Are your Facebook ‘likes’ breaking your heart? On Facebook, the concept is to have as many likes and as much interaction as possible, between fans and your brand, right? That’s one of the ways we measure our marketing success via social media. But, for brands that are just starting out, or even for established brands, it may be hard to keep the conversation flowing and fans engaged. There are some basic ways to re-program your thinking that can lead to big, overall shifts in the way you and your audience interact on Facebook.
Let’s brainstorm a little bit, shall we? Maybe we’re thinking of this the wrong way – aren’t ‘likes’ and ‘fans’ part of an overall strategy? So you have 10,000 ‘likes’ – what are your ‘fans’ doing for you, and what are you doing for your ‘fans’?
There are plenty of brands out there using Facebook, and the likelihood that your ‘fan’ ‘likes’ other brands as well is a possibility, right? So, let’s switch gears for a second, and say that maybe the overall objective of Facebook is not about hoarding ‘likes,’ but about keeping your brand in the forefront of consumers’ minds. If your content reflects this, you start to develop brand equity, trust and a relationship with your consumers.
When you curate content you have to ask yourself a few questions:
- Who is my audience and how will this information benefit MY audience? What will this information do for my consumer?
- What do I want my consumer to do with this information? (Inform, carry out a call to action, etc.)
Eric Boggs, Founder and CEO of Argyle Social recently completed a study of the top IR500 online retailers including companies like Startbucks and Levis. He found only 29% of online retailers were using Facebook as an incentive for special offers, and only 4% allowed their ‘fans’ to make purchases on their Facebook page by having a checkout tab.
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE when retailers/companies make my life easier. If I see something I want to purchase on your Facebook page, and you gave me the option to skip step 1: Going to your website and step 2: Finding the product to then checkout, chances are I’ll be more compelled to make that purchase.
Image: Social Commerce Fact or Fiction, Eric Boggs, Founder and CEO of Argyle Social
Image: Social Commerce Fact or Fiction, Eric Boggs, Founder and CEO of Argyle Social
Even more, if you give me 10% off my purchase for using your Facebook checkout tab instead of your website, then you’ve definitely convinced me to make that purchase. Incentive drives community.
Now, you may think that this information is a no-brainer, but is it? The top IR500 retailers can’t seem to grasp it. They didn’t ask themselves the above questions and strategically answer them. Look at their experience as a case study for your brand or business. There is ALWAYS room for improvement.
When you put your consumer first and ask the above questions, you will turn your consumer into a brand advocate, which is louder than ANY advertising you could ever do!
Not sure where to start? Here are a few questions to get you started:
- What age demographic is your target audience, and are they fully engaged on Facebook?
- If so, what age demographic are you lagging in?
- Why?
- How can you segment your audience and age up or down?
How do YOU use social media marketing and where would you like to see improvement?
