I was trying to refrain from writing this article.  I have seen similar articles all over the internet, but then I realized that maybe the people in my sphere of influence may not have read one of those articles.

I see organizations all the time that use a profile for their business presence online.  This can be a dangerous way to go as the organization is essentially violating the terms of service for Facebook.

So, why should you have a fan page instead of a profile for your business?  Read on.

1.  Terms of Agreement on Facebook

Facebook’s Terms of Service clearly states that a profile is a for a person with a real name, not an organization or business.  Further, Facebook has the right and has shut down profiles in violation of its terms by using it as a business page.  Facebook profiles are for people only.  Be careful.

2.  Because your organization is not a person

You are an organization and not a person.  “MyBusiness” is not the name of a person, and it is quite awkward to become friends with a business, especially when a business has the appropriate channel at Facebook in which to launch its on presence on the social network website.

3.  Because you don’t have 8,929,725 friends

That is the number of fans on the McDonald’s Facebook fan page.
Facebook has a built in limit to the number of friends you can have.  In the past, that number is 5,000.  It is hard to tell if the limit is still in place, but the point is that you, as a business, have far more “fans” than you do real friends.

4.  Track metrics

Maybe one of the best things you can do with a fan page on Facebook is track metrics.  You can check out the number of people who has visited your fan page and where they are coming from.  It is like having Google Analytics built in to your fan page.  Further, you can send out updates to your fans and target what update goes to what group by demographics or location.  This feature really sets the two a part.

5.  You can appoint administrators

Updating a Facebook business page can be time consuming.  You might need to outsource some of your updates or you just might need some consulting that requires another person to have access to the account.  This is definitely something you can delegate.  This way, you don’t have to give out log in information to someone who might be helping.

Resources

http://www.readwriteweb.com/biz/2010/07/why-your-company-should-have-a-facebook-page-not-a-profile.php
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=192454951095
http://battractive.com/blog/2008/10/29/facebook-profile-v-facebook-page-theres-a-difference/
https://www.facebook.com/terms.php
http://mashable.com/guidebook/facebook/
http://www.marismith.com/15-frequently-asked-questions-about-facebook-pages/

Sometimes, a story has to be painted.  Often, a message has to be told in another way.  I love words, and I write, but sometimes, words are not enough to convey the message in the best way.  That is why we have art.  There are those that paint, draw, sculpt, write and play music and more.  We, as a society, are blessed for it.

As a business owner, there may be times when we need a little more than a tagline to get our message across.  We come up with elevator pitches to help, and we might turn to someone like Samantha Hartley to come up with an audio logo.  These are alternative ways to convey our message, and they are well worth looking in to.

Another way to paint a message is through videos.  Studies have shown that people are more “hooked” by watching videos on websites.  Videos are powerful tools, and you don’t have to limit yourself to making a video to put on T.V.  Videos can be used online at your website, on Youtube, and Facebook.  In fact, Old Spice did a video/social media campaign earlier this summer that was very successful.

Now, take a truly inspiring story, and make a video about it, and you have a very powerful message.  In the 1992 Summer Olympics, Derek Redmond was running in a 400 meter semifinals heat, and he was the favorite to win the race and race for the gold.  However, something happened.  Redmond tore a hamstring muscle and collapsed to the track half way through the race.

What happened next startled and inspired the rest of the world that day in Barcelona, Spain.  Redmond got to his feet, and he continued the race hobbling around on one leg.  With a little over 100 meters left, his father joined him and helped him finish, way behind the others, the heat race.

The story has been told, but the video below tells the story and in a more profound way while reminding us of a message we all need to hear.

The next time you think about your marketing message, and how you are going to communicate the message, think about the use of videos. You don’t have to purchase expensive commercial time on T.V., you can upload it online and share it with as many people as possible.

If you need some help getting a video for your company, feel free to contact us.

Photo Credit:  303db

Driving to my church homegroup last night, I saw a business sign which read, “Follow us on Facebook.”  The first question that came to my mind was, “Why?”

