Marketing Tip: How to Make People Really Like Your Facebook Fan Page

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The Sad Truth about Social Media Marketing and Facebook Fan Pages

Social media marketing can make me a mint, and I don't even have to be very helpful.

Sadly, that's a true statement, but it's not one that would make your mother proud--or at least it shouldn't!

Almost any time I give a talk, I get asked some variation of, "Should I post that on Facebook and Twitter?"

 

 Any time I discuss doing some marketing work with someone, that person is likely to ask some version of, "Do you also do social media?"

Honestly, I don't blame these people.  People who are not internet marketers hear all sorts of things about Facebook and Twitter in the news.  They might even use one or both of these themselves.

That is where many of these business owners fail to make that connection.

Facebook Fan Pages Can be Great! 

Facebook is a great way for a business to stay in contact with its customer base--continuously.  Facebook does a great job of syndicating one person's post onto many other people's walls or Facebook timelines (as they're called today).

If people "Like" your company's Facebook Fan Page, then everything you publish on your Fan Page gets posted for them to see.  If they have Facebook friends who also truly like your business but did not know about your business' Facebook Fan Page, their friend who already "Likes" you can suggest to them that they get updates that you post--by "Liking" you, too.

This is brilliant marketing!

The more people "talk" about you, the more they will associate good feelings with you.  The more they associate good feelings with you, the more they are likely to WANT to do business with you and possibly REFER business to you.

Engage on Your Facebook Fan Page--Don't Market!

So what is my problem with these questions about marketing your business on Facebook?

As a business owner, you should NOT be hiring a marketer to do this, because you really should not be using Facebook to market your business.

You need to truly engage with your customers on Facebook  This is just a basic concept of managing your customers that you already have.  Your Facebook Fan Page just provides a chance for you to make your customers excited about your business, even when they really aren't AT your place of business.

People "Like" you on Facebook, because they really like you, or they feel obligated to "Like" you.

I guarantee that NOBODY likes to see you post desperate advertisements about your business.  Nobody "Liked" you to see even MORE advertisements from you.

If I don't advertise on Facebook, what should I do on my Fan Page?

You need to share things that either (a) help people gain knowledge that they want, (b) inform people about upcoming or past events that interest them, or (c) entertain them.

If you want them to "listen" to you when you post advertisements on your company's Facebook Fan Page, you need to create reasons that people WANT to read what your company's posts.

Sure, I'll "Like" you, but I won't like you enough to actually pay attention to your posts--unless you make it worth my while.

• You need to offer me a chance to see funny pictures.
• You need to share some really cool facts about how to ride a bike for 50 miles without suffering from a sore keister.
• You need to tell me about some contest that I might want to change my schedule to attend.
• You need to share that recipe of that great soup that you make, which I'll never make myself, but I'll find it interesting, anyway.
• You need to show that video that's going to make me laugh and think about it ALL DAY!

Do you get what you're supposed to do with your Facebook Fan Page, yet?

In other words, you need to make your page worth visiting.

Otherwise, it won't matter how many "Likes" you get on your Facebook Fan Page.  You might have a lot of "Likes," but you won't have any respect.  More importantly, you won't be getting any more business from your self-indulgent advertising posts.

You don't need to blast things about your business on Facebook (or Twitter).  You need to provide value so that I WANT to talk about your business or share is with someone else.

Facebook Fan Pages Really Get New Business?

I do not see situations where a Facebook Fan Page helps get you new business, but if you engage with the people who are willing to "Like" you, you can certainly find ways to make your current customers even more enthusiastic about you.

Isn't that what word of mouth advertising is supposed to do for you?

You don't need to hire someone to "do" your Facebook marketing for you.  Like in "real life," if you want people to talk about you, you need to give them a reason to talk about you.  (Hopefully, that reason is a good reason. :)

Again, you either need to provide...

1. Helpful Information that they REALLY want to know,
2. Updates on Upcoming or Past Events that interest them, or
3. Entertainment for them.
• Funny Pictures
• Interactive Contests
• Jokes (that are actually funny!)
• Quote for the Day (these are overplayed; so these have to be good)
• Customer Appreciation Day: Feature a Customer of the Day/Week
• Sports Predictions (if many of your customers are rabid fans)

Do you go to anyone's Facebook Fan Page more than once for any other reason than what I just listed?

Don't focus on whether you should advertise your business on a Facebook Fan Page.  Focus on whether you can find reasons to make your customers WANT to talk about you...and visit your page.

This is the ULTIMATE customer response management platform, isn't it?  Why are so many of us advertising on it?

As a business owner, do you really need someone to market on Facebook for you, or do you really just want help knowing how to manage your customers that already have on there?

Like this post?  Other recent posts are

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• Social Media Productivity Checklist
• Over 7 Reasons I will +1, Thumps Up, or Like Your Post or Comment
• Logos are Nice but Only Sometimes Needed
• Branding Tip: How to Handle a Personal Attack on You (or Your Business)

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