Why do you have a Facebook page?
Many companies like yours have a Facebook page because someone said “you should have a Facebook page”. They created one quickly because they thought it would be a ‘good idea’.
It is, so long as you’re already providing excellent value and your customers are already recommending you to all their family and friends. That’s when Facebook can really shine for you, as it’ll be a natural extension to your current marketing efforts. (By the way, if you’re not providing good value to your customers, go take care of that first, otherwise word-of-mouth will go against you!)
However, merely having a static Facebook page won’t do you very much good. A highly engaging Facebook fan page will build brand loyalty and will pay huge long-term dividens.
A highly engaging Facebook fan page is one where
- your current and prospective customers feel valued, respected & included
- the culture and experience is consistent with brand
- fans come to depend on your page as a source for information or a particular kind of experience
- content is regular, relevant, timely & fresh.
[Hat tip to Mari Smith for sharing these four principles of a highly engaged Facebook fan page, at the Facebook Success Summit 2010]
So how do you build a highly engaged Facebook fan page and delve into the power of Facebook’s word-of-mouth marketing?
Facebook page fans can engage with you in one of four ways:
- on their news feed
- on your page wall
- on the page tabs (or apps)
- on the Facebook open graph or via social plugins
Today we’ll focus our attention on your page wall.
Status Updates on your Facebook Page
Your status updates can consist of text, links, photo and video. The moment you put up a status update, it will show up on your fan’s Facebook news feed. If they click ‘like’ or leave a comment on that update, then chances are high that all their Facebook friends would also see it on their news feeds too.
The more engaging your status update, the greater the chance of having interaction with that update, and therefore, greater word-of-mouth marketing for your business.
So what does it take to create a highly engaging status update and Facebook fan page?
In my view, status updates come in one of two flavours:
- informational updates
- anecdotal updates
(1) Informational Status Updates on your Facebook Page
These are simple nuggets of information to do with your business, such as details of your products, services, opening times, location, etc. It’s also an opportunity to share links and resources to help educate your fans and give them the solutions to problems they’re currently facing.
Here are some examples of informational status updates:
Vision One 2 One: Great new designer ranges just arrived vogue, D&G, polo, ralph lauren, gucci a very affordable prices. Book your free eyetest now. call 020 86215948
Indulge Dessert Lounge: We’re now open Monday to Thursday 7am to 10pm, Saturdays 10am to 11pm, and Sundays 11am to 8pm
Best Go Private: If you or a member of your family work or have worked in the past for a charity, in the public sector, the army, police force, a doctor perhaps (some other occupation types apply) discounted medical insurance with some of the best benefits in the UK is now available. Big savings can be made at renewal. More info available.
(2) Anecdotal Status Updates on your Facebook Page
These are the fun updates that give your current and prospective customers an insight into the business’ values, and the atmosphere they would expect when they come to see you.
Vision One 2 One Opticians: It was a pleasure today to see an 80yr old woman who came in for her eyetest. She was very relieved to see that we spoke gujarati, so she could explain her concerns well. She was then pleasantly surprised to find out that we can refer for cataract operations to be done very soon instead of the previous long waiting times.
Indulge Dessert Lounge: Yesterday we sold a shared dessert. A Belgian white chocolate fondue, served with fresh strawberries, chopped waffle peices, nuts and marsh mallows. It looked and smelled delicious, the customers loved it. What would you like in yours?
Best Go Private: An elderly couple contacted me because they had been offered medical insurance by another broker at half the cost of their existing policy & they were told it was like for like. They weren’t told that it did not cover her husband’s existing heart condition which would have been excluded. Before buying medical insurance seek a second opinion & try to double check the advice you’ve been given.
(BONUS) A blend of informational and anedcotal in one update
These are the really special updates where you are able to share information of value while giving your current and prospective customers a feel for the character of your business.
Indulge Dessert Lounge: It’s so chilly out there today! Even Alex has been wearing his jacket whenever he’s had to pop out for a bit. Come round to Indulge, relax here with your friends, and settle in with a warm mug of hot chocolate (specially made from the chocolate fondue).
Mixing up the Status Updates
Text updates are great, but don’t just stick to text. Mix it up! Fans love photos, videos and links to other resources.
If you run a cafe or dessert lounge, then post up a picture of the latest dessert that you’ve started serving. Better still, create a short video of you making the most delicious sweet and savoury crepes, and post that up. I wouldn’t be surprised if you get customers dropping in that evening because they “hadn’t yet decided on plans for the evening”, saw your status update with a photo or video, (via one of their friends’ Facebook feeds!), and decided to come and check out the desserts that evening.
If you are an optometrists, get some of your favourite patients to model your latest range of specs, take some snaps and post them up on your Facebook page. Get your page fans to give each frame a star rating of 1 to 5, and ask them to give a reason. Then respond to people’s comments with your own anaylsis of which frames would suit what kind of face – this gives your current and prospective patients an insight into how you’ll take care of their family when they bring them for an eye test and to get glasses.
If you are running a holiday resort, take a short video footage of different parts of your resort (the rooms, the restaurant, the beach front, etc) and upload those short raw clips onto your Facebook page – your past guests will have nostalgic moments and will want to return to your resort, and may even entice their friends to visit your too.
This needn’t be hard work. Just spend a minimum of 5 minutes a day on Facebook. Put up 3 status updates each day if you can, but just one a day will do for now, and you can increase that over time.
What if people leave comments?
Great! That’s precisely what you want. An engaged fan base.
First and foremost, if the comment is spam or derogatory, then you can delete it, anytime.
However, with genuine comments, respond to each and every one. At the bare minimum, acknowledge them: use their name and say thanks. Your time is the greatest gift you can give to others. Or write a comment in response to their comment. Or ask them a question back if you want clarity or want them to expand on what they said.
Do whatever it takes to communicate that you really appreciate them taking the time to share a comment and that you are listening. The beauty of this is that you learn so much about what your customers want, and so you know how you can best serve them over time.
What better way to get build customer relationships while doing market research?
Ongoing Facebook Marketing Support
Hopefully with the information above, you’ll now have the inspiration you need to keep writing status updates. If you need a Facebook page created or some ongoing support, through regular training or mentoring, then get in touch – email suraj@totalmarketingcontrol.com