“Why should I follow you on Facebook?”

Scott Beale / Laughing Squid http://laughingsquid.com/

I am a little bit of a sucker for following Facebook fan pages, probably because I have set up a few and know how hard it can be to get fans.  I do try to be a little discerning, but the fan page is for a friend, etc., I usually follow.  However, many people are harder to convince.  People’s time is a commodity we should never take for granted, even on Facebook.

Therefore, what kind of strategy do you have in place for your Facebook fan page? Is your goal to get a certain amount of followers?  Once you get your followers, then what will you do?

Many companies set up the Facebook account without any idea what they will use it for.  After all, there are over 400 million people on Facebook.

1.  Give something away

If you sell products, you might have a contest for fans to win something.  You got great products, right?  Everyone who “likes” your page can be entered in to a drawing for a free “fill in the blank.”  It worked well for a client of mine who increased her fans to well over 800 fans just by giving something away.

2.  Post links to your blog posts

You do blog don’t you?  Post the links to each individual blog post to your Facebook fan page.  A blog that offers advice or gives an “insider’s” view to your business has great value for customers.  Make sure your fans know about your blog!

3.  Post links to your website

This is self explanatory.  If your website is built around a blog, then #2 should work just fine.  Offer some kind of special at your website and promote it on your Facebook page.  The goal is, after all, to get people to your website to buy your product or become a member of your community.

4.  Post contact info

Do not neglect this!  Post a way for folks to contact you.  It is a customer service issue.  It can be sending them to your contact page at your website or posting an email address or phone number.  This is especially true if you do not have a website.  People need to know hours and other info too.

5.  Interact

When someone posts on your wall, respond!  This is the unique strategy of social media, interaction with fans/customers.  You can offer fans a chance to win something by posting on the wall, etc., but whatever you do, get your fans to interact.  And, then, join the discussion!  Facebook is a communication medium, and communication is a two-way street!

I hope this helps those of you trying to establish a Facebook page.  Having a Facebook fan page is an active process.  I hope you’re ready!

In February of 2010, I was contracted to help improve the rankings of Amy Jones Design, a photography business in Conway, AR.  Amy had a good website hosted and ran by Photobiz.com.  She wasn’t getting much traffic and her ranking was buried on the third page for the keywords “photographer, Conway, AR.  “  I was also interested in the keywords “photography, Conway, AR.”

My job was to help improve her search engine rankings.  My goal was to get her on the first page in one or both of the keyword phrases I mentioned above.  I set out to accomplish this by taking a look at what improvements could be made to the SEO of her site as well as other “tasks” which we might implement.

Google Ranking for Amy Jones Design, May 22, 2010

I want to mention three of the tasks we implemented which are easy for anyone to implement.

1.  Set up a Facebook fan page--This might have been the single biggest task.  I set up a Facebook fan page and Amy took the task to heart and grew her fans to over 800.  Amy came up with the idea in which she would give away a package for her “funniest kid picture” contest.  To vote, a person had to “like” her page (Facebook changed from “fan” to “like” during the middle of the contest).

2.  Set up a blog--Unfortunately, we were unable to put a blog on her domain with Photobiz, so we set up a blog on WordPress.  Nevertheless, I coached Amy to post at least once a week, and she began to create some posts which had a strong link to her website and her Facebook page.

3.  Tweak keywords–We tweaked the keywords on her website making sure that they were present on every page.  Amy’s site at Photobiz is flash based, but they provide an html mirror making this a very important task.  As I said, the keywords I targeted were “photographer, Conway, AR” and “photography, Conway, AR.”

There were some other tasks we implemented as well, but these were the three main strategies, and they worked!  I checked the keywords on Google today and her website is on the first page for “photographer, Conway, AR.”  We are on the second page for the other keyword phrase.  It took a little less than three months.

We also have great placement in Google for some other keywords.

