You are probably thinking this is a pretty strange question for me to ask, given that I’m a big social media advocate. I firmly believe that just about any business can benefit from a solid social media strategy and outreach plan. In particular, a Facebook page is a chance for you to interact with your fans on a deeper and more meaningful level. It’s a place for you to ask questions, answer your fans’ concerns and comments and give company news. If you do this right, it’s also a way to form an emotional connection with your consumers/clients.
That’s the holy grail of marketing. It’s about relationship-building. When used effectively, social media allows you to create meaningful relationships with your customers around the world.
But, building relationships with your fans takes times. A lot of time and a lot of effort. It’s like what Gary Vaynerchuk says in his latest book, The Thank You Economy, “social media marketing is a marathon not a sprint.” Marketers up until now are used to running sprints with short-term campaigns. Social media doesn’t work that way. Every day should be in campaign-mode, because social media doesn’t have an on and off switch. People “talk” online 24-7, 365 days a year. It’s something that you can’t bs or half-ass. You have to commit 100% in order to reap the rewards.
Social media marketing isn’t a quick fix and likely won’t yield impressive instant results. You may actually lose money, in the form of employee compensation as well as rewards and incentives for customers, in the short term. But over time, if you are doing it right, the increased fan loyalty will increase your numbers, drive sales and drive traffic to your website.
In addition, social media marketing is NOT broadcast media. Nor, should it be treated as such. It’s crucial to think about and write updates about what your consumers “like” and want to talk about. It doesn’t have to just be about your product. Keep the conversation going. The more “likeable” the post, the more likely it will end up in your fans’ top news feed.
Here’s the kicker. If you are not prepared to make short-term sacrifices to build your fan base’s loyalty to reap the long term ROI, then you should do some serious evaluation. People can detect a half-assed Facebook fan page from a mile away. Facebook isn’t traditional “push” media. If you just throw out a status update with corporate press release speak every so often, you aren’t going to get much out of Facebook. In fact, you are hurting your brand more than just not being on it in the first place.
