So you think you know Facebook? Maybe you’ve had your account open for years and are pretty adept at sending birthday greetings, posting photos and sharing messages about cute animals. Who doesn’t love a fluffy panda, right?
But hanging out on your personal Facebook account in your free time and promoting your business through a professional Facebook page during working hours are two very different things.
You may have a stunning profile picture, hundreds of friends and a pretty decent post engagement, but being cool and popular in your personal account doesn’t necessarily mean you can handle Facebook ads and campaigns like a pro.
And just in case you’re falling into these traps, here are five Facebook marketing mistakes you need to stop doing right now.
#1. Leaving Out Information About Your Business
Whether you call it the dumbing down of a nation, or a giant stride for consumer marketing, any smart digital marketer knows that social proof should be the cornerstone of their online strategy.
How well developed your social media platforms are is now considered the single best way of increasing conversion, gaining trust for your company and reducing buyer’s remorse by easing the minds of your potentially worried customers.
When you consider that 81% percent of shoppers conduct online research before making a purchase, if there’s insufficient information about your company coming up in their search results, then you’re missing an important trick.
Your online presence has become a validation for your actual, physical presence and people don’t trust in an entity that can’t be easily found online. Nearly 2 billion people around the world now actively use Facebook, so make sure that all your important company information is on display when people check your page out.
Write a compelling and complete description about your company. Set a custom web address for your page, and don’t forget to add your company website and all other important contact information. The “About” section should be completed in full as well. Be sure to include details about your price ranges, working hours and other relevant information about your business.
Create a branded profile picture and a high-quality cover photo that’s relevant to your business to help your potential customers get an idea about what you instantly.
#2. You Don’t Have a Posting Plan
Successful Facebook pages are less about spontaneity and more about strategy. Experimenting is the best method when it comes to social media marketing and Facebook is no exception. But, your experimentation period should be just that – a time to mix things up and figure out when your posts are receiving higher engagement and what types of content are more popular with your followers.
While it’s good to experiment regularly if you feel like your posts should be getting more visibility, that doesn’t mean that you should update your status whenever you feel like it, or just because you have some extra time.
Your posting frequency will likely depend on your number of followers, the type of business you’re promoting and resources you have available to spend on social media. But, once you’ve established your best posting times, remember that consistency is important and having a long-term content strategy for the posts you’re going to share.
Scheduling posts in advance is also a great way of relieving the pressure on you for days when you simply don’t have the time or inspiration to think of content that will generate high engagement at that time. Not just that, the more social media traffic you drive to your website from your Facebook page, the more domain authority your website will have.
#3. You Use Facebook Exclusively for Advertising
Too much promotion can be overwhelming and boring. And, if all you’re doing each time you post is pushing your latest product or service, then your engagement will drop like a stone. While it’s true that people still enjoy a good old-fashioned giveaway, discount and sales from time to time, a Facebook page that acts as a one-way promotional channel won’t generate positive responses or interaction from fans in the long run.
It does not end there! There are businesses that are generally restricted from promoting their ads on social media, including Facbook. A deep care of such ad campaigns is required and if advertising is considered exclusively, several considerations should be made.
“Facebook advertising in the industry like ours is extremely tricky and requires unique strategies that most businesses don’t need to bother with,” says Don Meyer, CEO of Smokazon. “Try to focus instead on posting interesting content and valuable information to give your fans good reasons to come back to your page,” he adds.
Remember the fluffy pandas? People like seeing images of cute, non-threatening and positive creatures from time to time.
Remember that just turning on the TV these days means that we’re absorbed in a world of terrorist attacks, political battles, environmental catastrophes, and economic woes. Many people use Facebook as a welcome distraction, so try posting a little positivity instead of controversial or negative posts.
#4. You’re Neglecting Analytics
Facebook provides all business users with free tools to measure the results of their online activity. There aren’t many things in life that come for free, so make sure that you use this information wisely to improve the success of your Facebook page.
Facebook Insights provide useful information that you should take advantage of to get more engagement from your audience and reach a bigger number of users with your future posts. You can check out who’s been looking at your posts by gender, region, and interests, and tailor a Facebook strategy based on this information.
Checking the data at least once or twice a week can help you understand what and when to post. Analyze the statistics on a regular basis, compare data to see if your strategy is working, and adapt your content to the new results.
#5. You Underestimate The Power of Dialog
Facebook, as with all forms of social media, is a great way of connecting with your fans and getting good feedback that you can use to improve your business. People love to tell you what they think and feel like their opinions matter, so make sure you answer to private messages regularly and react to people’s comments.
While we’d all love for our customers and fans to be happy with everything we do, it’s possible that you may receive negative feedback on your Facebook page. But turning a disgruntled customer into an advocate for your business can be possible if you respond to their problem early on. Always be polite and apologize to clients when necessary.
Show them that you care, that you own the problem and what you’re going to do to resolve it. Offer them a free product, a discount off of their next purchase. Sometimes even a simple apology from a face behind the company can work wonders. Don’t underestimate the power of dialog when it comes to Facebook. This is a 2-way conversation, not a monolog.
Generating dialog is also a great way of getting free and constructive criticism for improving on your business, so ask your fans what they think of your new website, online chat, or latest product. You might find their insights valuable.
Final words!
Remember that the rules of social media marketing are continuously changing, so you’ll need to keep a finger on the pulse of latest developments. Facebook is a powerful tool when you’re trying to build your reputation.
It’s important to use it wisely, and these five big Facebook faux pas should and can be avoided at all times.
