Why Businesses Faceplant on Facebook
With 9 billion users, Facebook is far and away the most used social network in the world. If Facebook were a country, it would contain the third largest population, behind China and India. And like China and India, Facebook has its own unique customs and norms, and you need to understand them in order to fully leverage the site’s potential as a marketing tool. Whenever I see businesses get it wrong on Facebook, it’s often because they don’t bother to learn the local customs.
Tread lightly
What makes Facebook distinct from other social networks? It’s that users have strong ties with each other. They are connected with their friends, their family members, their in-laws and their long-lost friends from grade school. They share intimate aspects of their lives. Stuff like:
- 1. Birthday celebrations
- 2. High school graduation footage
- 3. Baby photos
- 4. Wedding announcements
The upshot for business owners? They must be conscientious and careful within their technique. You can’t use the old forms of one-way, direct-response marketing on Facebook, since people aren’t there to listen to sales pitches. They’re not in a buying mindset. They’re in a socializing mindset. It’s important to respect that.
Keep it real (for real)
If you attempt to port the old style of marketing into Facebook, you will be disappointed. The natives will get irritated and shun you. “With Facebook, marketers of any size can do effective, word-of-mouth marketing at scale for the very first time,” says Annie Ta, a Facebook spokeswoman. “But Facebook is all about authenticity, so if your company is not being authentic or engaging with customers in a manner that feels genuine, the community will see right through it.”
If you’re doing it right, it’s hard
Don’t be fooled by social media “gurus” who make ridiculous promises about effortless Facebook success. Social media is all about building relationships and influence—and this takes time. Many organizations believe that if they set up a page on Facebook, that’s all they have to do. Marketing on Facebook is definitely an extremely effective way to reach local customers (we wouldn’t be talking about it if it weren’t). But here’s the rub: it’s also challenging (and rewarding) if you’re doing it correctly. The payback is definitely worth the investment in time and attention. According to a study from Social Media Examiner, nearly two-thirds of small businesses engaged in social media point out that Facebook has enhanced their overall marketing effectiveness, and 80 percent report forming new partnerships after just two years of participation.