Megan Ingenbrandt — January 27, 2017 Follow @mingenbrandt21
So you’ve done the hard part. You’ve gotten all of your licenses, permits, and the location. You know what you’re selling and what your business is all about. Your product is ready and lined up on the shelves. Hell, you’ve even got your own logo. But how do you promote yourself? You want something that’s free and accessible to everyone, so you create a Facebook page, of course!
This is where most brands lose it. In the past 5 years, I’ve worked with small businesses and even smaller businesses, and I can say without a doubt that Facebook generally trips up even the smartest entrepreneurs. Here are the top 3 mistakes I’ve seen SMBs make when managing their Facebook accounts, and what you can do to avoid them.
Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
As a small business, you may want your whole team to be able to post on your behalf – especially if you aren’t exactly ‘Facebook savvy.’ But there’s a reason they say too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the broth. When you have too many people managing your social media, the message gets muddled. That can leave your audience confused and make them Unfollow.
Instead, allot one or two other people from your team to help you manage the page effectively. Meet with them regularly to plan or approve upcoming posts. That way, your posts match what your business is all about.
Posting Too Much
What do you do on your personal Facebook page when someone posts way too much? You stop paying attention. The same happens with Business Pages. I’ve had bosses constantly emailing me to put this or that on Facebook immediately, completely ignoring the post schedule we had in place. That causes Facebook overload. It’s like when you go to a party. When one person won’t shut up, eventually you just walk away.
Create a schedule (Facebook has a great scheduling feature) that allows for your audience to take a break from you for a day or two. You know what they say about absence. It makes the heart grow fonder. The same goes for social media.
Stay On Topic
While it may seem like a good idea to jump on to some controversial topic, remember that it could be detrimental to the brand you’re trying to create. Your opinion expressed on a very public forum could be the deciding factor in someone choosing to do business with you.
Especially when you are first starting out, keep your opinions to yourself. Avoid touchy topics and viewpoints. Remember, it does not matter who someone voted for, or their stance on a particular matter. At the end of the day, everybody’s money is green and you want it in your cash register.
In short, remember what your ultimate goal is for using Facebook. It’s to promote your business. Create the message you want your brand to generate, and then follow through with it. Leave everything else by the wayside. Follow these 3 tips and you’re sure to find success with your small business.
What mistakes have you seen SMBs make on social media? Share them (and what they should’ve done instead) in the comments below!
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