If you are a B2C company, at this point, you most likely have a Facebook page. A question many ask after launching a Facebook page is “how active do we need to be and what should we do on Facebook to turn our activity into ROI?” Some companies are more active than others on Facebook. Your level of activity likely depends on:
·
Your budget for
social media
·
Your staffing to
support social media
·
Your belief that
you can effectively reach and engage target customers and prospects using
Facebook.
If Facebook is part of your marketing plan (and it should be for B2C companies with loyal shoppers), here are 9 ways you can boost your effectiveness. You are likely doing some of these already. These recommendations are different ways to help build a robust community of loyal followers who want to stay connected to your brand on a daily basis. Building a strong Facebook community helps you cost effectively share news on your brand, promote your product or services and get consumer feedback about issues that are important to your customers. It can also help your followers to stay brand loyal and in return buy more of your product.
The following list is intended to give you reminders of what you should be doing on Facebook and perhaps some new ideas to try. These tactics work because they focus on engaging and delivering information and value to your followers.
1.
Leverage
Facebook’s capabilities to build a strong online community. There is big difference between having a Facebook page
and building a strong community on Facebook.
Having a community manager who adds relevant content and provides
stimulus for followers to interact daily helps build a community that fans want
to join.
2.
Engage your
community by asking them questions about what is important to them. In any conversation, it is powerful to
listen. Ask relevant questions and listen
to your follower’s answers. Thank them
for their input.
3.
Let followers
ask questions on Facebook to be answered by your company’s experts. It is likely that many consumers will have
the same question, by providing answers, you educate the entire community. Over time, you may see other consumers
serving as experts to answer questions from others in the community.
4.
Ask followers
to give product feedback on Facebook. Most followers
are likely users and fans of your products.
They are likely to share positive feedback for others to see. Provide them opportunities to talk about your
products. Reward them when they share
great information – See #8.
5.
Take negative
consumers offline to resolve their problems quickly. Unhappy customers can be noisy and disruptive
to a community if they are left unresolved.
Contact them and ask to talk offline so you can quickly understand and
resolve their issues. Once you have, ask
them to talk about what you did on Facebook.
If handled well, many detractors become advocates for your brand.
6.
Use Facebook
to communicate your new news and introduce new products. Your followers are more interested than most
consumers in news about your products and brand. They will likely be early adopters and
advocates that can help build word of mouth BUZZ about your new products. Share news on Facebook – it keeps fans
engaged and rewards them for following you.
If budgets allow, regularly add new video of your products and other
news.
7.
Crosslink your
Facebook page with other relevant web and social media pages. You can add value by communicating links to
relevant web content including upcoming brand events and promotions. Links to promotion partners or brand charity
partners also add information and interest.
8.
Create
“Random Acts of Kindness.” Give away your
product to followers on random days without condition. Surprising selected followers with a gift for
a good answer to a question or helping another fan with an issue will delight
your fans. Giving away samples of your
new products gets your fans talking and helps create early vocal advocates for
the new product on Facebook.
9.
Leverage your
offline and online marketing to build your Facebook community. Communicate your Facebook page and give
consumers reasons to go there.
Consistently communicating your Facebook page in your consumer
communication will help drive traffic and build your community.
If some of these approaches are new to you, test them for your brand. Executing these tactics can enlarge membership your Facebook community, strengthen the frequency and level of interaction with your brand, and boost sales in stores and online.
This blog was originally posted by GrowthSpring Group on the MENG Blend website.
GrowthSpring Group is a marketing strategy, market research, and innovation firm focused on accelerating your sales and profit growth. We help you identify new business growth insights & opportunities and execute winning strategies & plans. www.GrowthSpringGroup.com
