Understanding the Facebook Beast
One of the main things businesses gets wrong when establishing a facebook community is that they fail to think about WHY people are on facebook. Ask yourself “Why do YOU log on to facebook?” Why do your friends go on facebook? Why do your family go on facebook? Why does your target market go on facebook?
If you are anything like me and the other billion people on facebook, you don’t log on to find out the details of a local plumber, or what’s happening at university this week, or to find a local sporting team for your kids to play in. Facebook is SOCIAL media. That’s right SOCIAL. You need to remember this important fact whenever you think about how to use facebook for promotion or marketing.
People are on facebook to see what their friends and family are up to or to do a bit of facebook stalking of old photos and people from their past. They are there to have a laugh at the funny things their friends have posted, to be inspired, to get in contact with someone or share an invite to a party they are having. For the average user it is a place of relaxation, connection and fun, not a place to be bombarded with ads, promotions or about why they should buy buybuy.
In order for business or organisations to run an effective facebook campaign with good return on investment, they need to think about it very differently. This is not a classic marketing campaign. Classic marketing is about broadcasting a message over and over again so it gets stuck in the consumer’s brain that they need what you have. It is a one way communication. I tell you what I want you to know and you listen. That is NOT social. Social is about a conversation. It is back and forward communication between two parties, you and your target market. Facebook is social. Facebook is conversation. Facebook is engagement. If you want to run a successful social media campaign on facebook, you have to think engagement and not broadcasting. It is a constant dialogue or dance between you and your customers. If you approach your business or organisation’s page management in this way, this is where the magic can happen.
If you need help coming up with a plan for your Social Media that is what we do …. you can get in contact with us here.
