Yes, Facebook: More Data Please!

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Facebook has offered the rather limiting Page Insights tool for about three years now. In a recent blog Facebook stated that they have been paying attention to what we, the customer, want! The news: They're rolling out a newly revised Page Insight tool to just a few page administrators (more to follow soon?). In a nutshell:

“People talking about this”, or PTAT, data will be further broken down; more data for you! Page Likes, People Engaged (likes, comments and share), Page tags and mentions, check-ins (great if you are a physical location) and “other” (no idea what that may be). 

And there’s a new metric, Engagement Rate, based on the already existing Virality measure. Facebook believes that the current metric wasn't a true indicator of positive post engagement in the past and they are now including clicks; does this mean clicking on a link associated with a post but not liking or commenting on the post will now be counted. If so…hurray!  I've often wondered about those folks who go “under the radar”.

For the record, Virality is defined by Facebook as “the percentage of people who have created a story from your page post out of the total number of unique people who have seen it.” Creating a story happens in a number of ways: Likes, Comments, and Shares.  

The last paragraph of the blog discusses how Facebook “rewards quality posts with greater reach”. Funny then how every time I create an event invite that it seems to be withheld from the majority of fans from the page (more on this in a separate blog). Perhaps the above is true, however, Facebook would certainly like to see the post promoted (and therefore see me PAY); no? 

The very last point discusses “positives” and “negatives” and Facebook says that metrics will now be available on a post by post basis via a score card. Sounds good indeed if Facebook data can be put together in a way so that any user (or rather admin or owner of a page) can understand it easily, quickly summarize it, and take action based on their findings. 

We all want to increase engagement on our pages without paying for the privilege. So, yes, any free data is welcomed, especially if it’s better than what was available previously. However, we're still looking for the more visual experience that you toted months ago, so based on your past promises, when are we actually going to receive something that we can start working with?

Dishwalla was onto something when they were counting blue cars (see video below). Count on us! Visit our website, or say hello on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. 

No More Likes Please!

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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". 

The Warm-up Band

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Luis and the Wildfires

I love going to concerts. Sometimes I go to hear bands from days gone by, other times, newer bands. Doesn’t matter. I dig it all; Rock ‘n Roll!

Do you ever pay attention to who the warm-up band is going to be? Nah. We don’t give them much attention. And sometimes, we’re blown away; they’re really good; as talented musically as the band they’re opening up for, matter of fact. And so it was with Luis and the Wildfires. 

And, guess what?

They want to be heard.

And, they’re a lot like your small business. They, like you, use several different channels to communicate with you, including:

• In-person (live shows!)
• Recordings (video and audio)
• Website
• Mentions on other websites (perhaps their record label’s site)
• Traditional PR (interviews, news articles)
• Social Media

Whoa. Stop right there! Of course, they are using social networks to reach you, right? Let’s hope they have a presence beyond MySpace at this point. 

Let’s take a look at Luis and the Wildfires Facebook page. They were the opening band at the show I saw last night. Most of the posts are announcements of where they’re playing. Where are the concert photos? The band kicked butt live, but you’d never know from this page. More photos guys! Let us know your names. Tell us a little about YOU. Are you planning any new recordings, for example? The information in the “about” section is sparsely written and there’s hanging information. 

There’s a link to a MySpace account. That's okay, they’re a band and bands are still on MySpace. It’s a great touch point for listening to the music!

No presence on Google+ but there is a guy named Luis Wildfire from Venezuela. Why aren’t they there? It’s a great forum to build an audience that’s far less cluttered than Facebook.

And sadly, they have NO Twitter presence. While their label, Wild Records, does tweet, they have few followers (under 600) and the posts are inviting folks to buy a t-shirt or announcing where various bands are playing.

The big question: Where is the conversation? Why isn’t this band talking to people? Engage us! 16 hours ago (from when I’m writing this) I posted what I thought was a great photo of the band (see upper right of this post). They haven’t responded yet, however, they have made fresh posts during that time. Sigh. Does this make me want to support the band and purchase their music? Nope. Were my expectations too high? I expected a response and was let down. How would you feel?

Just being there on social media is not enough. If Luis and the Wildfires want to be heard, they need to speak up and create a bigger awareness. They need to converse with the fans. Fans tell their friends. More fans come. This practice would be encouraged by simply responding to people. Content is important too! Tell us more about the band and the members! Let us feel like we know you and we’re all one big family sharing our love for rockabilly and early 60’s sounds. 

Luis, your social media efforts should be as loud as your incredible wailing!

