Facebook is a complicated world with its own customs and etiquette, but we’re here to help you navigate the culture and make you look like a pro. Here is the first installment of our blog series of DOs and DON’Ts when using your Facebook business page. This particular list will be about DOs and DON’Ts of posting!
- DON’T spam! DO stay active!
- When I say “spam” I don’t mean that your posts are literally harmful to others, I just mean you might be annoying them to the point of un-Liking your page! If you’re posting more than three or four times per day, you’re probably posting too much. On the other hand, you do need to stay active! If you’re a client of Back At You we’re posting content to your page every other day to keep it active, but we still want you to put your personal touch on your business page. Please post, just not 15 times per day. This isn’t just to save you from annoying your followers, it’s to save you from getting shushed by Facebook! There is an algorithm in the background of Facebook that dictates how many people see your posts and if you’re posting too much Facebook’s algorithm will counterbalance your over-posting by showing your many posts to less and less people. Keep in mind, one of Facebook’s main goals is to keep their users from feeling spammed. Stay active, but don’t overdo it! If you have a lot to share, try Facebook’s scheduling tool. We created a video tutorial to teach you how to use it, check it out HERE!
- DON’T be ALL business! DO stay balanced!
- Think of your page like a television channel. The majority of its time is meant to entertain, but it also uses commercials to make money. If a channel just played commercials 24/7 I don’t think their ratings would be very good, do you? By that same token, if you are posting strictly business content people are going to tune out. Entertain, converse, and lightly mix in the “commercials”. People currently in the market will want to see the business content and as for the majority of your followers who aren’t in the market at this exact moment, keep them entertained until they’re ready to hear your pitch!
- DON’T get controversial! DO develop a “voice” for your page!
- Your business page is not a gossip site, nor is it a news outlet so don’t go too crazy posting things that could drive away business! That being said, no one wants to follow a business page that is just a faceless being pushing out boring content. Clearly the theme of this blog post is, Find a balance! Let your personality shine through and be recognizable on your Facebook page, it’s what sets you apart, but stay away from anything you wouldn’t discuss on a first date: Politics, religion, etc. For more tips about developing a voice for your brand check out THIS POST from Supercool Creative.
- DON’T post content on your business page as your personal page!
- This is can be kind of confusing, but when you have a business page, you can use Facebook as your personal or as your business page. If you’re using Facebook as your personal page and you post an important listing, for example, on your business page, it will get posted in a small box on your page called, “Recent Posts by Others”. This is not what you want at all. Luckily, Facebook has created a little tool to help you keep it straight. You want it to say, “You are commenting, posting, and liking as John Smith’s Business Page” not “as John Smith”. (Click to enlarge image)
While this kind of stuff might seem arbitrary or difficult to follow, it’s important to “fit in” on Facebook. Pretend you’re going to live in another country…wouldn’t you want to understand the culture as much as possible so as not to offend or look TOO out of place? Think of Facebook culture in a similar way and use our tips to start looking like a local!