you how many pages I see that are broadcasting sales messages through the newsfeed. Save those messages for Facebook ads and you’ll avoid the pain of having your people clicking the nearest exit.
3. Failure to engage regularly
One of the best ways to build a lively, loyal community on Facebook is by engaging regularly with your fans.
Facebook is not a one-way communication tool. Create a solid engagement strategy that includes designating someone (or a team) to engage with the people who comment on your posts.
Respond to all page messages and reviews—both positive and negative. Every negative comment is an opportunity to turn a critic into a fan.
Abandoning your customers on Facebook tells them either you’re not paying attention or that you don’t care.
4. No serious investment
If you’ve spent any time in the Facebook marketing ecosystem, you know there is a time investment. Building relationships through trust takes time and if Facebook is your chosen platform, then be prepared to make an investment.
A Facebook page should be considered a valuable company asset and as such, there are other investments required to retain its value:
- Strategy and Planning
- Financial Resources
- Human Resources
- Attention
In fact, sometimes a business will need to restructure their operations in order to accommodate social media.
If your team doesn’t have the expertise, there may be a need to invest in training.
Pro Tip: It’s not healthy to think that Facebook is “free.” That thinking will only allow your competitors to take all the customers.
5. Not completing your “About” section
Your Facebook “About” section projects the image of your business. This is an incredibly important step when setting up and optimizing your page.
You want to ensure that your “About” is complete & sends the right message to anyone visiting your page.
- Add your founding details. How did your company begin & when? What’s your mission & what drives your company on a day-to-day basis?
- People will quickly scan your content. Add your most important details within your first paragraph.
- Add keywords, terms & phrases that anyone searching for your business, product or service would use. Keywords matter in social media as much as they do within your website & blog. Don’t overlook them!
- Answer questions that your community needs answered in order to make an educated decision. This is a place to create differentiation & separate you from your competitors.
- Keep industry jargon out of your “About” section. Your customer doesn’t work in your industry – so don’t speak to them as if they do. Keep your language relatable and easy to read.
6. Not using Facebook Ads
Facebook advertising can be a smart complement to your current advertising budget. Facebook ads let you grow your page without adding a hefty expense.
Part of your investment in Facebook is for Facebook ads. Simply put, you will not succeed (ie: improve customer engagement and generate leads) without Facebook ads. Why?
Ten years ago, social media was a fertile field of wildflowers, full of kittens and unicorns. The marketing landscape was wide open for people who wanted to capture attention and engage like-minded customers.
Today, social media is a dense, crowded, noisy, smoggy urban jungle.
Simple tactics alone are no longer effective. You must pay to promote your content and products on Facebook.
The good news is that Facebook ads work! It’s a mistake not to leverage this powerful tool.
7. Failing to track, measure and analyze your results
Too often, companies jump onto Facebook without a plan or a clear idea of what success really means for them. Look for success markers on your Facebook marketing journey.
Just like the maps app on your phone shows the best route to take toward your destination, Facebook KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) guide you to what success looks like for your Facebook marketing. KPIs give you a solid foundation from which to measure results.
Develop a process (including the tools you’ll need) to track, measure and analyze. Facebook allows you to figure out what’s working and what’s not in real time.
Facebook mistakes don’t have to happen.
Facebook marketing is powerful but only if you’re all in. This awesome power only works to your advantage when you’re firing on all cylinders.
Would you like to learn more about how to avoid common Facebook mistakes? Get in touch with me and I’ll show you how to build a bridge between your business and your customers with social media.
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