Facebook Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

Everyone has done it, me included. You like a page on Facebook because your friend likes it and within a week you come to regret it:  Usually because you get a barrage of rubbish. If you don’t approach Facebook with discipline and a fully developed plan your business could end up becoming one of those annoying pages.
From where I look at it, many small businesses join Facebook with no real understanding of why they are there or what they want to achieve. Depending on the niche you serve Facebook can end up diverting your attention from more relevant marketing. On the other hand, it can help get your brand in front of an audience you might otherwise never find.  That’s the most basic mistake you can make. Pouring efforts into Facebook if your prospects aren’t on Facebook or aren’t looking for what you offer. Consumer facing businesses tend to do well on Facebook. But if you’re a business to business firm there are probably other more effective ways to get your message across.  If you’re a complete newbie, look to see how active your competitors are on Facebook or other businesses similar to yours.
Let’s suppose you decide Facebook can dovetail with your other marketing. In that case you will need a plan, complete with goals and measureable objectives. Do you want to connect with existing customers or get yourself in front of people who may not have heard of you? Each requires a different plan. Too often Facebook marketing is haphazard and remains that way. That’s why you see so many pages with less than 100 likes.
Every marketing plan needs a budget. And Facebook is no exception. Yes its free for individuals to use but to get your brand out there you’re unlikely to thrive without some form of paid for Facebook marketing. Its true Facebook marketing can be very cost-effective – when you know how. So if you feel you really must be on Facebook allocate a budget to your activity.
Your plan should generate ideas for Facebook posts. Why will people want to visit your page or interact with your posts? Give your audience reasons to visit and interact. I still see too many pages where the audience can’t post. They can only reply to what the page owner publishes. That’s not the social media way. And another thing, don’t sell. Try to engage your audience. Ask questions. Also, your audience will switch of if you never update your page. Likewise if it’s all business your audience might find you boring. Be human. Also be cautious about updating too frequently unless you’re confident about mixing business and social topics.
Any marketing activity takes time and resources. Clients say I am always banging on about measurement but it is a biggie. If you’re not measuring what you’re doing then how do you know if it’s working and if it’s cost effective? You really need to go beyond superficial measures such as the number of Facebook likes you acquire. Take a look at The Facebook Pages Manager App for iPhone where you can access statistics about your page. Be creative too.  Release special discount codes or exclusive offers through your Facebook page so you can track popularity.
If you need any hands on help with Facebook marketing, give me a nudge.