Marketing Your Business: It's Not All About Facebook

Okay, so you’ve finally gotten on the social media bandwagon. You’ve been putting it off and putting it off, but now you’ve finally made the move. You’ve decided social media is where its at and you’ve not only launched your business on Facebook but you’ve paid someone to design a snazzy new custom branded Facebook Landing Page.

Your new Landing Page is the place newcomers to your Facebook Page will ‘land’ when they visit. It’s cool, it’s branded for your business and it even has links to your business website. You’re confident that as soon as people see it they will ‘like’ it!

Now you’re waiting for that big pay off - more customers to discover you and the fantastic services and products you provide! After all, isn’t social media, in particular Facebook, where it’s at these days?

Before you get too excited about social media - and you should be excited! - remember the wise old saying: don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

While it is important for you to expand your business reach and reputation through the use of social media, and there is no place better for that than Facebook, at least at this time: don’t for a moment think that Facebook alone will do it all. It won’t - at least not for most of us.

With roughly 800 million on Facebook  (and growing daily), and in Canada more half of the population, the opportunities Facebook provides for you to grow your brand and business are huge.

That said a significant portion of the population is still NOT on Facebook. And of the ones that are, many are periodic users checking in only weekly or even monthly.

So too, the demographics of those who use Facebook less frequently may be more like your target audience - at least right now. And even if they’re not, it rarely makes sense to use only one marketing medium to reach your target audience.

For small business owners with a limited budget, whether on Facebook or not, attractive, concise and well-written emails are another way to help market your business. They can share helpful information, special promotional deals and news with clients and those who have ‘signed up’ for your mailing list. And, they are another way to keep in touch, especially for those who are not on Facebook.

In fact, in recent social media findings (US) published by foreseeresults.com, an international online customer satisfaction firm, 64% of the 12,000 visitors to top e-retail websites surveyed indicated they prefer to hear about sales and promotions through ‘Promotional emails’! Only 8% indicated ‘Social media websites (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) as their preferred choice. Click here to request a copy of  the report from Foresee.

LinkedIn's Latest Update

It is no secret: LinkedIn is the largest professional network available on the Internet. As of August 2011, LinkedIn CEO, Jeff Weiner, could proudly verify that the global network had over 120 million member profiles – with approximately half of these users located in the United States. In addition to individual user profiles, LinkedIn also offers company profiles. Over 2 million public and private corporations are listed on the network, and this number is growing as small businesses begin to make use of the platform.

In the past, company profile pages were a passive communication tool. Individuals would flock to the listings to pull information and statistics – which proved to be especially advantageous for job seekers.


The addition of the "company follow" feature two years ago provided further value, as individuals were able to become more engaged with the companies. Knowing exactly who their followers were in terms of demographics, companies published content that appealed to their audiences. Alternatively, the users that chose to follow provided social proof of the companies' value to them.
Now, LinkedIn has again stepped up their level of engagement. Company pages have added a new feature: company status updates.


These updates are a great marketing tool to begin to utilize. Companies can now directly communicate with their audience by posting corporate news, product releases, promotions and other relevant information. The updates are automatically directed to the followers' homepage news feeds, where the users can choose to engage by commenting, liking and sharing the content with others on their networks.


Updates are a great way to build engagement with current customers, potential employees and prospective clients alike. Many of us have learned to leverage the power of status updates on other social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. When utilized properly, this dynamic information sharing can lead content to "go viral" – an ambition that all marketers share.


Even more good news: LinkedIn has given us two metrics to monitor these conversations. Page administrators can see the number of impressions (the amount of times the update appears on various users' news feeds) and the level of engagement (the percentage of users that decided to click, like, comment or share the content). Using these numbers we can see which content posts users best respond to.

