7 Mistakes To Avoid When Using Facebook for Business
Marketers that are new to the game figure that they can just get on Facebook and take advantage of the more than 1.4 billion users. Anyone can create tips and tricks to post online, which is why it is necessary to look at some of the mistakes that can be made before trying anything.
If Facebook for business is something you've been wanting to get in on so that you can reach out to a wider audience, then you need to be familiar with the mistakes you may run into that are touted as musts. These various "tips" are only going to do harm to your image, so be aware of them before creating a marketing plan.
1. Links That Appear In The First Comment
A myth is out there that has been gaining traction about how posting links into the comments on a post instead of the main post itself will do better on the News Feed. This is because a text only or photo only post supposedly gets more attention than both all in one. The fact of the matter is, this isn't the case for the most part.
Facebook has an algorithm that changes with time, and more recently they have been letting posts with links get promoted. Sometimes people see that photo updates do a little better, but some people say nothing at all changes. It may seem like this Facebook for business tactic works but that's probably a fluke.
In reality you want to make your page as easy as possible to read for your followers. If you're putting links in the comments to where people have to seek them out, chances are you're not going to get any clicks. Making people take more steps to get to where you want them through your Facebook for business posts only hurts your business.
2. Tweets Being Auto-Posted On Facebook
Some people say that it's a good idea to link Twitter to Facebook so that when you make a tweet it shows up in both places. It also works the other way, so when you make a Facebook post Twitter will have your account Tweet about it.
Basically this won't help you because people on Twitter and Facebook aren't the same kind of people usually. Facebook for business followers expect more in the way of content, and Twitter is more for a quick update and maybe a link. These people all come on at different times and are in different demographics.
Twitter and Facebook are not in the same format, so what looks good on one isn't going to be that way on the other. Posting content that is tailored to the audiences on each site that looks good will be the best way to cater to each audience, even if you have to just make a few small edits.
3. Buying Likes And Followers
Don't be fooled into paying for followers or traffic for Facebook or any website you are using for marketing purposes. You may get many likes and some attention, but since it is mostly going to be all automated, you won't stand to make any money. Having an audience is important, but only if the actually interact with your profile and put money into your company.
Facebook will look at how many people are interacting with your profile, and if that number has went down but your followers have gone up, you may not get placed high in news feeds.
4. Tagging People That Aren't In Photos For Attention
People that have been tagged in photos are going to get a notification for it. This is something that you want to avoid doing, because if you are randomly adding people just to advertise to them, you may get reported as a spammer. You may also get on someone's bad side since this is one Facebook for business marketing tip that is no longer going to work in your favor, if it ever has before.
It is best to keep your reputation good on Facebook and not resort to tactics that desperate people use. Even if you are trying to get attention and need it fast or else your business will do poorly, you will stand to get much more positive feedback if you just stick to methods that are not going to irritate and spam your followers.
5. Tagging Brands That Aren't Yours
Facebook has altered the way they show posts in their News Feed so that brands can be rewarded by tagging other brands. It doesn't mean that you need to begin tagging every other brand, because as it is the math behind this process is pretty vague. It should be utilized only when you have content that has to do with the various brands you are tagging with your Facebook for business marketing campaign.
If you think about it, you're just leading to less likes and views if you trick customers. That's never a good way to do anything online in regards to marketing. People will being to hide your posts from their feeds, and eventually you will get no clicks if you never post relevant content.
6. Bating People
A lot of people think that posting various things like a survey about their favorite color or something that gets people talking is a fantastic way to increase sales and interest. This isn't the case, people will just end up doing the survey or sharing the post, but without anything being sold or linked to in that post, you won't get anywhere.
Let's say that you post something that gets a lot of attention, and you do link a product or service. It is a survey about who is likely to not be a star in 5 years. Are people really going to care about the link you have to your product? No, they will probably just talk about what the question is, and ignore the marketing aspect.
7. Using Hashtags Everywhere
Now that Facebook has started to let people use hashtags, you can enjoy the benefits of them for the most part. However, if you load up posts with these then they will begin to have less of a reach than your regular postings. You have to be selective, such as if there is a campaign you are working with to get attention. Otherwise, it's kind of annoying to people and won't lead to more results.
The main point of all of these tips is that you don't want to try to fool the system. You may think Facebook for business marketing is all about how often you post and how you can fool the system, but that is not the case. Play by the rules and tell people the truth, and that will take you far.
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