One of the worst things I see companies do on Facebook business pages is using Facebook as a one-way broadcast medium. Like we're living in the 1950s.
Huge mistake! How much do you enjoy all that relentless sales hype, event announcements, discount deals, and we-oriented messaging? This old fashioned strategy really turns people off. It's annoying and counter-productive.
It's a futile attempt to use social media like traditional advertising venues: billboards, print ads, TV commercials, direct mail.
Constantly pushing product and reposting content from suppliers makes your Facebook page seem cold, impersonal, unsociable.
Is that the image you want to project? I rather doubt it.
Here are 8 ways to use Facebook for competitive advantage and to increase sales:
1. Share your expertise -- educate customers and they'll consider you the Go To Person in your field, the expert, the specialist they know, like and trust.
Answer questions that customers typically ask. If you don't know what these questions are, your business is in serious trouble.
2. Ride on the coat tails of a topic that's already viral, building a conceptual bridge from the hot news item to your products.
3. Click Like, Share, and comment on the Facebook posts of others. Post comments that contribute insight and experience to a conversation, especially if it's related to your industry or products.
4. Show photos of CEO, owner, manager, staff at charity events, company picnics, employee parties, participating in non-profits, etc. to convey sense of connection to your community.
5. Share photos of personal things that humanize you: family gatherings, shopping trips, favorite sports teams, what you had for lunch, what music you're listening to lately, causes you care about.
6. Display photos and video of your products being used by customers to solve specific problems.
7. Promote other businesses and organizations in your community, instead of constantly blabbering about yourself, your company, your products. When you promote other entities, be sure to link to their website, or give contact details (land address and phone number).
8. Stop thinking social media is a one-way communication platform -- start participating like a normal Facebook user, interact with others, start conversations based on your industry, customer needs, and problems your products solve.
No comments:
Post a Comment