Facebook Marketing Tips: Quality not Quantity

January 12, 2012 By

Your Facebook fan page isn’t worth squat if your fans aren’t commenting or ‘liking’ your posts.  Posts and status updates that receive more likes and comments are more likely to earn a coveted spot in the Facebook newsfeed.

When it comes to posting on your Facebook page, the rule is quality not quantity.  This is a delicate rule because you have to get it just right.  Too many posts and you run the risk of your page being ignored or fans getting irritated by your incessant posting.  Too little posts and fans may disappear forever because they never interact with you.

My suggestion is that you plan out about 3-4 posts a week.  Come up with a strategy to get people to ‘like’ or comment on your posts.   Use the Facebook fan insights to learn more about your fans, this may help you understand other topics that might interest them.  For example, if you have a younger fan base of 18-34 year olds, they may be interested in gossiping about the latest celebrity dirt, Jersey Shore episodes, etc.  In addition to these types of updates, be sure to pepper in some useful information about your business, brand or service.

The reason I suggest coming up with posts in advance is because it gives you more time to think of creative ideas, jokes, quotes or tips that are most likely to get interaction.

For my Facebook marketing clients, I create a spreadsheet for each month and map out by week and by day what the update is going to be about as well as any accompanying photos. Of course if late breaking news happens, I just skip whatever post I was scheduled to talk about and save it for the next update so I can take advantage of what’s hot in the news right now.

For more Facebook marketing tips, feel free to email us at stacey@tcr-marketing.com or check out our Facebook marketing packages.

Filed Under: Facebook, Marketing Tips Tagged With: ,

Get More Facebook Fan Tips

January 4, 2012 By

A simple way to get more Facebook fans to like your page is to add a signature at the bottom of your email that includes a link to your Facebook fan page. Instead of just saying something generic like ‘Connect on Facebook’ or ‘Become a fan on Facebook,’ include the link and add a benefit of becoming a fan of the page.

Some examples could be:

‘Become a fan of our Facebook page to receive exclusive, Facebook only coupons and discounts’ (any retail/service business)

‘Connect with us on Facebook for healthy skin care tips’ (spa)

‘Join us on Facebook to exchange marketing ideas and tips (small business marketing consultant)

Filed Under: Facebook, Marketing Tips Tagged With: , ,

Measuring ROI of Social Media

January 3, 2012 By

facebook marketing njSmall Business Marketing Tip: Measuring the ROI of Facebook

Just like any other marketing tool (TV, Radio, Newspaper, etc), you can measure the ROI of Facebook.  In order to do so, you have to develop specific goals that you want to measure (ie, sale of a certain product) and then a strategy to sell that product.

Not every aspect of Facebook can be measured in terms of ROI though.  Consider this, can you measure the ROI of your secretary?  Can you measure the ROI of a customer service representative who handles customer phone calls, comments and complaints?

If you want to measure the ROI of Facebook, you need to get specific. You can measure sales of a certain product by introducing an online promotional code called ‘FACEBOOKFRIENDS’ or ‘FACEBOOKPRODUCTX’.  Use that code only on Facebook and then at the end of the month (or sales period) see how many sales were generated using that code.

For more info on Facebook marketing, email stacey@tcr-marketing.com

 

Filed Under: Facebook, Marketing Tips

Salon and Spa Marketing: Why Your Facebook Page Stinks

October 10, 2011 By

Facebook has over 800 million users…so naturally, you created a Facebook fan page for your salon or spa. But guess what?  It stinks.  But you already know that…or maybe you don’t?  Why does your Facebook fan page stink?  Well, there are a number of reasons why.  But first, let’s start with the basics.

Facebook is a communication tool.  A phone is a communication tool.  Would you call a client or potential client several times a day blurting in their ear a promotional or special offer available at your salon? Imagine this:

8:30am

Salon XYZ -> Customer: Hello customer? Hi we have the new Paul Mitchell shampoo that repairs split ends!! Bye!

10:30am

Salon XYZ -> Customer: Hello customer? Watch this YouTube video!!! Bye!

1:30pm

Salon XYZ -> Customer: Hello customer?  $25 hair cuts today and tomorrow! Bye!

You get my point right?

