Are You Making Any of These 5 Common Facebook Marketing Mistakes?
Filed Under Social Marketing
We all make mistakes as marketers, whether we’ve been doing it for years or only just started out. It’s not hard to make many of the most common mistakes on Facebook, but being aware of what those mistakes are can help you get on the right track and stop the bad habits.
Facebook marketing is an integral part of any business’ success these days. When you are guilty of making some of these inexcusable mistakes, your fans will let you know through negative feedback. Negative feedback on social media can lead to the downfall of your Facebook page.
Here, we’ll go over the five most common Facebook marketing mistakes that you might be making and what you can do to correct that behavior:
#1 Buying Your Facebook Fans
When I say “buying fans,” that doesn’t refer to using paid Facebook ads. It is for those of you who go to websites that promise you instant popularity with the click of a button (and a payment from your bank account). You can instantly gain an additional 5,000 fans if you are willing to pay for it. Don’t do it!
It’s pretty depressing when you are first starting out with Facebook marketing and the only fans you have are a handful of friends and family. We all hope that we will be popular quickly, but the reality is that it takes months to start seeing your fan base grow. But paying to get a few thousand bogus likes will be of no value to your business.
The goal of Facebook marketing is to boost engagement with your fans. If you have 5,000 fans but zero engagement, Facebook will see your content as not valuable. That means your content doesn’t get viewed by your real fans.
Be patient. Add the “Like” button to your website or blog. If you have an email list, let them know that you are now on Facebook and invite them to “Like” your page, just include a link. Use Facebook ads and Sponsored Stories to reach your target audience and slowly build up your fan base in a real, valuable way.
#2 Posting Content That Is Irrelevant
We all love Grumpy Cat memes and irreverent eCards. However, posting them on your Timeline when they have no real relevance to your business can be just plain annoying to your fans. You might get a few likes for them, but unless they can be tied back to your business purpose, you’ll probably see more negative feedback than good.
Having fun is good, and posting something that might get a little laugh doesn’t hurt when you do it in moderation. If your fans don’t see you posting anything of value to them, then they could quickly unfollow your page. Make sure that you are posting only valuable content that reflects your business. If you can’t resist the occasional meme, try creating your own that relate to your business or industry.
#3 Failing to Target Your Posts
Not all of your fans need to know about certain events and products. For example, if you have a brick-and-mortar location, and you’re having a big sale that isn’t available online, then you want to make sure your post about the sale is only reaching those fans that live near your physical location. Telling people who live on the other side of the country won’t benefit them or your business at all.
Use the targeting feature for each post so that you can narrow the viewer field down to only those who will be able to make use of the information. This way, you avoid annoying or disappointing some fans.
#4 Not Deleting the URL in Linked Posts
This isn’t the worst offense, but it can make your posts look a little unpolished. If you want to link your post to outside content, fans will be able to click on the large box or picture to navigate there. When you look at the post preview, make sure you delete the link before you hit Post.
#5 Ignoring Fan Comments
Facebook pages are for engaging with your fans. Don’t make the colossal mistake of ignoring every comment or post that a fan makes on your page. You need to acknowledge your fans. They are making an effort to interact with you, so pay them back in kind.
You don’t have to “Like” every comment that someone leaves on your posts, but take the time to acknowledge them once in a while. This is especially true if you notice a negative comment. You want to address any possible customer service issues right away.
Getting Facebook marketing right can be a little tricky. Review any mistakes that you’ve been making and work on solutions so that you don’t make them again in the future.
Have you made any of these common mistakes with Facebook marketing?
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Dawn Pigoni, IVAA Member
