When looking at their marketing plan, many businesses and organizations do one of two things with their Facebook fan page: ignore it or think of it as the miracle solve-all. There tends to be little in between.
The businesses who ignore their Facebook fan page, or Facebook all together, don’t see enough ROI to garner putting any time or effort into their page. Their Facebook fan page hasn’t brought them any leads, it hasn’t led anyone to buy their product or hire their services, so they write it off as ineffective. They haphazardly threw the page together, post an update whenever they remember and are surprised that millions of people aren’t interacting with their page and, in turn, coming to their web site to buy their products.
The businesses who see Facebook as the miracle solve-all, on the other hand, have invested time and energy, and money, into their page. They hired a Social Media Specialist, publish posts on a regular basis, and have even seen an increase in sales due to their Facebook efforts, but not the level of sales they had hoped.
Both groups have the wrong idea of how a business should use Facebook.
Facebook, and all social media, is not the end-all of your marketing plan. It won’t replace your traditional avenues of marketing or increase your business profits one-hundred fold. At the same time, it is valuable to the life and growth of your business. It can’t be ignored and it can’t be seen as the miracle cure for your business.
Facebook is a piece of your marketing puzzle.
When used correctly, a Facebook fan page:
- Allows you to connect with customers and potential customers;
- Gives you a venue to share resources that benefits consumers;
- Lets customers know they can get an answer to their question in a timely manner;
- Allows you to publish sales, special events and news items in a location many of your customers use;
- Improves your image of being customer focused;
- Allows you to get feedback from your customers;
- Connects current and potential customers together;
- Spreads the reach of your business beyond your physical location;
- Increases your customers’ experience.
- Be consistent: post at least once each week day, during a time when your customers are most likely to be on (you may need to experiment to find out what time that is).
- Post relevant information: you don’t need to post just information on your business. See your Facebook fan page as a resource for them – share articles you came across that may help them, comment on local news items, congratulate your customers on achievements and more.
- Share about sales, specials and events: customers are always looking for a deal. Let them know first hand when you have a sale.
- Include pictures and videos: people like to see pictures and videos, so upload, upload, upload! Share pictures from your events, new products/services you are offering, and encourage your customers to tag themselves if they are in any of your pictures.
- Post customer stories: encourage your customers (or do it for them) to post testimonials about how much they enjoyed working with you.
- Be available: respond to customer posts, “like” their comments, let them know that if they have a question, they can get an answer in a reasonable amount of time (a few hours at the most).
- Lastly, give it time: your page won’t grow overnight. It takes time for people to find it, like it and start following you. Give it time. Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t take off right away. It may take a year of regular posting, but in the end, you will have offered your customers an experience they couldn’t get anywhere else.
A Facebook fan page is a great way to build your brand and offer customers a level of service they won’t find with your competitors. It isn’t an end-all for your marketing strategy, but it definitely is a piece of the puzzle.
Interested in improving your Facebook Fan Page?
Your Facebook Fan Page needs to be a piece of your marketing plan. If your business is looking to improve your fan page through a Social Media Strategy or implementing customized graphic elements, check out the Social Media Services I offer or feel free to contact me.
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