I manage many different Facebook Pages for my clients. For one client in particular (a consumer packaged goods company) every now and then a status update generates comments that really touch my heart. I want to share some them with you:
“Fill in the blank: All I want for Christmas is ___________________________.”
- Peace of mind and a good woman who is truly ready to settle down with one man!!!
- World Peace!!!!!
- For my kids to have Christmas. Can’t afford it this year. : (
- A job.
- My parents back.
- A girlfriend.
- A job. Not working sucks.
- Happiness for all for one day, even if impossible, still want that most.
- To have my dad back on earth again. To tell him I love him again.
- My health so I could spend and enjoy my grandkids and kids.
- Just for everything to be OK.
- For my kids to be happy.
- All my family together with all differences set aside.
- For my son to get his cochlear implants and be able to hear me say “I love you.”
We received many more comments similar to the ones above, too many to list. These comments are a little snapshot of what is going on in people’s minds right now in this country.
Every week I speak to business people who are facing the same dilemma. They keep hearing that they should be using Social Media* for Business, but they have no idea WHAT that really means. Facebook? Twitter? YouTube? Blogging? And even if they did know HOW, they don’t know WHEN they’d have the time for it.
And even if they knew when, the biggest question of all is WHY?
There are as many answers to How and What as there are different kinds of businesses. But the answer to WHY? is always the same**:
To Increase Revenue
This is the first in a series of posts that address just this issue. I will attempt to answer the question WHY? for different types of businesses.
BUSINESS TYPE #1: BUSINESS DEPENDS UPON REFERRALS, NOT MARKETING
“Our business depends on referrals for all of our new clients. We never market or advertise. Our stellar reputation is why people choose us. WHY should we use Social Media?”
Imagine this Scenario:
One of your current happy clients tells a colleague how your company has done a fantastic job for her. The colleague writes down your name (or your company name). Remember, your best clients aren’t walking around with a stack of your businesses cards, as much as you wish they would!
The colleague (this person could be your dream client!) has no other choice but to do a Google search for your company in order to find your contact info. What will she see? Get into the head of that potential client and perform that same Google search for yourself. What appears on your screen is pretty much what she sees.
Is your website the only listing on the page? Does it tell your company’s story in a way that the potential client will see value in hiring you? Is there anything else appearing on the screen that conveys the message that you want this client to see?
If your answer is NO, then you have a wonderful opportunity: Social Media (I use the term loosely) is the way to increase your business profile on the web and moreover, make sure that your story is told in the way that will make a potential client sit up and say “This is exactly what I am looking for!”
Research shows that people use search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing) more often than any other research tool as the #1 source of information gathering in preparation for a purchasing decision (even when they have been referred!).
And it’s only natural. Everyone wants to get a little bit more information about a company before they pick up the phone and call, and the Internet has made it possible to research quickly and easily. I’m sure you’ve done it yourself.
What we don’t know is how many potential clients have searched for your company after having been referred and DID NOT CHOOSE YOU because your Internet presence did not convey that your company provides exactly what they need.
WHY? Because Lost Opportunity results in Lost Revenue! That’s Why! Now…HOW, WHAT and WHEN are easy! Let’s talk.
*I use Social Media as a catchall term for content marketing, blogging, and using Facebook, Twitter, etc.
**Disclosure: every now and then I do work with a client that does not have a revenue producing agenda, but instead is looking for pure visibility in her or his field.
Facebook rolled (some say “steamrolled”) out major platform changes this week, in case you haven’t noticed! Those of us in the industry knew they were coming, although most of us didn’t know exactly what all the changes would be.
Facebook has the right to make changes on their platform. Some industry folks see all the new features as being Facebook’s direct reaction to the threat of Google+. Some see the changes (as I do) as not only a reaction to the features that make Google+ so easy to use, but also Facebook’s need and desire to keep users on the site for the majority of their Internet usage, therefore reducing the need for them to leave to search for music, to buy products, to chat with friends, to see real-time news, and more.
When I work with clients I often use this analogy to illustrate how users feel about Facebook: Facebook is a house. People like to hang out in their house with their family and friends. The more they can do without having to leave their “house” the more comfortable they feel.
Where the Problem Lies
Imagine you are renting the house (basically users are “renting” space on Facebook’s platform, albeit for free) and while you are at work, your landlord comes into the house, moves most of your stuff around, hides other stuff, and piles a lot of new stuff that you never asked for in places you don’t expect. The landlord leaves you a note saying, “I think you will like the house better this way”.
How would you feel? Invaded? Disrespected? Really Angry?
That’s how many Facebook users feel right now. If you check the Twitter hashtag #newfacebook you’ll see thousands (probably hundreds of thousands) of complaints and in many cases, anger.
I believe that Facebook users will get used to the new changes, and most will find them really useful, as I do. The new features make Facebook better for users and better it is for markers.
The way in which Facebook changes were made is the reason that users are angry. Anger is not what any business wants their customers (or tenants) to feel.
I’m looking forward to hearing how this all plays out. Would love to hear your comments.
Many of you have asked me how to adjust the privacy settings for your Facebook personal profiles. Facebook tends to make changes to this feature a lot, so it’s good to go in every now and then and make sure your are set the way you want them.