And the advice to the band applies to your business as well: Lesser known bands, like smaller companies, can grow through social media. However, it needs to be done in a way that’s beneficial. Luis, you and your band are missing out on potential growth with your lack of engagement. 

The goal is to be the headliner, right?

And how has your business been growing via social media? Are you engaging your fans? Sure, you may very well be “the warm up band” now. Consider it a rehearsal for achieving big success.

On that note, "Let’s Party" with the band (see below)! And if you want to rock 'n' roll with your marketing efforts, visit at the website, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ ...Thanks! 

Don’t Just “Like” My Page.

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Watch out folks, I’m going to rant a little. Some of you know that I have several pages. When I initially started those pages I didn't start plugging them relentlessly on my personal profile nor did I invite all my friends. I DID invite friends, however, ONLY the ones that I thought would be interested in the subject matter.

Pages aren’t about your friends.

They’re all about the folks who have an interest in what’s being presented to them. The point is to make it so darn interesting to them that they comment on the posts. That’s engagement; it’s key to survival for a page.  And yes, its lots of hard work, so if you’re not ready to put in the time, don’t start a page until you’re ready to commit to it.

I work my butt off coming up with original, interesting articles to please the good fans on one of my pages, MODern Marketing 4 U(ModlandUSA). Don't worry; I enjoy the writing! Very few respond and/or comment. For now; that’s okay. Facebook is not the main source of traffic for my blog readership and may never be. Despite that fact, I continue to work hard to keep my audience on Facebook captivated.

And lately I’ve had a flood of folks from Twitter say “like my page and I’ll like yours.” Truth is I’d rather see you display an actual interest in my page and talk to me than just merely “like” it! Honestly, I felt funny liking a B to B biz recently that offered office management services to landscapers, plumbers, and the like. There’s nothing I need there. Sigh.

But back to the friends. I probably get four or five requests a week to join a page and most of them are concerned with products or services that I’m not interested in. Do you please your friend and like their page or blow them off? There have been a few instances when I’ve felt comfortable enough to write to the page owner to tell them WHY I won’t like it.

Does having me there as a number and not as a participant really add any value?

Personally, I’d rather have fewer fans and a higher engagement “talking about this”. Currently, my Groovy Reflections page is at 36%, ModlandUSA is at 10% and Gizmo and His Groovy Friends is at 12%. These are great numbers since the average is 3 to 4%. Thank you fans!

In closing, I just have one request: Talk to me...on my website, Twitter, Facebook, or Google+! I love to yack. 

The Byrds sang about pages long before Facebook had them:

Buoyancy, Social Media, and You.

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Bought a really silly item at a garage sale 20 years ago. A buoy. Oh, not just any buoy; this one once served a purpose, judging from the words “Slow Wake 5MPH” on it. It stood over five feet tall and looked cool in my game room.

Time went by and it was time to part ways. I emerged $20 ahead after recouping my original $5 investment and the buoy entered a new career as a pool float.

Do you need a buoy just to stay afloat in the world of social media? Are you flailing your arms in an effort to keep your head above water? And if you are merely floating, isn’t it time to do the butterfly stroke and move forward?

Let’s assume you have a plan in place (if you don’t, read about apples first). And perhaps the plan is a good one. You've laid down the steps and while you’re floating most of the time, you’re not swimming but sinking a little once in a while. It’s time to review that plan. And you may have to tweak it more often than you’d like. A couple of scenarios:

You’re on Facebook and/or Google+ and not getting a lot of engagement. You truly believe your posts are great; perhaps they are original blog posts or links to articles. Are you merely slapping those posts on your page, or are you saying something constructive about them?

At the very least, you need to say something about that post.

Summarizing what your fans will find when they click on the link will encourage them to read it and say something about it.

Asking a question to the fans works well too. They DO want to talk to you; why else are they even there? Well okay, the lurkers aren’t going to say anything, but that’s a whole other blog post.

Or how about this? Give your fans a jolt with something that’s slightly out of scope but not so far out that they’ll be questioning your sanity. If your product is pool supplies, why not post a song related to that? Twistin’ by the Pool? Splish Splash? Trying this may bring some light heartedness to your page…do make sure you stay in tune with your brand. The advantage? It could bring fans back more often and while they’re visiting, they’ll check out your other posts too.

Ready to go beyond just floating?

A tune related to buoyancy for you. Click here.

This blog is a part of a series for the A to Z Challenge. For “A”, click here. Stay tuned for “C”.

Note: Buoy pictured here is not the one we owned. This one was found at http://www.wholesalemarine.com