Last week I noticed that one of my colleagues had placed a response on a facebook page, to which someone else placed what was basically an advertisement for their wedding business. My colleague responded “Not sure how you think you will get any business by spamming other people comments?” which I fully (FULLY) agreed with. I see folks like this who think that simply putting on facebook that they are a business who does “xyz” will somehow magically bring them business. I write this article with these folks in mind.
First things first: if you do this, it does not benefit you. It would behoove you to stop.
If you see someone else you know doing it, tell them to stop.
Facebook is referred to as Social Media. Meaning that it is where you go to see your “friends” and “like” things. You socialize there. That is the place you go to relax (and sometimes, people are too relaxed). You don’t go there to argue (well, some people do) or to stress. Some people are less than social, but simply said, it is the place where you go to hang. Can you imagine a friend showing up to a backyard grill and setting up a card table to start selling you and your friends a financial product?
There is a component of business which can be effective for you on facebook. Keep in mind that my business model is different than yours, so my strategy on facebook is different that what I will suggest to you. I apply a Business to Business model, whereas you mostly apply a Business to Consumer model. That said, you also have other “friends” in the industry who can potentially do or send business to you who are on facebook.
Here is what I want you to realize about facebook: it is only meant to warm a relationship, not solidify or close the deal. Remember this when you post up your stuff. By the way especially to a group who will not buy from you remember your fellow vendors are not your customer and posting on their walls will not make you warm and fuzzy with them to where they want to refer you either.
There is another conversation that we should have: what do you do with your facebook fan page and all the “likes” you strive to get? I see vendors asking for reciprocal “likes” (you like me, I like you). What will that do to get you business? If you are looking for pure numbers, give me a call and I will tell you how to get hundreds of “likes” for a few bucks (I don’t by any means recommend it. I got all of my likes by being out in front of thousands every year, didn’t buy any and I give my facebook fans unique content and special offers. But again, my customer base is different from yours.
My advice is to do 2 things with facebook: 1) give content 2) drive conversation. When you are giving great content, it is content that matters to your prospective client base. It is something that will benefit them and set you up as the expert. If you drive conversation, you are getting your prospective clients to engage and interact with you. By doing this, you are creating trust, you are getting them to get to know you and sidle up to you as someone they may go forward with.
If you use Facebook in these 2 manners, you will warm up many more relationships. You may not close a single deal, but this may be the water that gives life to the seed. The water starts the production of the fruit, but in and of itself does not create any fruit.