Just having a website is not always enough.  Having one that ranks well can lead to more traffic, more sales!

I was searching on facebook tonight, for nothing in particular, and I found this unique tidbit from the Conway Police Department (AR).  I am a fan of theirs at facebook, and they had this public service announcement.

You can view it here.
Public Service Announcement

Talk about taking advantage of social media channels!  The forum was awesome too since it referred to keeping children safe online.

Kudos to the Conway Police Department and the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Department.  They made a very simple, yet effective video, and they shared it online.  The police department has 755 fans so you know the video will be viewed by hundreds of people.  This is an organization that is taking seriously the power and impact of social media.

The department is doing a great job with their facebook page.  The only feedback I would offer is to respond to fan comments in some way.  Engaging a fans is a vital element of using social media successfully.  Otherwise, they are doing an awesome job.  Their competency in social media makes me feel more comfortable with their work in public safety.

I see it all the time.  A company decides to create a facebook page or twitter account because that is what they heard they need to do.  They keep up with trends, they hear the buzz, and, after all, social media tools such as twitter and facebook are free, so why not?  They set up the facebook fan page or twitter account but no one comes and joins them.  When you look at their profile, they haven’t posted in months!  “Chalk it up to another fad,” they might say.  Of course, it didn’t cost anything to try social media.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthamm/

Why do companies have little success using social media?  It is because they do not have a strategy.  Did you realize that social media marketing requires a strategy?  Maybe you just thought that all a business needed  to do was just set up shop and watch it take off.  It doesn’t “just happen,” and chances are, you may need to invest a little in a strategy.

How does one invest in a strategy for social media marketing?  Well, you find people who do it for a living to consult you and help you devise a strategy and implement your plan.  Where do you look for that person?  For one, start on the internet.  That is where they are!  Go to Google and type in your town and “social media marketing.”  It should bring up a list of people who can help companies devise a plan.

What kind of things do social media marketing experts do to help give you a strategy?  They will help you identify a purpose and a goal for your social media strategy.  They will help you set up your profiles or optimize what you already have set up.  They put in place metrics to track progress, and they will help you find followers.  A social media marketing expert will also help you see the “big picture.”  He or she may think that you need a blog.

It costs money for this kind of help.  The more success a person has had, the more their rates.  I have heard all kinds of fees.  I am willing to bet that the ones that charge the most are worth every penny!  Ask yourself, “Is it worth it to have more customers and being well thought of in the world of social media?”  Think about a tweeter who has several thousand followers talking about a great experience they had at your place of business.

The truth of the matter is if you intend to put together a social media marketing campaign, you have to have time or money, and in most cases, both.  The rewards can be unbelievable.  You will also need someone to run the campaign and keep up with your social media profiles.  If that means you have to hire someone to do it, then hire someone.

If you are in Central Arkansas, and you are looking for someone to help you set up a social media campaign or run your social media accounts, I am available.

Recently, I helped a client set up a facebook fanpage.  It has already resulted in some business for her, but she often asks me questions about uses of the website.  To be honest, I have only been using facebook for just a little while.  I have enjoyed using it and have adapted very quickly.  In fact, I have reconnected with friends from high school and college through the site.  However, because I am still new to facebook, I have not learned every thing there is to know.

When looking for an authoritative guide for using facebook as a social media marketing strategy, the obvious stop is Mashable.  They always have numerous articles for users, especially social media-ites.  As a fanpage administrator, I particularly like this article.  If you are a non-profit, you might want to check out the article at techsoup.org and rossmcculloch.com.  Techsoup always seems to have a handle on using technology for no-profits.  McCulloch has some really good info for both non-profits and other businesses.

Others can find basic info at doshdosh.com even though the information might be a little dated.  Finally, my virtual mentor, Shama Kabani, has an excellent post on the Top 10 Ways to Promote your business using Facebook for free.

I’m always learning new info, so I might come back and write another post at a later date.  Stay tuned!