There have been times when I have felt like all I do is manage our Facebook and other social media channels! I even considered employing someone full time to do so but after looking at the ROI I realised that it would not be wise to do so at this stage of our business. This led me to do some digging, research, testing and measuring of my own rather than rely on what everyone else is saying. Here are my findings for my type of business done my way! You will need to go on your own journey to find out what works for your type of business in a way that suits you.
1. Enjoy Facebook
I realised that there was a problem when I stopped enjoying it. If you don’t enjoy it then no one else will enjoy your posts either so you are wasting your time and theirs. Manage your Facebook in a way that allows you to enjoy it. It may sound too simple but this really is the best starting point. If you really can’t enjoy it then perhaps it is best that you outsource it or focus on a different social media platform as you are unlikely to get the best results for your business.
Amy Coe of Anorak Cat Web Design says, “I’m certainly no social media pro but I must admit to enjoying planning my Facebook posts. I find you can learn so much whilst browsing through blog posts looking for that perfect piece that you know your target audience will appreciate. Or smiling inside when you think of something you know they’ll enjoy seeing, reading or taking part in.
My top tip would be to always take a moment to put yourself in the position of your target reader and ask yourself “Is this something they would like to read today or find useful?”. If it’s not, delete and start again! I always go for quality over quantity. Otherwise won’t I just bore people away?”
2. Understand Facebook
Ignorance causes frustration! If you don’t know how something works then you are less likely to get it to work properly. Take a few minutes to understand how Facebook works and what is important about Facebook for your business and what is not. A small amount of time invested in this can save you a great deal of time later on.  Here are the basics to get you started.
Gemma Dore of Ping Thing says,
- Facebook is personal. Before it became an essential platform for businesses, it was originally created to connect people and share personal experiences. Businesses need to remember that it is other humans on the other side of the screen and content needs to be relatable and engaging
- Always link in your website/landing page in a post. This is where you wanted to drive traffic when you created the post, so make it easy for the customer to get to the right place.Â
- Regularly publish. It’s just as easy for people to unlike your page as it is to like and if you aren’t constantly posting interesting and engaging content there is no reason for them to stay.Â
3. WIIFM for Facebook
What’s In It For Me is what all your followers will be asking. So before doing anything on Facebook, answer their question and post accordingly. Are you offering them entertainment, information, products, news or are you offering them regurgitated boring posts because that’s what everyone else is doing or constant sales, sales, sales just so you can get their money?  Remember, how you make them feel is what really counts.  So if you want to be funny make them laugh out loud – then they will share. If you want to offer information make sure it is really educational, then they will share. Are you trying to sell your products? Make sure it is something that they need and not just something you want to sell. Connect with your audience.
Sarah Cook of SHC Social media says, “KNOW your customers. And know them really really well make it your mission to know them inside out, better than your best friend! What are their groans, passions? What makes them laugh, cry? What words and phrases resonate with them? What problems and concerns do they have? How does your business help them with these issues? Then…. Structure your posts focusing on this and this alone ensuring that you’ve a combination of posts that are your own and ones shared from other Facebook pages. Always keep your customer in mind name her, and build a profile around her with details about her lifestyle and work/family life. Stay focused on her and she’ll be attracted to you and your business.”
Next….
Once you have covered step 1 to 3 above, take time to create your own social media plan that allows both you and your audience to enjoy your Facebook posts. Don’t be afraid of trying something new, just because no one else is doing it doesn’t make it wrong. You might like to be personal and sign off with your name and a x or you may think this idea terrible and unprofessional. Â Neither view is right or wrong it is simply your way of doing things. You need to find your own way and then ask your audience what they thing too as ultimately it is for them that you are posting after all.
Just remember: You can’t please all of the people all of the time!
Sofia Pacifico Reis from Increase Your Social Reach tops tips are, “Establish a specific goal for your page, be consistent in your posting and interact with other pages to establish relationships and collaborations. If you go through my checklist you’ve got the basis covered.”  Get Sofia’s Social Media Checklist here.
Happy Facebooking and don’t forget to like our Facebook Page.
We have dedicated an entire chapter of our Success Story System to Social Media, get involved and tap into all of our valuable resources to support you in your business.