5 Reasons Why Someone Should Like Your Facebook Business Page

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a person, or a business, just blasts out: “Like us on Facebook!” or “Follow us on Twitter!” without explaining the reason why. Humans are selfish beings, so as business owners we need to give people the “selfish” reason why they should like our page. 

For instance, I would like local business owners to like my page on Facebook and follow me on Twitter because I’m offering them value, such as tips on how to grow their business through online marketing. They get something of value for themselves, by following me. That’s just my example — your reasons may be different! Here are five different reasons you can give people for why they should follow you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.

1. The first reason is to get tips! Say you own a landscape company. You might say to people, “Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook because we’re always giving tips on how to have a beautiful, luscious, green yard.” I would “like” that in a heartbeat!

2. The second reason is events. Maybe you have a brick and mortar business and you’re hosting an event, with bounce houses, things for kids, etc.  You might can tell people, “Hey, like us on Facebook so you can keep up with all our fun events!”

3. Reason number three someone should like your business page is to keep up with your specials. There are a lot of service businesses that like to give out specials, such as beauty salons or auto repair shops. Specials are a great “selfish” reason for someone to like your page. “Hey, give us a like on Facebook, because we’re always posting about different monthly specials!”  Your customers will say, “Oh, yeah! Sure, I want to keep up with your specials. I’ll go ahead and give you a like!”

4. The fourth reason why someone should like your Facebook page or follow you on Twitter is to keep up with special closings, inclement weather, etc. This happens a lot. We’re here in Texas where it can go from sunshine to rain to ice in the same week! So one thing we can do is to communicate to our clients whether or not we’ll be open, which might save them some trouble. 

This is important for holidays, too. When people follow you they can see by a quick glance if you’re going to be open on a holiday or not. Let’s face it — people don’t want to call you to find out if you’re going to be open! They want to be able to check their Facebook, or look on Twitter and know if it’s a good time to pay you a visit, or stay home and save themselves some time and trouble. 

5. The last reason I want you to explain why someone should like your Facebook page or follow you on twitter is because of customer service! Tell your current and potential clients: “You can follow us, or like us on Facebook, and actually message us if you have a question, or comment. We can reply back to comments right here, and you don’t even have to call us!” Again it’s funny, we live in a day and an age where people want to use their smart phones for everything except calling! So give them this avenue to be able to provide customer service to them. 

One caution, though:  If you’re not able to keep up with your social media stream and actually be able to reply back to these comments, do not put that out there as a selling tool for you! If you do have someone monitoring messages and tweets, etc., then yes, go ahead and throw that out there! “Hey! Follow us on Twitter, because you can always tweet us with a question or a concern, and we’ll get right back with you!” Our clients love that we are able to do this for them so they can focus on running their businesses.

Again, I hope this arms you with enough reasons that when you say “Hey, give us a like on Facebook!”  you’ll be able to give your customers some concrete reasons why. This way you’ll grow your pages organically with people who want to like your page, and who are not just giving you the “guilty like.”

I hope this helps you grow your online presence! Please share this with a business owner who would love to connect with more local residents. As always, please feel free to add your comments below!

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How To Pin a Post on Facebook

Here is a quick video that show how to pin a post to the top of a Facebook business page.  This will keep promotional and important posts at the top of the page regardless of how many posts follow it.







Thank you for watching and please feel free to comment below.

How To Get More Reach on Facebook

There has been a lot of chatter lately about the decline of reach (amount of people that actually see posts from business pages) on Facebook.  Business owners are frustrated with the new algorithm changes from the social media powerhouse.   Let’s shed some light as to why this is happening:  Facebook would like businesses to invest money in it’s platform, and the reason why is simple:  Facebook is a publicly traded company and here to make money.  This does not mean the beginning of the end for companies that depend on Facebook marketing to attract new business.  In fact, I have personally seen little to no impact in the pages that I manage when it comes to reach and I want to share some tips with you that has kept my content consistently in the newsfeed.

1. Aim to please fans, not an algorithm:   Pages that try to cater to an algorithm get punished when the algorithm changes.  One thing that will never change is people (fans of pages) love valuable information.  Whether it’s a helpful tip, entertaining picture, or sharing product information related to their industry, it’s all about pleasing our audience.  That’s what keeps fans coming back, engaging in our posts and eventually using or recommending our products/services.  People can tell the difference between a genuine post and a post designed to just get reach.  Pages that post valuable content never have to worry about an update or algorithm change.  It gets really fun when great content is shared organically and making the reach go through the roof!

2. Run Targeted Facebook Ads: In my opinion, it’s an absolute must that businesses run ads on Facebook to target the correct audience.  I am mainly concerned with helping and attracting owners of small businesses in the McKinney area so I run ads to target that exact audience.  I would not get a ton of engagement (comments and likes) from people that weren’t business owners or interested in marketing.  My reach hasn’t changed because my audience is generally interested in my content which leads to more engagement and most importantly, people sharing my content with others.

