We’ve all heard the horror stories – kids posting photos on Facebook of themselves drinking, doing drugs and just plain stupid stuff. Then these photos come back to haunt them when they’re looking for work.
Now let’s face it, for middle aged business owners, a night of heavy drinking is a second glass of wine with dinner. We don’t have the time, energy or inclination to do really stupid things, never mind post them to Facebook.
However, one of the biggest fears I hear about marketing on Facebook is “what if I do more harm than good?”
As a result, far too many boomers using Facebook for marketing are too impersonal. They are so afraid of doing something that will come back to haunt them that they’re all about business.
The problem is, Facebook is about building relationships, even on your business Page. If all you’re doing is trying to sell, people will “unlike” your page or block your posts. And that is something you don’t want.
You need to make sure your Facebook “brand” is engaging and personal. Marketing – particularly social media marketing – is about getting your ideal clients to know, like & trust you. In order for that to happen, you need to show something of yourself.
Share a personal story, show photos of yourself or express your personality. If you’re quirky and funny in person, be that online. If you’re an “earth mother” in person, show that on Facebook.
For example, I frequently share links to interesting articles I find online. People tell me that’s the main reason they follow me. However, when I started adding more of a personal commentary about why I found this particular article worth sharing, that’s when I started getting more shares, likes and comments on my post. It was a simple, subtle change but it made a huge difference.
What I’d like you to do is look at your posts for the past week. Ask yourself “I this was all anyone knew about me was my posts, what would they know about my personality?” If the answer is “nothing” it’s time to make a change.
Andrea J. Stenberg
Sometimes it’s hard to make a change in your marketing. You’re too close to your business and can’t see what needs to be different. If you’d like help improving your Facebook marketing, consider applying for a complimentary Discovery Session.