There is one limitation. Status updates can only be posted by the administrators of a company's LinkedIn page. However, if you are not an administrator already it is easy to become one. Connect to one of the current page administrators, and once the connection is made they are

TED: James Surowiecki: When social media became news

Why You Should Accept My Facebook Friend Request

I often have clients that need advice about separating their personal and business contacts, especially onFacebook. However, I also advise against a big ‘separation.’

While I understand the need for privacy, I’m also an advocate for getting to know people.  It’s that human connection that allows people to get to know you, like you, trust you… and yes –eventually–buy from you.

When I meet someone at a networking event or I engage with them online, I often invite them to join me on social channels, including an invitation to friend me on Facebook.  Most accept my request.

However, I still have a good number that send me a private message and tell me one of two things:

1. I only connect with personal friends and family on Facebook, not business contacts. I hope you understand.

2. I’ll accept your friend request, but I like to keep my Facebook page separate for people I don’t know. I prefer to engage with business professionals on my fan page, which you can like here…..

My response to #1: Yes, I understand. Thank you for letting me know.

What I really think about #1: I do understand, but it makes me sad that you don’t get it. You’ve labeled me as a business contact and nothing more.  Guess I won’t get to know you enough to “like you, trust you, and buy from you.” 

My response to #2:  Thanks, Jane. I am a fan of your page, however, you haven’t updated it since June, so I thought we could engage here.

What I really think about #2: Way to blow the first one-on-one connection we have with each other.

For those of you who aren’t aware, you can create friend lists and filter your connections. You can allow them to see what you want them to see and you can post updates specific to friend lists. (More on lists)

For those of you who make the privacy argument, the bottom line is still this: don’t post anything online – personal page or otherwise – that you wouldn’t want plastered where the ball drops! 

It’s the internet –whether you are aware of it or not–you’re everywhere!

Ken Mueller said in a recent Q&A for my blog, “I DO care what you had for breakfast. I’m building

How to Turn Website Visitors into Customers for Your Creative Business

So you're attracting lots of visitors to your website. But if you're a freelancer or running a creative business, you need those visitors to become clients and customers. Otherwise your site is like a bucket with a hole - draining away your time and money.1. Work out what they really want.
Finding out what your customers want is the beginning and end of your marketing efforts. Get this right, and you can make mistakes with the rest of this list and still make sales. Get it wrong, and you will struggle no matter how well you execute the rest.

If you're a service provider working closely with clients, this is relatively easy - since clients will tell you about their problems, challenges, loves, and hates. They'll let you know when you're giving them what they want - and vice versa! So pay attention to what they tell you and use it to improve your service - and develop new offerings.

If you're selling products or artworks without so much interaction with your customers, it's a little harder but still doable. Take every opportunity to meet with your customers and talk to them - in 'real life' as well as via social media.

Working out what your customers want is an ongoing process that involves trial and error. Here are two questions that can help you get the answers faster:

• Which products/services/artworks are my customers most enthusiastic about?
• What do they buy from your competitors that you could do better, or with an original twist?

2. Show them you mean business.
When a new visitor lands on your website, what's their first impression? Does it look professional or amateurish? Up-to-date or neglected? Popular or obscure? No prizes for guessing which qualities are more attractive to buyers.

And do you make it obvious this is a business website, where you want them to buy from you or hire you? They aren't mind readers, you know!

Don't say: "Hi, I'm Rachel, welcome to my photography site, I hope you enjoy the pictures!"

Do say: "Hi, I'm Rachel Reynolds, a photographer based in Boston. Welcome to my site - you can browse and buy my pictures in the gallery."

 

 

3. Make your offer crystal clear.
What do you want people to DO when they come to your site? 'Buy my stuff' or 'hire me' should be at the top of your list. Next up is to subscribe to your blog or newsletter, sign up for a free trial, or do something else that moves them closer to buying.

Make a prioritized list of these actions. For each desired action, you need to make an offer (invitation, call to action).

Particularly if you are selling a complex product or service, you need to make it clear exactly what you can do for your customers, and how it will benefit them. The more specific you are, the more believable your claims, the more of an expert you will appear.

