To be profitable on social media you first have to be LIKABLE. This is something that does not gets talked about a lot, but if you look at any brand that is successful on Facebook, you will see that it’s oh so true.
Being likable on social media isn’t all that different from being likable in ‘real life’, although some of the strategies will differ slightly. The main point is that it is only through being likable that people will come to trust you – and it is this trust that will ultimately put you top of mind when someone is ready to buy your product or service.
Here are 11 ways you can win friends and increase your profit with your Facebook page.
1. Actually respond to comments and questions.
It’s not enough to simply ‘set it and forget it’ when it comes to social media.
Posting great content will only get you so far. Be sure to read and respond to your fans’ ‘Posts to Page’, as well as to the comments they leave in response to your posts.
2. ‘Like’ your fans’ posts.
As your Page grows, you will likely be unable to respond to each and every post and comment. However ‘liking’ your fans’ comments only takes a second, and shows you are actually paying attention to what they have to say.
3. Post consistently.
To be trustworthy, you need to be consistent. This means posting to your Page regularly, as well as consistently responding to comments and questions (see #1).
4. Don’t be a negative Nelly.
Occasionally there will be times when posting sad or negative sentiments are appropriate or even necessary. But consistently posting with a negative tone will just bring everyone down. This is a great way to get your fans clicking on the ‘unlike’ button!
5. Know your audience.
Ask yourself: What type of content does my audience actually like? What struggles, needs or pain points could I be addressing?
Bringing your focus back onto your audience is one of the best ways to increase your likability quotient.
6. Use visuals.
If you want to get your engagement levels up, using visuals is the way to go. Images are not only great for increasing your reach and visibility, but for connecting on a very real level with your fans (this is particularly true for inspirational or motivational images).
7. Avoid over-promotion.
When you constantly promote yourself, your products or your services, you very quickly lose the respect and patience of your audience. In order to turn fans into friends, instead focus on providing valuable content, and building trust that will ultimately lead to sales.
8. Get personal.
It’s pretty hard to be likable when you never share anything about yourself. People want to know there’s a real person behind your posts, so don’t be afraid to share personal stories, thoughts or opinions from time to time!
9. Be a customer service superstar.
Image courtesy of The Social Habit
Social customer service is the way of the future.
Your customers are more likely than ever to post customer service questions and queries to your social media accounts, and 42% expect a response with 1 hour. Have a plan in place for responding promptly and efficiently to questions and concerns, or risk losing the trust of your fans.
10. Delight your fans.
How do you delight your fans? By over delivering whenever possible. Give stuff away, provide tons of free content, give away coupons, and acknowledge your most active fans.
11. Be authentic.
It is easy to spot a fake on social media. Being authentic means being transparent, conveying your passion, listening to your audience and participating in THEIR conversations (as opposed to just trying to make them participate in YOURS). Here are 12 more ways to having authentic conversations on social media!
When you abide by the 11 strategies above, you not only win trust, you win friends. People get to know you, and come to rely on you as a source of valuable information. And this is what ultimately leads to long-term, profitable relationships.
What would you add to this list? What strategies do you use for winning friends and increasing profits on Facebook?
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It’s so critical to share who YOU are, Elke! I am glad you are starting to open to the possibility at least 🙂
Hello Mam, Thanks for the Advice. I am a newbie in Social Media Marketing, So, am sure, it will act as the Beautiful advice for my Company. I just wanted to know, whether the above steps (if followed properly) are work of a single person or its team work. Thanks and Regards
I used these same tips when it was just me so yes, you can use them if you are a solopreneur.
Thanks so much for dropping by, Matae! Glad you picked up some takeaways 🙂
YES! This is a distinct point for sure. Thanks Mucha!
It’s sooo important and love hearing that you are working on it, Tiffany!
It is my opinion that one or two posts per day is only feasible for big brands that will have an audience regardless of how many times they post. Starbucks and Wal-Mart, for example. If you are just starting or have a small fan base that you should be posting at least 5-6 times a day and running some small targeted ad campaigns if your budget allows. Even a few dollars a day will net great returns. If you have a larger fan base, I recommend posting 8-10 times a day and run targeted ad campaigns.
Kim has a great point here those of us who are unknown with budget concerns really start from the bottom. It reminds me of the first day of school growing up. There you are with new pencils and paper just waiting for the next thing to do.
Thanks, Rayne!
I totally disagree with this. Eight or ten posts a day from a page I like would drive me mad, it’s way too much for me! We are bombarded with social media, is much rather see one or two well written posts than ten posts no matter how well they are written. Imagine if every page you liked was posting ten posts a day… :-/
The bigger message for all of social media is that it’s not a one size fits all. You have to find your own sweet spot and what works for you and your audience.
Thanks Andres 🙂
Absolutely the truth, David!!