A few days ago, Forbes called out the lack of social media marketing skills displayed on Mitt Romney’s Facebook page. The Republican presidential hopeful proves to be tragically out of touch when it comes to Facebook for business. That could be fatal going up against Barrack Obama, who practically invented Facebook marketing. The main complaint with Romney’s page is a lack of character and interaction. We tend to agree — but we don’t think it’s just Romney who suffers a personality freeze-out on Facebook. Many brands haven’t adjusted their tighter, more corporate look and feel into Facebook pages and the results are robotic social media blather. So how does a big brand like Romney or a small business turn its Facebook page into something warm and inviting?
The easiest thing any brand can do to heat up that old Facebook page is chat. On Facebook, your brand is throwing the cocktail party and it’s up to you to provide the juicy conversation. Yes, you want to continuously pimp your products, but you also want to engage followers. Ask them questions and get to know them. Great Facebook conversations start with relevant topics and continue with snappy, thoughtful responses. Don’t just “Post and Ditch” as Forbes calls it. Facebook users went out of their way to Like your company, so give them great and engaging content. Post links to your own blog and industry-related blog. Ask your followers for their thoughts. Create Facebook status updates that ask questions and invite creative responses. Brands that use photos to start off the conversation have great success in getting people talking.
But what if, despite your best efforts, your Facebook page is still a barren, comment-free, icy tundra? Then keep going! Facebook marketing is only as successful as the continuing efforts that go into it. The average Facebook page takes three months to catch fire with consumers, so whatever you do, don’t stop. Pepper your Facebook page with the warm and inviting personality your company has in the real world and it’s sure to become a toasty place followers come back to over and over again.
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