I was recently pulled into a group on Facebook; the primary intention is to get more “likes” for the pages of small business owners. We'll all “like” each other’s pages and then we'll have lots of fans! Would you believe that I don't want your “likes”? It’s true. I don't need fans that are never going to pay any attention to what I have to say. What’s the point? So go ahead and “like” a bunch of pages that you have no interest in and get back a lot of empty “likes” in return. The ratio between “likes” and “talking about this” for your page will deteriorate even further. Is that what you want? A long time ago I read that the average “talking about this” was around 3% to 4%. That’s pitiful! Facebook doesn't make it easier since they only show your page to a very low percentage of fans. Who do you really want to “like” your page? Think about it:
People who have a genuine interest in your product or service
People who will engage with your posts
People that fit your demographic target
Of course you know all that already; it’s in your marketing plan! What? No marketing plan. Okay perhaps it is time to write one! Oh and for the record I'll stick with the Facebook group. It was created by a friend. I'm hoping to turn things around in there a bit and have people share their social media issues, frustrations, and questions and have intelligent discussions instead. Sadly, it appears to have turned into a sales bulletin board "buy my cupcakes!" "I make handicrafts" etc. No people, this is not what it's all about about! Dan Fogelberg sang about plans back in the 70’s (see below); how are your plans going? If you need any assistance with your strategic plans and marketing needs, stop by our website, or stop by on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. There's no obligation to "like", "follow", or "+1".
We all love seeing what’s new with friends, catching up to “the news” and laughing at the latest cute kitten photos (have you noticed less of those lately?). And all this happens while at the same time Facebook frustrates us. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a page owner, a group owner, or using a personal profile. Much of the absurdity crosses over. Let’s start with these:
#1. Pokes from non-friends. Okay, this one only applies to personal profiles. Bringing this up because I just got one. Didn’t think it was possible and posted my plight on my wall. A friend kindly looked in the “help area” and found this: You can only poke a confirmed friend, someone that is in a shared network, or a friend of a friend. That explains my poke from a friend of a friend. However, the question to Facebook is: Why allow it? Is it encouraging engagement or is it just simply annoying? Unfortunately, I’ve since received another one. Fellas, you don’t even know me! #2. Sponsored ads that list an ex-friend liking the product or service. Seriously now! If I see a product ad with the smiling mug of “David” who unfriended me a year ago do you really think I want to buy that product? Heck no! Fix this Facebook; you are not giving the advertisers a fair shake for their money here. #3 The most obvious one: Facebook controlling what you see and electing to show you posts from who they think your friends are. Beyond absurd! Google+ doesn’t do this and they make it simple for YOU to control what you see and what others see. One friend of mine on Facebook shared his remedy: Declare all his friends as “close friends”. Note: Do check off the notifications for close friends if you decide to take this route. Another idea is to create a list with all your friends and pages on it (thus having the ability to "see all"). Do you have the time though? Better yet, Facebook, why not make it easier for users and have lists work more like Google+ circles where you can drag and drop people in?
#4 Posts that disappear then reappear later: Applies to pages, groups and personal profiles; Hello, Houdini! This one has happened to me more often on my Groovy Reflections page. Initially, I thought the post didn’t exist and I’d post another one (and eventually have two!). Ah, but I’m now conditioned and know better. On a page, the notification lines at the top will show who liked and who commented and the missing post is available by clicking on one of those notifications. Give it time, say 15 to 30 minutes, and presto chango, the post appears on your wall; like magic. Whew. That’s a lot to absorb. Hold those thoughts, enjoy the tune below because "It's Magic" and click here for part 2. Oh, and do visit thewebsite, or on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
I was recently pulled into a group on Facebook; the primary intention is to get more “likes” for the pages of small business owners.
