Wayne’s story: “Everyone said I had to do a Facebook page for my business. I figured that would be something Taylor could do when she’s not answering the phones. I know she knows how to snap chat, or whatever that’s called. Frankly, I’m not even sure why I should be paying someone to do this. Nobody really takes social media seriously, right?”
Wrong!
- 214 million Facebook users in the United States
- 21.1 million Facebook users are age 65+
Even if you don’t personally care how many followers you have, or use Facebook yourself, your business’s Facebook page should be treated as a legitimate avenue of sales/marketing/customer service (especially for direct-to-consumer companies.)
Much like your website, your Facebook page tells consumers you’re a real company, run by real people, and you are modern and innovative. By increasing your credibility on Facebook, you increase your credibility in real life (and hopefully increase your business!)
Here are some tips to ensure your business’s page and posts appear genuine, trustworthy, and professional.
Your Profile
Your business page profile should be complete, high quality, and up-to-date. A big red flag for a business page is an incomplete “About” section, with no contact information or outdated hours. Make sure you fill out everything entirely, with contact info and a link to your website, so people trust you are real and credible.
Don’t forget about your profile and cover photos. (Better yet, you can even add a cover video.) Your profile is incomplete without them. If your profile picture is blurry, it means your logo or image isn’t at a high enough resolution, and it won’t appear professional. Don’t have a logo? It might be worth consulting a graphic design team to help!
Here’s a quick checklist. Does your profile include:
- Company logo
- Cover photo (or video)
- Website
- Address
- Phone number
- About
Inaccurate information is perhaps worse than no information at all. If your contact information has changed, update your profile immediately. If you’ve rebranded recently, make sure your business profile reflects that by adding your new logo, colors, tagline, etc.
Your Posts
Don’t let your page get stale. If your last post was February 2015, what message are you sending people who seek out your business page? That your company is inactive or no longer be in business. Post regularly. (But not too many per day — you don’t want your followers to feel spammed.) A good rule of thumb is 3-5 times per week, but no more than once per day. This keeps your page fresh.
Post Relevant Content
If you want people to trust you, and value your page, produce valuable content. Have a healthy mix of useful, informative or entertaining content mixed in with promotional posts. This will keep your audience engaged. They’ll see you as a knowledgeable resource for helpful information, and not just out to make a quick buck.
Don’t Spam Your Users
People are already wary of what they see online, and nothing screams spam more than typos and bad grammar. Which would you rather click on? “Plz click to see youre new facebook strategy,” or “Click here to discover your new Facebook strategy.” Facebook algorithms filter out suspected spam, and make it harder to reach your users, so you want to stay on the right side of the algorithm.
Avoid “spam speak” and don’t overuse exclamation points or emoticons, particularly in post titles. For example: “Join our group NOW!!! LIMITED SPOTS LEFT!!! 🙂 :)” vs. “There are limited spots left in our group, join today!” The first title makes your post look like spam, but the second is a simple call-to-action. In addition, avoid repetitive posts. Facebook notices if many of your posts are very similar.
Be Genuine
Your Facebook followers are real people and want to feel that they are engaging with real people too! They’re more likely to read your posts if the feel engaged, and feel like they’re having a real conversation.
Check your Links
Have you ever seen an article on Facebook that looks interesting, but when you clicked the link an error message comes up or, worse, sends you to a completely different place? Double check that everything is correct and functioning properly before you post.
Engagement
Respond to your followers!
If a client or potential client called your office and left a message, surely you’d call them back. Similarly, if someone comments on a post or sends you a message, respond to them in a timely manner. Respond negative comments or messages, too. They provide a good customer service recovery opportunity. Studies have shown that reasonable responses to negative comments or reviews can actually raise your business in the eyes of a consumer.
Encourage Reviews
Facebook reviews from users are a great way to legitimize your company. Ask your clients who stop into your business to write a Facebook review.
Show who you are
Prove your account isn’t run by a robot. Share lifestyle pictures or videos of your employees “at work”. Some easy post ideas are: Sharing blogs or new content you’ve created for your website; sharing links to PR on your company or your brand partners. Post links to articles or any media mentions, which confirms that you are indeed a reputable company. Did you recently win an award? People want to know!
BONUS TIP:
Facebook has a great feature called “Events.” Whenever you have a public event, create an event on Facebook. People who respond that they’re interested in going or are attending receive reminders. And they can share the event with their friends as well.
Still feeling a bit lost in the social media sea? We can throw you a life jacket by providing a one-time marketing consultation, or we can paddle your boat by managing your social media and marketing! Laura Mitchell Consulting is a strike team of experts providing agile marketing, growth hacking services and effective awareness strategies to businesses like yours. We specialize in growth techniques including creative press, social media, website design, video production and splashy product launches at conferences.
