When opening you first business page on Facebook it seems like an easy task to create a fan base via some Word of Mouth Marketing and paid advertising. Since everyone is on Facebook, you would think that people would jump on and like your page and keep themselves in the loop through posts you share. Unfortunately, it’s been proven time and time again that this is not the case.
It’s a well known fact that not all Facebook business pages are able to gain followers and likes as quickly as they may have projected. The ones that are successful are following best practices and are constantly updating their skills and qualifications to avoid these 7 sins of Facebook:
1. Being All Talk
Social Media Marketing, especially on Facebook, is about interaction and communication and being social with other users, including fans and followers. Many businesses make the error of simply broadcasting their news, without showing interest in what their followers and fans are doing and sharing. By caring about what they say, you’re making your brand come alive.
2. Abandonment
I see this happen very often. Businesses invite people to engage with them on Facebook and then all of the sudden disappear…no updates and no follow through. This not only dooms your marketing campaigns, but causes your fans and customers to turn their backs on you and unlike your page. In the future, they will also be allowed to “dislike” your page, a new button the social network is working on.
3. No Marketing Strategy
Having no marketing strategy is like doing business without a plan or building a house without a foundation. What are your goals with Facebook marketing? How many fans are you looking to entice? How many leads are you hoping to bring to your website? Without goals, strategies and tactics in mind, you’re on your way to achieving less-than favorable results.
4. No Bio and/or Contact Information
A common sin a lot of businesses mistakenly mistake is that they don’t fill out their contact information and provide a short bio about what their business does. Only businesses and celebrities with a solid reputation and large following will be able to pull this off.
5. Mindless Posting
It amazes me how many businesses stuff their Facebook page with inaccurate and flimsy posts. Even worse are the pages that share posts where every word is a hashtag. It’s not only hard to read them, but is considered bad practice and labeled as spam.
6. Linking Twitter and Facebook Accounts
There’s a reason why Facebook and Twitter are both independently successful- they’re two completely different platforms! The language is different for each platform, and so is the ideal frequency of posts. If you have your Twitter account linked to Facebook, you may be alienating followers with hashtags and language they don’t understand.
7. Turning Off Comments
Remember that it’s called “social” media for a reason. Let people communicate with you. Don’t close your page to comments because you are worried about “negative” publicity. Most pages do not get negative comments and if they do, consider it valuable feedback and use it as an opportunity to show that you are listening.
About iRISEmedia
iRISEmedia.com is a Toronto digital media agency and SEO company, specializing in Social Media and online marketing. Our team helps clients increase their reach and profitability by developing and implementing customized and targeted online and social media marketing strategies. We service clients in Toronto, Ontario, the GTA and throughout Canada as well as globally.
