Although Facebook started out as a place for people to meet and share personal thoughts and opinions, it has gained major status as a way to promote your business. With a billion monthly users, Facebook is the most popular social media site. When used properly for your business, the effect could be quite substantial.
The idea is to get as many people to “Like” your posts and follow your pages as possible. But in doing so, remember the old adage – Quality, Not Quantity! You want your numbers to consist of targeted and responsive followers.
Below are ten mistakes many people make when engaging in Facebook’s vast social network. Some people may not even realize they are floundering so go over each fumble carefully to ensure that you are not part of the losing team.
1. Incomplete profile and Business Information – Not filling in all your information suggests that you have something to hide. Be sure to fill out every aspect of the information forms. Be forthcoming and give out all pertinent information.
2. Wrong Profile Pic – When you are trying to build a business on Facebook you don’t want to use inappropriate pictures for your profile. Don’t use a picture of your pet cat or your family get-togethers. Use a photo of yourself looking straig ht ahead. Do not wear sunglasses or avert your eyes in any way. Do not overdo on make-up or look like you are going to a party. Always smile and just be yourself. A picture can be worth a thousand words.
3. Too Much Posting – You probably have read that you should post regularly to your page, but by the same token, posting too much can have as many adverse results as not posting enough.
4. Lengthy Posts – Bite-sized posts are much more likely to get read and responded to than long, flowing text. Facebook research shows that if your post has over 100 but fewer than 250 characters, it will have a 60% better chance of getting a response. So try to keep your posts between 100-250 characters for optimum response.
5. Mobile Unfriendly – Mobile marketing is making a big splash in the internet world and you need to be prepared. You need to be aware of the size of your posts and images in that they will fit and be readable on mobile devices. Keep your photos about 600 pixels wide by 400 pixels high and your text should be no more than 100 characters long.
6. Too Many Links – Any post should contain only one option for your followers to choose. Including additional links or calls-to-action in your post could cause the reader to become indecisive and just move on.
7. Promoting Without Value – Posting blatant sales ads without any other value will just get your posts skipped or cause you to lose fans. Posting periodical promotions and sales can work for you bu t you must also offer something of substance and value for your followers. For example: if you are advertising a sale on jewelry, offer information on how to choose the right jewelry for different events and outfits.
8. Ignoring the Negative(and Positive) – If you receive negative comments or feedback on any of your posts, Do Not Ignore It. Post a reply but be sure you do not post negatively as well. Reply politely while explaining the situation. Always address positive comments as quickly as possible too. Do not let people’s comments go unnoticed, be they negative or positive.
9. Not Using Facebook Insights – Facebook offers a great feature called Insights. They analyze your page’s traffic, engagement, likes, Friends of Fans, etc. Do not ignore this inform ation. Study it to find out what posts are being responded to, what time of day gets the most response, what days get the most response, and more. This will give you more “insight” into what to post and when to post it.
10. Too Much Automation – There are a lot of services, apps and programs you can use to automate your posting. While this could be helpful at times, do not get into the habit of doing it too often. You need to actually go to your page and participate in conversations and engage in people’s posts. While automation is a handy tool for helping in certain situations, it cannot replace us as live people!
The power of social media, if used efficiently, could be game-changing. But if you are inadvertently fumbling and cannot make the tackle , you are in danger of doing more harm to your business than good. Be aware of any mistakes you might be making and take the necessary steps to correct them. By doing this, you are sure to score!
