5 facebook mistakes businesses should avoid

Facebook is undoubtedly one of digital marketing’s most powerful tools. Its ecosystem houses the capabilities to reach a massive online audience (more than 728 million daily users), create & manage custom advertising campaigns, offer sweepstakes & contests to boost user engagement, and numerous other features.

Many businesses are already utilizing Facebook more effectively by following basic guidelines for specific commercial use. Although these more tech-savvy brands are putting their knowledge to good use, many companies are still participating in less than favorable practices.

Avoid the following social media pitfalls to ensure the best use of Facebook for your business:

1. Creating a personal Timeline instead of a Facebook Page

Setting up a Facebook Page for your business is the first step toward connecting with your consumer base; however, the differences between a Facebook Page and a personal Timeline are considerable. Just as a personal Timeline is designed to share content with friends and colleagues, a Facebook Page is intended to speak to a mass audience. Creating a personal Timeline and using it as a Facebook Page will present the following issues:

• Layout (A Facebook Page doesn’t have a relationship status for a reason.)
• Friends" instead of "Likes" (Accepting individual friend requests takes time. Likes are instant.)
• No analytics (This service is provided for Facebook Pages only.)
• No apps (Facebook business apps are unavailable to personal Timelines.)
• No reviews (Facebook Pages offer a column for customers to review your services; personal Timelines don’t.)

2. Posting too often or repeating posts

Have you ever seen a commercial more than once while watching something on TV? Annoying, right? Social media is no different.

Your audience will soon lose interest in your message if it is repetitive, uninteresting, or spam-like. The number of posts a business should make on any given day depends on the size of its audience, average level of interaction, and diversity of content. If your Facebook Page has thousands of Likes and enough original content to promote, then three posts per day would be a reasonable maximum; however, one post per day is considered the undisputed status quo.

3. Posting only promotional content

When a Facebook Page only asks something of a consumer ("Like this!"), rather than offering valuable information ("Check out this interesting article!"), its audience will soon become uninterested. A good rule of thumb is the "80/20" rule. Your Facebook Page should strive to offer your audience valuable information (without a sales pitch) close to 80% of the time. Use the other 20% to shamelessly promote goods and services associated with your brand.

4. Liking Facebook Pages not related to your business

Liking other Pages on Facebook is a great way to associate with related businesses and establish your brand identity. On the other hand, liking unrelated Pages (or inappropriate Pages) may hinder your brand’s integrity. Stick to associating with Pages that will improve your own brand identity; leave the foreign policy and religion talk to the news networks.

5. Ignoring insights

If you are using a Facebook Page, you will have been provided Page Insights. These analytics are somewhat limited; however, they do supply businesses with valuable information regarding the success of past posts and offer a chance to schedule successful posts in the future. Keep track of your Page’s engagements, reach, total likes, and the days & times of successful posts. Knowing what works for your business will help ensure the growth of your online audience.

In the end, all businesses function differently in regards to Facebook. Use your best judgment as to what works for your organization. Heeding these commonly ignored guidelines will put your Facebook Page ahead of the game!

Search Optics is a leader in digital marketing solutions for the automotive industry. Automotive digital marketing services by Search Optics include custom websites, search engine optimization, paid search and mobile solutions that generate leads which result in sales opportunities. Search Optics specializes in car dealer marketing and automotive SEO services. For more details, please visit www.searchoptics.com.

a href=http://www.searchoptics.comSearchoptics.com is a leader in digital marketing solutions for the automotive industry.