Don't say: "I'm available for portrait commissions."

Do say: "I paint Vinyl Art, portraits of musicians and entertainers on vinyl records made by

5 Simple Tips to Make Your Facebook Business Page More Likable

There are a multitude of blog posts and articles on the Internet on everything from how to create your Facebook Business Page to how to use third party applications, how to manage your page to how to get more likes. This is not one of those posts. This is a quick and dirty low-down on five ways you can make your Facebook Business Page more likable – today. Not next week. Not when you get around to hiring a app creator or buying Facebook ads or finding a social media intern. Today.

If you have 1 hour, you can do this yourself, today, and then sit back and pat yourself on the back.

Tip 1: Your profile photo.

Take a look at the profile photo on your page. Make sure it’s a good quality photo. If it is pixelated or blurry or out of date, then you need to change it. Hold your cursor over the photo and the words “Change Picture” will appear; click on “Change Picture” and follow the instructions to upload a new photo.

If your profile photo is a photo of yourself or your team, make sure it’s a current photo (as in, within the last two years) and that all team members in the photo are still on your team. Here’s a quick litmus test for your profile pic: If your picture is older than two or three years, it’s time for a new photo. If there’s a possibility that I could see your photo online, then run into you in the grocery store and not know you are the same person from that picture, it’s time for a new photo. If your clothing or hairstyle in your photo date from the last millennium, it’s time for a new photo. (As an aside, this goes for your business card photo, too. Come on, you know who you are! Get the to a photographer, STAT!)

Tip 2: Your info.

First look at the section labeled “About” under your profile photo. This is your opportunity to tell your page visitors – at a glance – who you are and what you do. It’s a great place to put a link to your website, a brief idea of your market area, and even a little bit about who you are. There is a 255 character limit, so you will have to be concise. If you don’t see an “About” section under your profile pic, then you simply haven’t filled it out yet. Click on “Info” under your profile pic, find the “About” section and get to it!

While you’re in the “Info” section, take a look at your options and opportunities here. Do a quick diagnostic check:

• Do you have your phone number and email listed? You want to be sure that you can be contacted if your page visitors have inquiries. Make sure they are accurate!

• Do you have your websites listed (all of them – including your blog)? Many consumers like to check us out before making direct contact – give them a chance to do that!

• Do you have all of your locations listed? If you are a broker or have multiple office locations, list the main one under address and then list ALL of them in the area marked “Description”. (For a great example of this, visitwww.facebook.com/thecorcorangroup.)

• If you are a broker or you are only available during certain hours, do you have your office hours listed? (NOTE: Many REALTORS® may not want to fill this in, since we work nontraditional hours and are often available outside of our office hours. However, if you are managing a page for an office, be sure to fill in accurate office hours so consumers don’t visit and find your door locked.)

Tip 3: Your photos and videos.

Consumers love visual content, so why not give them what they like? It’s a chance for you to create a connection between your clients and visitors – giving them a chance to get to know about you, your

Facebook Says Some of Your Personal Data Is Its 'Trade Secrets or Intellectual Property'

A few weeks back, Techdirt posted a story about a European campaign group called "Europe vs. Facebook", which is trying to find out exactly what information Facebook holds about its users. It is doing this using European data protection laws, thanks to the fact that Facebook' s international headquarters are in Ireland.

The group's founder, Max Schrems, received a reply to his request for the data Facebook held about him in the form of a CD-ROM storing over 800 pages. But looking through them, Schrems noticed that important information was missing, and so contacted Facebook again, asking for the extra details. But Facebook refused:

To date, we have disclosed all personal data to which you are entitled pursuant to Section 4 of the Irish Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 (the Acts).

Please note that certain categories of personal data are exempted from subject access requests. Pursuant to Section 4(9) of the Acts, personal data which is impossible to furnish or which can only be furnished after disproportionate effort is exempt from the scope of a subject access request. We have not furnished personal data which cannot be extracted from our platform in the absence of disproportionate effort.

