The Fallacy of Facebook
There is a belief out there that Facebook is a great place to market a business. I’m going to tell you today that Facebook is actually a terrible place to market a business, because people on Facebook don’t want to buy things, unless those things are prized hens for the latest farming game.
The truth is that people go on Facebook to be entertained: to see funny pictures, to connect with friends and family, and to see what’s happening. In short, they are not looking for a new toaster. However, if you, as a business, can entertain them, then you have an opportunity to reach them.
Start thinking about the things that you post on your personal Facebook wall, and look for similar things to post on your businesses Facebook page. Do they make you laugh? Cry? Think? Is there a way that you can tie your posts to your business (we all know that kitten pictures are insanely popular. Do you have a pet store?)? A dentist could post tooth cartoons, for example, at least every once in a while.
There are places on Facebook that allow you to post your business description and contact information. Those places are not your timeline. Once you’ve built a good bit of content on your timeline that is funny, it’s okay to talk about yourself every once in a while. But don’t go overboard. Provide entertainment to your readers. If you’re entertaining, you will be shared. If you are shared, you will be Liked. If you are Liked – more people will start to spread your message.
Nobody cares about a sale on Toasters. Until they need a toaster. And then, the first person they will think of is the funny toaster company that they follow on Facebook. This is the world of Facebook marketing. Stop treating it like a newspaper ad.
