Posts Tagged ‘Facebook’
Five Steps for a More Effective Facebook Page for Small Business
Emily Weaver wrote a great tip on Manta that AJGpr, a Los Angeles Public Relations Firm wanted to share. Here it is.
Representing your small business online can be difficult, but if done the right way you can reach an unlimited amount of customers. With social networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn it makes it easier for small businesses to truly stay in touch and on track with both potential and current customers.
1. Start with a Facebook Page
Facebook is generally used for social interaction anyway, so putting your business on Facebook will be second nature if you already use it for keeping in touch with friends and family.
- If you already have a profile on Facebook, you can add a page for a company or small business. This way you can still keep your personal profile active and under the same account.
- A great way to test out any new page online is to have a focus group you can trust. Who would be better than your friends list on your profile page.
2. Stay informed, get a routine
As a small business owner you want to keep your Facebook page up to date for customers. Not only does that fall under the category of posting content on a regular basis, it also means to be realistic when it comes to results.
- Post content – a photo, a news story, what you’re doing during the day – something that customers can only get from liking you on Facebook. If you get one ‘Like’ out of it you’ll be thrilled, but don’t expect it all to come at once.
- Have a goal of what you’d like to see happen out of what you post, just don’t get too distraught over a question you ask that gets no answer. As for posting, make it a habit to update your page at least once a day.
- There never is a wrong time to post, just as there isn’t a right time to post; whenever you get the time, whenever you have the content. Make it engaging for your customers so that they can get an idea of what you’re about!
3. Update your status with style
The status can be very daunting, but it’s an open space for you to share content with your customers. That’s exciting! Before posting, you might want to map out what you want to share.
- Do some research on other brands similar to yours and see what they’re posting. For instance a local bakery might post a photo of their famous hot chocolate, or a diner could post a question about what customers would like their special to be for dinner that day- something to involve customers, something that will keep their attention.
- Don’t think your content has to be completely formal. Make it your own, and represent the voice of your small business.
- Make sure to post mostly open-ended questions or thoughts to get more of a complete response out of your fans, this way you’re communicating back and forth with the person who matters most – the customer.
4. Keep in touch with customers
This may be an easy task, or a challenging one, depending on what you want to do.
- As the owner of your small business Facebook page you’ll be able to see who has ‘Liked’ your page. One way you can keep customers engaged is by sending them a message as soon as they ‘Like’ your page. This is a great way to let your new fans know that you’re going to be there to respond and interact with them promptly.
- Another way to keep customers engaged is to answer them via the messages section onFacebook. Some may just send you spam, but others will probably have legit questions. This section is something you’ll want to keep an eye on each day.
- In addition to your daily posts, answering your customer’s questions in a timely manner can only give them a positive perception of you. By keeping in touch with customers and answering their questions and suggestions you can keep a connection with them and they’ll definitely have nothing but good things to say about you and your business!
5. What you can offer fans
Think about it- they’re ‘Liking’ your page. What do they get out of it?
- If you can get something like a promotion going for your fans, or a coupon for 10% off your latest inventory it would guarantee their satisfaction and possibly get them to spread the word about ‘Liking’ your page.
For more ideas on what to post or just for best practices, visit Manta on Facebook to get an idea of how you can use Facebook for your small business.
I found this great post by Arik C. Hanson, for his blog Communications Conversations which he posted back in September and I wanted to share it with AJGpr blog readers.
Last week, I talked about the obvious trend of “art direction” when it comes to content on Facebook. However, what’s relatively shocking is the few number of brands that have caught on to this huge content shift on the biggest social platform.
I mean, by and large, many of the larger, Fortune 500 brands are on board. Mostly because they have huge agencies assisting or guiding them (not all the credit goes to the agencies, but it surely mitigates the risk that you’d miss a trend like this when you employe a huge, international agency to keep you AHEAD of trends like this). Look just below those larger companies though, and you’ll find an overwhelming amount of companies that are still playing by the 2010 Facebook rules–share links, ask questions, use polls.
Those rules are virtually dead, my friends. Welcome to the visual era of Facebook (and, oh by the way, I really should have welcomed you about 4-5 months ago).
Truth be told, imagery is everything on Facebook right now. So, what can you do to catch up? Here are a few simple ideas (that seemingly all the early adopters are using):
Art direct shots on the fly
I know this has been well documented by now, but you know what I love most about what Starbucks does on Facebook? It’s the ad-hoc shots they share. These are shots that are not taken by a full-blow production team, but instead (most likely–my guess) by one of their PR or social media folks “on the fly.” It’s the way of the new world. Brands that are nimble enough to pull these sorts of visuals off quickly are going to succeed in the new Facebook world.
Use (pieces of) ads as the post
Look what Tiffany’s is doing here. Simply using pieces of ads as the visual and pairing it with an “ad-like” headline is enough to earn a few likes/comments.
Branded photos still work
As much as everyone wants to be Oreo right now (don’t lie, you do), good, old-fashioned branded photography still works in terms of engagement. Remember, most of your fans on Facebook are there because they are EXISTING customers. They’re just looking for reasons to like your posts. Sometimes you just don’t need to overthink it. Give them branded photography–like what Burberry does here.
Celebrate the odd dates–creatively
Oreo solved the problem so many brands have: How do we “celebrate” all these odd dates we want to recognize on Facebook, but do it in a way that inspires engagement? As we all know by now, Oreo has done it brilliantly by using their product in a creative way. I’m not say you need to go follow Oreo’s lead, but how can you use your creative flair to do the same? Visually.
Still use quotes–just make them visuals
You know those quotes you use all the time on Facebook via text? Here’s the thing–they work MUCH better as visuals. Just see what Dove has done here. You’re seeing more brands taking this approach–because it WORKS.
Make regular posts visual
You know those run-of-the-mill text posts that worked so well 4-5 months ago? Fill in the blank posts, for example? Well, why not make those visual, too? Just look what Burt’s Bees has done here. Perfect.
Yesterday the Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook wants to allow kids under 13 into their social media club. It seems that because about 7.5 million kids under 13 are already using Facebook, Mark Zuckergerg thinks it is OK to open this Pandora’s box further.
My client, Gwenn O’Keeffe, MD, a pediatrician CEO & Editor In Chief of Pediatrics Now speaks out against this move in her Huffington Post blog.
Author of CyberSafe: Protecting and Empowering Kids in the Digital World of Texting, Gaming, and Social Media (AAP 2010), Dr. Gwenn is one of the most highly sought after pediatric and social media experts today.
Millions of children are signing up for Facebook, and a recent survey released shows parents are helping their children lie to get online.The minimum age Facebook or its social network is 13 — in line with federal laws to protect children’s online privacy.Yet according to a study funded in part by Microsoft and universities, more than half of all parents with 12-year-olds said they knew their children were signed up for the service. One in five parents of 10-year-olds knew of their children’s activity on the site. Asked how the kids signed up for the service — thus violating the site’s terms of service — nearly seven in 10 parents said they helped their children set up accounts. According to the survey, one in five parents acknowledged having a 10-year-old on Facebook. That number rises to 32 percent for parents of 11-year-olds and 55 percent for parents of 12-year-olds. My client, parenting expert Betsy Brown Braun and bestselling author of Just Tell Me What To Say and You’re Not The Boss Of Me, shares her insights on this new trend with WTOP radio in Washington. Have a listen.
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