This week we begin a 4-week series in which we cover the top 5 mistakes business make on the most popular social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram. We invite you to subscribe and follow along each Monday for quick and valuable tips on how you can avoid making these mistakes and immediately improve your business’s social media presence. Enjoy!
5 Mistakes New Businesses Make on Facebook
Social media is a powerhouse of possibilities that offers businesses and brands unique and ever-changing ways to reach their target audience. It goes without saying that one of the most popular social media sites for businesses is Facebook. This platform is constantly updating its inner-workings to be more appealing, approachable and beneficial for businesses, but you still have to have a basic understanding of Facebook’s tools, and how they align with your marketing goals, to get the most out of your time and money.
As with any type of technology, there is a learning curve, especially for businesses who may not be “tech savvy.” This is all the more reason to invest the time into learning the essential dos and don’ts businesses should follow when beginning to build a professional presence on Facebook. For example, when setting up your Facebook account, remember to make your page a business page and not a personal or group page.
And this just only scratches the surface. Here are 5 examples of mistakes you should avoid when using Facebook as a business marketing site!
Not staying consistent with the tone and style of your brand
When marketing your business, it is important to remember to stay consistent with the look and feel of your overall brand. This is especially true when creating the content you post on your Facebook business page – as this may be the first and only way new customers experience your brand.
The best way to ensure that you’re remaining consistent across all of your marketing efforts is to compare what you’re posting on social media with the look and feel of your website, email newsletters, print marketing materials as well as the personality, values, and mission you want your business to convey. Check for consistency just like you would proof read a letter before sending!
Getting way too long-winded with your content
We live in a society of content overload. That, combined with our tendency to merely skim content before moving on to the next thing is all the more reason to keep your Facebook posts short and sweet. Don’t confuse your Facebook business page with a blog, or worse, a novel. Give your audience the reader’s digest version and pique their interest to learn more.
Then, provide a call to action so they can indeed learn more! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to share a link back to your website or provide more information on how they can order a product. Your followers are flooded with endless content in their newsfeed. In order to grab their attention before they keep scrolling, you have to catch them with compelling, and easy to absorb content, otherwise they’re on to the next thing.
Not responding to comments or complaints
As true for any business, quality customer service should be your number one priority. Just as it is important to respond in a timely manner to phone or in-person complaints, you definitely want to frequently monitor the comments and messages that come in through your Facebook business page for issues that may arise. No matter how they choose to contact you, your customers deserve timely and truthful responses.
Furthermore, a complaint is not always a bad thing! When addressed properly, you have the opportunity to show your entire audience that you’re a caring and proactive company that puts its customers first. Also with using Facebook as a networking platform, you should be prepared to respond to all comments to your posts, including people who have questions or merely want to offer feedback, as these are just as important as complaints.
Posting only content without any images or visuals
A common mistake businesses make when marketing their brand on Facebook is posting only readable content. One of the best ways to grab attention quickly when people are scrolling through their feed is by adding visual content. Accompanying your text with relevant and catchy graphics is an easy and fool-proof way to engage your followers to actually pause and read your content.
Not fully filling out your “about” information on your business page
One of the most simple, yet easy to make mistakes when creating your Facebook business page is not being thorough when completing the “about” information section. It is crucial to be as detailed as possible in your explanation of your business for several reasons. First, your Facebook page may be many new customers first impression of your business. You should have all the essential information here to greet them, just as you would on your website. Additionally, the more content you provide, the better search results you’ll achieve. Don’t miss out on showing up in someone’s search when they’re potentially looking for a business that offers what you provide! The bottom line is that you want to make it easy for your followers to understand what your business offers and what your niche is.
How have you navigated your small business strategy on Facebook? Have you made any of these mistakes? Share your thoughts by commenting below!