As you can see, I am trying to attract a very specific audience:

3. Post at the correct times: Another way to get more reach on posts is to post at the correct times.  I firmly believe that there is no bad time to post (well maybe 2:00am), but there are definitely optimal times to post.  EVERY page is different so it’s best to experiment with different times and see what times work best.  This tool in the insights is helpful as well to see when our fans are online:

My page is pretty steady, and peaks at about 4:00, so the afternoon is best for us.

4. Post pictures:  I cannot stress this enough. The majority of my posts should include pictures (here’s a guide to size them correctly:size guide) because they attract attention in the newsfeed and spark an emotion.  Pictures will get people to engage in the post and more likes and comments will increase the reach. Also, if entertaining enough or helpful enough, our pictures will get shared and be introduced to a new audience!

5. Respond to comments:  Okay so we’ve established that engagement is good.  Continued engagement is even better!  The best thing a business can do when someone takes the time to comment on a post is to reply back and continue the conversation.  This will encourage others to chime in because they know you are “really there” and also condition that person to comment again in the future.  When a page doesn’t responds to a comment, the person doesn’t feel motivated to ever comment again. What’s the point right?  Always reply to comments and mentions.

6. Boost posts:  I have bad news for some: social media is not free.  There will have to be an investment in time as well as money.  What’s great is by “boosting posts” we can reach a very targeted audience for a relatively low amount of money (even as little as $5 to reach hundreds).  I recommend boosting promotional posts such as events and new products and services.  Blog posts (I will boost this one) and videos are great to boost as well.  

I know it can seem like Facebook is about to get us or punish us, but they’re not.  It’s an extremely powerful network to generate sales and they are trying to make money just like we are.  Remember, if you chase an algorithm, your strategy will always change and you will be frustrated.  If you provide value to your followers each and every day, you’ll create raving fans.

For those that do not have the time to execute these recommendations, I invite you to the social media management tab at the top of the page to see if I can help.  Thanks for stopping by and your comments are more than welcome as always!

How To Attract Referrals From Your Personal Facebook Page

Before we get started, I want to be clear.  We are not talking about posting about our business on our personal Facebook page.  I am very much for keeping our business separate from our personal  when it comes to social media.  I firmly believe that my Facebook friends do not care about marketing and that my business page followers don't care about what I'm doing this weekend.  That being said, there are some actions that we can take on a daily basis that will lead to business referrals.  Before I confuse everyone any further, let's dig right in. Here are 5 things you can do on your personal Facebook page that could lead to business.


1. Connect your profile to your business page:  This one seems like a given, but you would be surprised to see how many business owners do not have a link to their business page on their personal profile.

This is what I mean:

In the "about" section under "work and education" you can tag your business Facebook page (I hovered over the link to show how easy it is now to go to my business page.  This is important because new connections and old friends like to know what we do and they just might need our services. They can't refer us if they don't know what we do.

Note:  It's not linked properly if you see a briefcase like this:

2. Like and Comment:  The great part about Facebook is that we don't even have to post personal status updates to be effective.  A simple "like" goes a long way.  It sends a notification to the person that sent the status and everyone (including those we're not friends with) can see that we like it.  Also, on computers, activity is displayed on the right hand side.  Commenting does the same thing and our profile picture gets exposure too.  Just be careful to only like and comment on positive statuses.  After all, as business owners we are always "on the clock" and we are what we like.  Adding value to positive discussions will make us likable and people love to do business with those they like.

3. Check-in:  A "check-in" is an easy way to get exposure in the news feed as well as promote other businesses.  I would advice not to abuse this.  People get "unfriended" easily if they check-in EVERY time they go somewhere.  Use this in moderation.  Also, it's a good idea for business owners that have a brick and mortar to check in to their own business page (every now and then, not everyday) and say something like, "ready to take care of clients/customers today!". It's a friendly, passive reminder of what we do for a living without shoving it down our friend's throats.


4. Stay away from politics etc:  It can get really tempting to jump into an argument about politics or religion on Facebook, but my advise is to keep scrolling.  We never know who is watching.  It could be someone that was going to do business with us or refer business to us, but has a different opinion.  My suggestion:  Have these discussions offline.


5. Be consistent: These steps above only work if we are consistent and are doing this on a daily basis. If we are seen everyday in a positive light, then referrals will start to come our way. People will like us first, then our respective businesses are a bonus of who we are.


Even though I am not big on mixing personal with business when it comes to social media, there is a game plan to using your personal page to attract referrals.  I hope this helps and please feel free to add comments below if I missed anything!

3 Things Every Business Should Do On Facebook Everyday

In today's marketing world, Facebook is a "must do" for any business. The reason is simple: Our prospective clients and customers expect us to be there.  People would look at us like we had two heads if we told them we did not have a Facebook business page today. That being said, simply creating a page and setting up the profile is not enough to be successful in gaining an online presence and attracting referrals (obviously). We have to be active.  If not, it would be like showing up to a network meeting or function and not saying a single to word to anyone.  Sure we could mark it off of our to-do list as something we did, but did it really accomplish anything?  Probably not.  There is a strategic game plan to Facebook that every business should follow.  Ready? Here we go:


1. Post:  I know this sounds obvious, but not every brand posts daily.  This is a mistake in my opinion because people check their Facebook accounts SEVERAL times per day.  If you're not posting, your competition surely is.  Also, imagine if someone visited a website to check out a business, notices the Facebook icon at the top, clicks it and then sees that the company has not posted since 2012!  What must that person be thinking?  "Are they still in business?  Do they not care anymore? Are they too overwhelmed to take on more business? What happened??" Posting daily is crucial to maintaining the relationship with our fans and followers.  There are exceptions:  I never post on Sundays (family day and my day of rest), nor do I post on national tragedies or anniversaries of national tragedies. No good can come out of it so I remain silent.