It seems hard to believe that a sophisticated, leading-edge company like Facebook can't pull

5 Ways to Control Your Facebook Privacy

Facebook is trying to make privacy simpler. But as they add more features, privacy always seems to become more complicated.

With the addition of the Facebook Subscribe button, understanding how your Facebook privacy works is more important than ever.

The good news is that Facebook is making it simpler to find the settings for controlling your privacy.

The bad news is that there’s a lot of confusion around the Subscribe button and what it means for privacy. So let’s start by tackling the privacy issues around the new Subscribe button.

#1: The Facebook Subscribe button

Facebook has made the subscribe setting opt-in instead of defaulted to on. The Subscribe button is designed to allow people to subscribe to your public posts rather than (or possibly in addition to) requesting a friendship. It’s a lot like a Twitter follow. You don’t approve subscribers. All of your current friends are, by default, subscribed to your posts.

You can choose to subscribe to someone who has allowed subscribers.

Whenever you update your personal profile, you can determine who you want to see your post: public, friends or custom. Custom can then include friends of friends, only certain friends, or a friends list. You may want to check out this post to help you create friends lists and also review other privacy controls: 4 Simple Steps to Control Your Facebook Privacy.

If you want to keep your profile private, you don’t have to worry about the Subscribe button at all. But if you’re interested in sharing some posts publicly, you can opt in by going to www.facebook.com/about/subscribe and clicking Allow Subscribers. You can also read more about how the Subscribe button works at that link.

Click Allow Subscribers to start the process.

Once you click Allow Subscribers, you have some settings to configure. You can always go back and adjust these settings by clicking your profile in the upper-right corner of Facebook and then selecting Subscribers on the left sidebar. Then select the Edit Settings button in the upper-right corner of the page.

Edit your subscriber settings.

Decide if you want to allow comments by anyone on your public updates. Realize thatyou cannot block profanity or spam on your personal updates (even though you can on a Facebook page). You can always delete comments and block people after the fact, but if you keep this setting open, watch your posts.

When you allow subscribers, make sure you are watching how you post your updates. The default is public; so if you don’t want your post to be public, use the dropdown menu to change who can see the post. You can also retroactively change who can see your posts by using the dropdown menu to the right of each post. This is handy if you “over-shared” something private.

Change your post settings when needed.

You may just choose to subscribe to people who have too many friends and aren’t accepting friend requests. If you navigate to their profile, you will see the Subscribe button, which indicates that you can choose to request a friendship or subscribe (or both).

But realize that if you do subscribe to them, your name is listed as a subscriber for public information. This is different than the “Likers” of a Facebook page, which are not visible to the public.

Your name and profile picture are publicly listed as a subscriber.

#2: Changing your Facebook privacy settings

The next thing you want to check is your Facebook privacy settings. I think that Facebook has streamlined their privacy settings and made them simpler to understand. First, click the down arrow button in the upper-right corner of Facebook and select Privacy Settings.

Then step through each of the available setting areas: How You Connect, How Tags Work, Apps and Websites, Limit the Audience for Past Posts and Blocked People and Apps.

In the How You Connect section, you can set the capabilities for people to send you friend requests, post on your timeline and more. Make sure these settings are comfortable for you. For example, you

The Current State Of Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Google+ [INFOGRAPHIC]

The social media adoption rate continues to grow at a staggering pace as the big four networks – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ – gobble up the attention and man-hours of brands and users alike.

Facebook recently announced they had passed 800 million active users. Twitter has at least 200 million registered profiles (more than 254 million, by my count). LinkedIn has 64 million users in North America alone. And still wet-behind-the-ears Google+ picked up 10 million users in about two weeks.

This infographic from creative agency One Lily looks at the state of social media today.

(Source: One Lily. Image credit: nasirkhan via Shutterstock.)