Here’s a Step-By-Step guide to customizing your privacy settings:
Click the Account tab in upper right corner of your page, and select “Privacy Settings.”
Under the Connect on Facebook header, click “View Settings” to view and change what people see when they search for you on Facebook.
Anyone can search for your Facebook page, so it is important you only display appropriate content—your potential employers don’t need to hear about your hangover or see pictures from that weekend in Vegas. And, as Facebook becomes a more prominent tool for business networking, it is a good idea to keep it professional.
Go through each setting and select “Everyone,” “Friends of Friends,” “Friends Only” or “Customize.” The “Customize” option will allow you to adjust your settings to specifically show or hide your activity from certain friends.
To control the settings on what you share on Facebook, click “Back to Privacy” in the upper left corner.
Under the “Things I Share” heading, you can customize who sees what you post on Facebook. This includes photos, videos, status updates and information about your likes, connections and relationships.
“Things Others Share” is where you control who views what friends post and share on your profile—wall posts, pictures and comments.
Lastly, it is also very important that you adjust the Privacy Settings for your “Contact Information.” For example, it is a good idea to make your address and phone number visible to “Friends Only.”
At the bottom of the “Things I Share” section, there is a link that will allow you to change the privacy settings on your existing videos and photo albums.
I suggest keeping your profile picture visible to make it easier for friends and family to find you. The privacy of other albums you share is up to you, but again, remember to keep it professional!
If you have any problems with your privacy settings or have any other questions about Facebook…Just Ask Betsy!
The new Facebook Business Pages layouts are now the only layout available. If you had not upgraded your Page until now, you may be dismayed to wake up this morning and find that it was updated for you!
So, there are a lot of places on the web where you can get help and information about all the new changes, including the new Photo Strip (I wrote a blog about how to deal with it here), updates visibility, and more.
Thanks to a lot of really smart people out there blogging and posting, I have been able to configure most of the Pages I manage pretty easily. But I just couldn’t figure out how to change the order of the tabs, which are now listed on the left hand side of the page.
All the information I gleaned from Facebook’s help sections, blogs and forums kept saying that all I needed to do is to drag and drop the tab titles while logged in as an admin. But it didn’t work!
So, then I discovered that you can only rearrange tabs if you have 7 tabs or more. So, for one of my accounts, I had 7:
1. Wall
2. Info
3. Photos
4. Coupon
5. Sweeps
6. Like Us!
7. Recipe
But I still couldn’t move them around!
Then, the light bulb went off! You need 7 tabs IN ADDITION to “Wall” and “Info” (which you can’t move).
Solution:
I added ‘Discussions” and “Video” (two tabs I’m not using right now) and voila! I can now drag and drop the tabs! The ones that I’m not currently using are hidden unless someone clicks “More”.
Here’s what it looks like now:
So all I have to do is click “More” then “Edit” and I can move them around.
Note: only tabs created with iFrames can have little favicons, so we are rebuilding all our FBML pages so our list can look really great.
If you have questions or comments, please feel free to write!
Many of you have upgraded your Facebook Business Page prior to the automatic update on March 10. So now you are wondering what to do with that funny Photo Strip at the top of the page.
First thing to understand: Facebook will display the most recent photo upload in the Photo Strip, whether you added just a new photo to an album, created a new album, or published a photo in a Status Update.
You may have noticed that the photos are automatically cropped to fit into the small thumbnail-sized spaces.
So how can you control the Photo Strip? It’s easy!
1. Select the five photos that you want to appear on your Page all the time.
2. Create a special album for the Photo Strip Photos
3. Re-size all your photos as close as you can get to 97×68 pixels.
4. Upload the photos to the new album (select them all at once instead of one at a time).
5. Do not click “Publish” unless you want your 5 new photos to be published to your fans’ newsfeed. Just click “Skip”
6. Voila, your Photo Strip should look pretty good. You can change the order of the photos in the album, but not on the Page.
7. Now, if you want only the photos in your Photo Strip album to appear all the time, you must hide any new photos that you publish right after you publish them. It takes a bit more time, but it’s worth it.
Remember, with an estimated 132.5 million US web users on Facebook this year; almost 57% of all Internet users are members. So, your Facebook Page is very important. Although most fans won’t go back to your page after they “Like” your page unless you direct them there, Facebook Pages are public and are just as important to your company’s branding as your Website has always been.
To see how the Be Visible page looks now that we’ve worked on the Photo Strip, click here: http://www.facebook.com/BeVisibleAssociates
I’ll be publishing more tips on the new Facebook Business Pages. Stay tuned!
It's very exciting that Be Visible Associates' client Dr. Michael Sinkin was featured in print and web in the New York Daily News yesterday.
The article is about how small businesses are seeing success by using Social Media marketing. Dr. Sinkin has increased his practice by using Facebook, Twitter and Blogging. Don't think a sole medical practitioner can use Social Media effectively? Think again!