Why do people become fans of Facebook pages?

The Andre Chreky Facebook page is a model example of how to use Facebook for your business.

There are many reasons why someone might become a fan of your salon’s Facebook page.  They might want to connect with their hair stylist, they may want to know if you are offering any specials, they may want to learn more about how to style their own hair and what the latest trends are.

Most people are on Facebook because they want to have fun.  That fun can mean saving on their next hair cut, watching a cool video tutorial on how to blow-out their hair at home or even answering a funny riddle.

Your Facebook page stinks because for the most part, it doesn’t address the main reasons why people are on Facebook.  Many salons and spas are simply shoving promotional announcements in front of fans with no regard to conversation or engagement.

Facebook is about relationship building, not advertising. If you are on Facebook to ‘advertise’ your business, get off. Consumers see enough commercials on TV, read enough junk mail and delete tons of spam emails.  We don’t need any more advertisements thrown in our face.

Instead of advertising your salon, take the approach of building relationships with your fans. You don’t always have to talk about your salon or spa, the employee of the month or what new product/service you have.  Think of other ways to connect with fans. Make them laugh.  Talk about current events.  Become their friend.  Because in the end, who are you going to trust to do your hair?  Your friend or an advertisement?

Andre Cheky Facebook Page – He’s Doing it Right

I came across the Andre Chreky salon Facebook page and I really like it. It’s by Andrew Chreky, a salon in the DC area. He has a good mix of information about life in general, hair, the salon, etc. Notice that he uses his blog to post information about stuff people are interested in.  Check out his Facebook page for some good ideas about what to post on your own.

Our Facebook Marketing Package

If you need help with your Facebook page, we offer a simple Social Media Management package.  Use our contact page for more information.

Filed Under: Facebook, Salon Marketing, Salons, Social Networking Tagged With: , ,

Facebook Announces Changes to Business Fan Pages

February 10, 2011 By

facebook marketing njFacebook just rolled out changes to business fan pages and I couldn’t be more excited about the new features.  As a Facebook marketing consultant, I am often the main ‘admin’ for many of my clients’ pages.  One thing I hated was that as an admin, I couldn’t comment on posts as myself to get conversations started and encourage interaction.  As an admin, Facebook automatically would make my comments look as though they were coming from the page itself.

All of that has now changed for the better.

The new Facebook fan page upgrade now makes fan pages look more similar to personal profile pages–more user friendly.  Most recent photos are posted along the top of the page and navigation links are on the left, same as your personal page.

Page admins have the option to comment on the pages they edit as themselves.  The default setting is that admin comments will still show up as if the page is commenting about itself, but it’s easy to change. Just go to edit page–your settings–and de-select the first option, Posting Preferences.

You can now comment on your fan page as yourself.

Another cool feature for Facebook page admins is that you can now get email alerts when fans comment on your posts or interact with your page–just like you do on your personal profile.   This is another great feature added by Facebook to make the lives of us admins much easier.  Now we don’t have to check several times a day for any comments or posts that were made to the wall of a page.  Email notifications tell us as it happens.   To manage your email alerts go to ‘edit page–featured’.

If you have any questions about these new Facebook fan page features feel free to send us an email.

Filed Under: Facebook Tagged With: , , ,

Why Companies Lose Facebook Fans, Twitter Followers & Email Subscribers

February 10, 2011 By

(source: ExactTarget.com)

An astounding 95% of US consumers use email and 73% of consumers have set up a Facebook profile.  So it’s not surprising that one of the most popular methods or marketing to today’s consumer is online.  Many businesses are eager to join the Facebook revolution and create Facebook fan pages or gather up customer emails and press the ‘send’ button in a frenzy.  But untrained business owners  just shooting from the hip when it comes to updating their Facebook fan page or sending out E-blasts could actually be doing their business more harm than good.

An insightful study called ‘The Social Media Breakup’ released from ExactTarget (www.ExactTarget.com) gives more detail on how consumers are ‘breaking up’ with businesses through social media.

Here are some important figures from the study:

* 91% of consumers have unsubscribed from opt-in marketing e-mails.

* 77% of consumers report being more cautious about providing their e-mail address to companies versus last year.

