Alexis Kestler
When it comes to Facebook marketing, we gave you the best tips, but what about the most common mistakes you may not even be aware of? Let's find out.
When it comes to Facebook marketing, we already gave you the best tips, and you can read about it here, but what about the most common mistakes you may not even be aware of? Let’s find out.
The times when marketers have put as much content as they can, to get shares and likes, are far behind us. With the development of social media networks and constant change of trends, users are looking for smarter posts. It is not about posting random stuff anymore. And a number of your followers doesn’t have to be necessarily connected with a number of shares and likes, but also not with sales. Being smart means planning and learning.
Facebook is loaded with people who are ready to connect and engage with brands. But you need to know how to use this benefit to work for you. That means avoiding Facebook marketing mistakes as much as possible.
Over-Promoting
Nobody likes pushy people in real life, so don’t assume you will get through with this method in a virtual one. You may be proud of your business and your achievements, but your followers look for much more.
It is ok to share your successes with your audience, but it is not ok to overdo it. You need to offer them content that holds real significance and information they are looking for.
I will assume you have a personal Facebook profile. Why do you check it? Probably to get in contact with your friends and family, but besides that, to get entertained. You may have noticed that lately there are some really annoying games ads. While you are scrolling through your news feed they just keep appearing until it becomes irritating, right? So, don’t do that to your followers.
With each one of your posts, you should strive to inspire and interact with your audience. To give them a reason to keep following you, and in the end to connect with you on a deeper level.
Focusing on Likes
One of the most common Facebook marketing mistakes is watching how many likes your posts get. Yes, it can show the reach to your audience, but in the end, it doesn’t mean you will achieve your goal. And that is to sell.
Your focus should be centered on the people who share your content, which means promotion. and, of course, the ones who click your link and go to your website.
A good way to get shares is throwing a contest. The possibility of getting something in return will make your followers more willing to share your posts. That is the way to reach out to a new audience. The only thing you will “loose” is the prize you offer, but this can work better than paid ads. People who will share your post to compete for the prize will more likely keep following you and attract other users, than a paid advertisement – which may or may not be successful.
Lack of Information
As I said before, I will assume you have a private account. Have you ever searched for something you needed, especially some kind of local shop or service, finally found the page, clicked at it, and found out… NOTHING?
Recently I looked for some homemade beard products, and it is a rare business where I live. I could order it online, but I went on an unplanned trip and I wanted to take it as a present, so it was urgent. I found one Facebook page, with a few photo posts, without any information, just an address of the “shop”. I decided to go there and check the products by myself.
When I came to the address, I found an apartment building. Without a phone number or any kind of information, I felt annoyed. Finally, I reached them through Facebook messenger and discovered that those homemade products are really made at home. 🙂 Somebody brought a package to me in front of the building in a paper brown bag and exchanged it for money. I felt like the police are watching somewhere behind me.
Even the products were extremely well made and high-quality, that was my first and last time. And this is something you don’t want your followers to feel.
First of all, fill out your bio as much as you can. Address, phone number, email, and a website link are the things you must provide. A big plus is to put working hours, company description and a map (how to find us?), and any additional information you have. If you share your products or services on your Facebook page, make sure to post the link where people can buy it, along with description and price. Another annoying and extremely unprofessional thing is to write “price in inbox”.
Too Long Posts
The optimal length of a Facebook post is 40 characters. Yes, I know it can be 63 206 characters, but does that mean we must use all?!
As the graph is showing, shorter works better on Facebook. Users are prone to give up from reading if they see the post is too long. The same goes for videos: everything over 3 minutes it’s too much.
Sometimes, 40 characters are not enough, and we understand that. So if you can not squeeze it in, it’s ok. But try to keep it under 80.
Also, try to determine how often to post. Too frequently and not often enough can both work badly for you. Analytics may help you with that, as you can check how is your audience reacting to your posts, and when do they do that. On Facebook, you can see the exact metrics for every post, so if you noticed that people click “hide post” or “hide all post”, that may be the sign that you are posting to often, or your content is not good enough.
Irrelevant Content
Everything you post, from the text to photos and videos, must be a representation of your brand. Never post anything irrelevant, confusing, or private – for your personal life, you can use your personal profile.
Your posts should be diverse, but never out of the context. If you repost or share the world’s latest news, make sure it has something to do with your type of business.
You will know something went wrong if your organic traffic is minimal. You can check this for every post on your page. There are sections “organic reach” and “organic impressions”.
Sadly, this is also one of the most common Facebook marketing mistakes. Business owners or page administrators want to post a lot, and that is (a wrong) solution. If you are out of inspiration, it is better to post user-generated content, until you figure something out, than to just put anything out there.
Facebook may be the most (or one of the most) important social media networks for your business. Running your page properly might lift your business to a whole another level. So, watch about these marketing mistakes we mentioned here, and be open to change things if it is not working.