2. Respond to comments: There is nothing worse than a comment just sitting there. "Hello? Can you hear me?"  If someone asked us a question in real life, or gave us a compliment and we did not answer them, that would be awkward beyond belief.  Same goes for Facebook.  Responding back to comments in a reasonable amount of time (a few hours) encourages more people to comment which leads to more fans interacting with the page.  It also will lead to the person that commented to visit the page again.


3. Like/Comment on other pages: Building relationships via social media is very similar to in-person networking (BNI, Chamber, networking group). Saying what we do is great (30 second commercials), but having side conversations by the coffee before the meeting and mingling with people after will let people get to know you, like you and trust you.  This is the same on Facebook.  If we simply just post daily, but never interact, we will never gain the traction we need to build relationships and attract referrals.  One thing I do everyday for my clients is log in as their business page, "like" a few business pages in the community, and comment on positive/safe statuses. I avoid posts having to do with politics, religion, or anything that would be considered inappropriate.  The beauty of commenting on other pages (not selling or spamming, simply commenting to give value to the post) is that it gives our brand exposure outside of just our page likes.  This is a great way to grow your page and business organically by attracting people that had no idea you existed.


Building a community and attracting referrals on Facebook, does not happen overnight.  It is like trying to get into shape.  We cannot do one or two reps in the gym and expect to see spectacular results that day.  However, if you stick to a daily plan and you are consistent with it, you will reap the benefits.  Follow the steps above everyday and let me know how it goes for you and your business.  I hope this helps and please feel free to add to the discussion below.

5 Advantages of Having a Facebook Business Page

In today's business world, having a business page on Facebook is similar to having a business phone number.  People look at us crazy if we tell them we don't have one.  I am sometimes asked the question, "why should I have a Facebook page?" or "does it make sense for our company to be on Facebook", so I want to go over exactly why I feel that every business (regardless of the niche) should have a Facebook business page.  There are some distinct advantages and we will cover a few.





1. Daily Exposure: Businesses that want to be seen and heard need to be on Facebook.  Marketing 101: Go where the people are located.  According to Alexa.com, Facebook is the 2nd most visited website in the world! It's also 2nd in the U.S if you were wondering.  People also check Facebook at an alarming rate. About 13 times per day on average. A company or self-employed individual has a pretty good chance of people stumbling across their page with that kind of traffic.


2. Targeted Audience:  Marketing is all about getting in front of the right audience.  Having a Facebook page allows a business to speak with and engage with individuals that would be interested in their product or services.  This is done through Facebook Ads.  Imagine having a billboard for your business.  Now imagine you can hand pick the cars that drive past your billboard. Now imagine that you could change your billboard message and picture every single day.  Then imagine if a car stopped and had an inquiry or a question and that your billboard could respond right there on the spot!  THAT is the power of a Facebook business page.



3. Humanize Our Brand:  Let's face it..not every niche is the most exciting to the common person.  Ex: bookkeeper, attorney, even transmission repair (nothing against these industries whatsoever).  Facebook gives us the opportunity to let our personalities show regardless of the industry.  Let's take a transmission repair company for instance.  I manage a business page for The Transmission Shop.  Facebook gives them a chance to share their story, give tips to our audience, but most importantly, let their audience get to know the employees.  By sharing pictures of the location and the employees, it humanizes their brand and the audience can make a connection with the people and not just a shop.  Can this be done through a website? Sure.  I would however, argue that the daily interaction between a brand and the audience will build a stronger relationship than a one-sided affair with a website.


4. Drive Traffic To Your Website:  Facebook is great for building a relationship with our audiences, but it could also be used to drive traffic to your website and other social media outlets.

As you can see pictured above, a business can utilize Facebook's apps and drive traffic to a website, YouTube channel and even an email list.  Facebook ads can actually be ran to have the user go to a website instead of the business page.  This is extremely valuable for e-commerce businesses.



5. Credibility:  People expect us to not only have a Facebook business page, but it can actually cause a company to lose credibility by not having one (especially if there is a Facebook icon on their website that does not take the user to an active Facebook page).  If we look at EVERY industry-leading company, they will have a Facebook business page to share their content with their fans.  Our competition is on Facebook so we better be!


 There are over 1 billion users on Facebook today.  Companies that have business pages on Facebook have an opportunity to attract those users and earn their business over time.  The key though, it not just to create a page, but to actually be active on the page daily and present valuable content to keep our audience coming back for more and trusting our brand.  Please share with anyone that does not have a business Facebook page, that has wondered what the fuss is all about. Thanks so much!


Also, if you can think of any more advantages, please feel free to add below in a comment.