* 81% of consumers have either “unliked” or removed a company’s posts from their Facebook News Feed.

* 71% of consumers report being more selective about “liking” a company on Facebook than they were last year.

* 51% of consumers expect that a “like” will result in marketing communications from brands, while 40% do not believe it should result in marketing communications.

* 41% of consumers have “unfollowed” a company on Twitter.

Email Marketing Breakups- You’re Coming on Too Strong

With 91% of consumers saying that they have unsubscribed at some point from email marketing that they had previously opted-in to, it’s important for businesses to understand why.  An opt-in email list does not give us carte-blanche to blast daily messages to a list.  When asked why, consumers said the #1 reason they opted out of receiving emails from a company they once were interested in was because the company sent too many emails.

Overuse of the email channel is the biggest reason SUBSCRIBERS pull away. 54% of consumers say they unsubscribe when emails come too frequently from a particular brand.

email marketing nj

Photo courtesy of ExactTarget.com

Facebook Friends….Or Not?

How effective is your Facebook marketing? You’ll be surprised to know that most consumers (51%) say that after ‘liking’ a business fan page, they never visit that page to check for updates, sales, etc.  According to the ExactTarget study, “More than half of consumers (55%) have “liked” a brand, only to decide later that they no longer want to see posts from that brand. Of that group, only 57% bother to formally “unlike” the company. The rest either ignore unwanted posts or delete the posts from their newsfeed. So more than half the time, the company receives no direct feedback about the consumer’s desire to stop seeing their posts.”

So, makes you wonder….who is hearing your message…if anyone?

Can we be friends on Facebook?

facebook marketing nj

Photo courtesy of ExactTarget.com

Social Media Marketing–Show You Care

In conclusion, the most important aspect for businesses to remember about marketing to consumers, whether through Email, Facebook, Twitter or anything else, is to care about their customers.  Businesses must show that they actually care about their consumers and not just market mass messages to them. Here are a few tips to making the most of your marketing campaigns:

  • Follow Through: Don’t create a Facebook page if you don’t have time to respond to people who leave questions or comments.  Show you care by responding to inquiries from your fans promptly.
  • Engage: You don’t just have to talk about the new $100 jeans that just arrived at your boutique or the latest scarves on your shelves. Your ‘fans’ have other related interests like ‘fashion’ in general.  Give tips and ideas for great fashion looks instead of just trying to sell your products. Engage your fans to learn more by coming to your page.
  • Don’t be too self promotional: This relates to engaging your fans.  Fans expect some level of self promotion, but they don’t want it forced in front of their faces 24/7.  Talk about more than just yourself and your business.
  • Show restraint: Especially with email marketing.  Don’t send more than 2 emails per month and make them relevant and different.  With respects to your Facebook fan page, I usually recommend 1-2 updates per week and NO MORE.

For help with your social media marketing, give us a call at 732-757-7944 or refer to our contact page to get more information.

Filed Under: Email Marketing, Facebook, Social Networking Tagged With: , , ,

Using Facebook to Market to Baby Boomers

January 27, 2011 By

Baby Boomers are flocking to Facebook and loving it!  According to Deloitte data, 2009 was the year that social media bloomed for Baby Boomers, with nearly 47% of them actively maintaining a profile on the social web, which is up 15% from 2008.   The numbers continue to rise in 2010 and will do the same for 2011.  Not only are Boomers on Facebook but they are interacting and taking advantage of all that Facebook has to offer.

If your business markets to Boomers, you need a Facebook presence.  Your Facebook business fan page should engage your audience with interesting facts, quotes, information and even specials and discounts on your product and service.  The page is a way for you to capture the attention of your desired audience without the presence of competing businesses.  Once you gain a fan base you have a captive audience.  Don’t abuse this audience though.  Post too often and you could turn away fans.  Keep your Facebook fan page informative but unobtrusive.  Posting updates about once a week is acceptable.  In the event of a big announcement, it’s fine to add additional posts.

Help With Facebook Marketing

The good thing to know is that TCR Marketing can help you create your fan page and keep it up to date with weekly posts. If you would like us to help you with your Facebook marketing, please send us an email.

Learn more about Facebook marketing.

Filed Under: Facebook, Social Networking Tagged With: ,