Read the article:
Word of mouth: Scores of businesses are joining the conversation with Twitter, Facebook
Photo: NY Daily News
With Facebook Business Pages, unless you are running ads, you don’t get a ton of data to work with. However, Facebook is starting to deliver more analytics (called Insights) on status updates for Page owners. Here are some tips on how to use them:
Create an Editorial Calendar: Since I recommend that brands and businesses shouldn’t post Facebook updates more than once per day, it’s pretty easy to create a calendar.I usually plan updates 1-2 weeks in advance. That gives me something to post every day without having to create updates on the fly, but it’s a short enough time to be able to react to something in the news, great content I may find, or changes in the business.
Expand the Editorial Calendar into a spreadsheet. Your spreadsheet should contain these columns:
- Date
- Update (the content you will post)
- Post Time (i.e. 1:00pm)
- Impressions
- Likes
- Comments
- Total Feedback (what percentage of people who saw your post, actually engaged with it)
After about 24 hours, you will see analytics of each post such as Impressions, number of “Likes”, number of Comments, and total feedback. Then just plug those numbers into your spreadsheet.
Impressions: Of course, you are looking for the greatest number of impressions (meaning how many people see your update) and after a while you are going to see some patterns in what time each day you are reaching the most people. Compare weekends to weekdays and mornings to afternoons and evenings.
If some of your posts have links to your website or blog, you should add a column for those and get the data from your Google Analytics.
Make sure you take note what will affect your numbers, such as time of year, for example. If your goal is to reach teens, during the summer they’ll be on Facebook more during the day, whereas during the school year on weekdays, they’ll be on Facebook more at night. So, plan your posts accordingly. The analytics will tell you if you’ve guessed correctly.
“Likes” and Comments: Why is it important that your updates get lots of “Likes” and Comments? The obvious reason is: engagement with your brand or business. But there’s another really important reason! Stay tuned and I’ll explain in my next post!
Related: Why Businesses (Should) Love Facebook
Businesses and brands should love Facebook. Why? Because Facebook enables companies to talk to the people who are actually interested in what they have to say.
The old school of advertising was this: Blast out a message to an audience defined by geography and media consumption habits and pray you reach the right people at the right time and enough times, enough times that they consider a purchase in your category.
But with Facebook, it’s not simply age, geography and media consumption habits that define an audience; it is interests that define an audience.
On Facebook, when members complete their profile info, they enter their likes and interests such as:
• Activities
• Music
• Books
• Movies
• TV Shows
And, members add brands to their profile, too, when they “Like” Facebook ads that appear on their page or through updates shared by their friends,
So, for brands, on Facebook it’s as easy as pie to find the people who would be most interested in your message and reach them through Facebook Ads. And even for smaller businesses, with Facebook Ads, the playing field can be leveled.
For example:
• If you sell pizza, you can reach people who “Like” Dominos Pizza and Pizza Hut.
• If you sell children’s clothes, you can reach people who “Like” The Children’s Place, Pottery Barn Kids, and Toys R Us.
• If you sell beauty products, you can reach people who “Like” Sephora and Avon.
Your brand becomes part of the community of people who want to see your messages.
What’s even better, you can quickly and inexpensively learn by trial and error what your fans respond to by testing different kinds of updates and keeping detailed records of how many “Likes” and how many comments (and what kinds of comments) your posts receive. And, Facebook is providing more and more robust tracking information to help you analyze the engagement.
So, what do you do with that info? Stay tuned!
Related: Simply Put: Why People Love Facebook
How brands and businesses use Social Media has everything to do with how the decision makers use Social Media themselves. People in business who have grown up using Facebook, for example, understand that the Social Media is not just a useful tool, but it’s the way people define themselves in front of their peers. And people want to be associated with Cool, including Cool Brands.
Although Facebook has just reached the 500 million-members marker, it has just begun to define itself in terms of business. So, it’s up to each company and brand to figure out how to use it effectively. When I consult with a client, I often ask them to spend time on these 3 questions:
1. Who is my target market?
2. Where do they hang out on the Web?
3. What would make them want to identify with my brand in front of their audience?
In other words, what can I do to make my brand “Cool”?
Old Spice is the perfect example of how an “uncool” brand found it’s “Cool Factor”. The aging brand has been around since the 1930s, a dinosaur in the men’s grooming and cologne market. But they decided to use Social Media as Generation Y does:both as a conversational tool and as a way to define a new public image. Actor Isaiah Mustafa created a dashing spokesman character-wearing only a towel-who responded to users comments through a series of witty short videos, each taking less than seven minutes to shoot.
The series not only created a bond between users and the brand, but also suggests that the Old Spice customer is similarly funny and cool. On Twitter, Isaiah Mustafa’s Old Spice character is acting just as any young person would: posting random musings rather than Old Spice info: “I can’t stop thinking about axes and mountains and wolves and football. And old steam tractors.” Rather than set up a conversation between the customer and the brand, the Social Media team at Old Spice mimicked the Social Media voice of their ideal customer. Check out Old Spice on Facebook to see what they are doing.
If you are in the position to make marketing decisions for a company or brand venturing into Social Media, spend some time identifying your “Cool Factor” before you get started. Even if you don’t have the budget of an Old Spice, taking this one preliminary step with make the rest a lot easier.