Recently, an aggressive Maui producer posted an event he was promoting on my page and the pages of many of my friends. Not just once, but several times over the course of a few days. It wasn’t long before his aggressive posting style became a frequent topic of many Mana Foods produce isle conversations. In nearly every incident, the disgruntled friend always vowed to either not attend his event or delete him or both.
Most certainly, this was not his desired outcome but he didn’t walk away completely empty handed. A valuable lesson was learned: When you are communicating on Facebook, authenticity is essential. Facebook is like a virtual cocktail party. Shameless self-promotion gets you nowhere fast.
Facebook is a powerful tool that allows you to build your community and expand your network. It can also be a powerful tool for breaking your community apart. If you’re a business incorporating Facebook into your marketing mix be aware of modern etiquette. Here are five essentials:
1. Set up your page as a business page, not as a personal profile page. I can’t tell you how many businesses set up their pages as personal pages. Sure, they get to friend request people. What they are really communicating is, “Hi, I’m a business that has no problem spamming you to gather friends.” Also, businesses need more than 5,000 friends, which is the maximum amount you can have with a profile page. At some point you’ll reach the 5,000 max and have to start from scratch. If that is not enough, setting up a business on a profile page gives Facebook the right to delete your account at any time.
2. Shouting-style, one-dimensional communication that reads like an ad does not work. Facebook is all about real relationships and authentic personality. The same manners and grace that score you points at a cocktail party apply on Facebook as well. Be casual and authentic. Have a sense of humor. Don’t sound like an accounting textbook. Don’t shout at your fans with news about how great you are.
3. Fans: It’s quality over quantity. So many businesses ask me if I can “get them friends.” Sure, I can make the number of friends rise but does that even matter? I am a fan of hundreds of businesses and I never go to their pages. I do go to the pages of the businesses I frequent because I like their service or product, I like the people and the atmosphere, and I go to their Facebook page to see if there is something interesting or a special deal. In marketing Facebook is just part of the mix. Build your fans through authentic connection and you will get more value out of your page.
4. Entice! Seduce! Give your fans a reason to come to your page. People are not going to come to you unless you offer them something that meets their needs. You have to engage. Give them a forum to dialogue with other like-minded souls and with you. Reward them for being a fan. Inspire them and let them see the heart and soul of your business.
5. Engage with your Facebook community daily. Be patient. I see lots of businesses not get the results they want right away so they give up. Or they don’t see the value of social media so they don’t devote any energy towards it and the momentum fizzles. Social media will never work for you if you only want to be a spectator.
