The first step to gain a customers’ business is to build a relationship with them. And, since customers are online, it’s important to be able to deliver a great experience on popular platforms such as Facebook. When it comes to your business’ Facebook page, there are a number of things to avoid so that you won’t lose customers. Below are some of the top mistakes, explained:
1. Not posting regularly
The number one mistake that small businesses make when it comes to their Facebook page is not posting regularly. In order to keep your customers engaged and aware about your business, it’s important to regularly update them with new posts. The recommended number of posts to share per week is 3-4 times for campaigns and 2-3 posts for non-campaigns.
2. Being too wordy
Naturally, you find every aspect of your business quite fascinating, but most people don’t have the time or patience to read long, rambling posts. Facebook research finds that posts between 100 and 250 characters get 60% more “likes,” comments and shares than posts that are more than 250 characters. So write headlines, not stories.
3. Not being responsive to comments and messages
Imagine that your page is bombarded with comments and messages. Although you may be very busy, not being responsive could mean losing customers. It’s important to keep track of comments and messages and respond to customers’ questions, complaints, and comments to show that your business can deliver reliable customer service.
4. Focusing too much on your business instead of your customers
If you’re selling too much on Facebook, you’re doing it wrong. As a general rule, 'share more than sell,' According to internationally acclaimed strategist David Scott, your social media content should be divided as follows:
- 85% is for sharing and engaging
- 10% of it is original content
- 5% or less is used for promotion
Another scheduling option is to break each type of content into thirds. It doesn’t matter exactly how you divide you your content as long as you are not selling too much.
5. Delivering content that isn’t valuable to your customers
You shouldn’t post just for the sake of posting. Make sure your content is valuable to your customers. Ask yourself: “Is it helpful? Is it relevant? and Is it interesting?” Posting on Facebook is also a great way to communicate your knowledge about your business and industry to establish credibility.
6. Arguing with customers
You might disagree with your customers, but that doesn’t mean you should argue with them – after all, they are the people from whom you get your business. Instead of arguing with them, try your best to address their concerns. For example, if a customer complains on your social profile, let them know publicly that their concern has been heard and then follow up with them in a private message.
7. Failing to monitor posts
Some posts may be too offensive, inappropriate or straight-up spam. Be sure to remove these types of posts from your wall as they may upset customers. If needed, let the poster know in a private message that their post has been deleted and why you removed it; also, be sure not to attack the person if the conflict escalates.
8. Being too business-y
A big mistake to make on Facebook is being too formal and impersonal. Connect with people, not users. Be a friend, not a business. You don’t have to shy away from promoting your business, but post your updates informally so they don’t read like a press release. In other words, be human.
Get Facebook help
Although creating a Facebook page is simple, maintaining it requires more work. At Yellow Pages, we understand the challenges that small businesses face when it comes to getting help with social media. If you don’t have time to monitor your Facebook page, find out how our experts can help so you can focus on what’s important — your business.
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