Don’t Be Socially Stupid – How to Gain Fans & Influence Customers Using Facebook

This is a guest post written by Dina Riccobono

Let’s get this straight- I don’t claim to be an expert, I’m not some guru, and I won’t sell you a million dollar idea. I just have a decent knowledge of the social space and was asked to help clarify it a little for some of you…less savvy characters out there. Anyone who tells you they’re a social media expert is lying. The real experts HATE the term- because they know that the online world is always and forever evolving.

That being said, with some social media platforms, there are clear cut, black and white rights and wrongs. We’ll use Facebook fan pages in this particular situation. I’m a huge fan of using social media platforms for brand advocacy and customer service. Unfortunately, there are so many businesses and ‘experts’ out there throwing around useless Facebook fan pages, Twitter accounts, and fake Yelp reviews that I decided to take a public stand- hence my previous rant on Twitter and this guest post.

So how am I going to help you to social success? 5 easy steps and you’ll be well on your way. And if you’re not, you’re (still) doing it wrong!

Step One: Have a Goal.

A what?! Yup, imagine that. Every single thing you do in your business should have a purpose. Ideas aren’t spaghetti; you aren’t throwing a bunch of noodles at the wall to see what sticks. Sure, it could work some of the time. I bet there were a few billion dollar ideas birthed from shooting the s—. That, my friends, is typically called brainstorming- which has a purpose. A purpose = a goal. See? I bet this is less painful then you thought.

Since we’re specifically discussing Facebook fan pages today, what is the goal of creating the page in the first place? Decision time:

A) A place for your customers to go when they want to rant/ rave about your product.

B) A great way to build a new customer base through special promotions.

C) A blank page with hourly ‘I’m a fan’ invites to your friends, family, and anyone you’ve never met.

D) A place for you to build a sense of community with customers, old and new.

If you answered C, stop reading. You’re way beyond help. The major problem I have, though, is that a LOT of you answer C! Why C?! Why would you want to annoy potential customers, current brand advocates, and your family (don’t answer that last one) with a page without purpose?! Let’s pretend you passed the multiple choice test and move on…because clearly, you need some help.

Step Two: Who Are You?

You know how awkward blind dates can be? That’s exactly what you’re on with a new customer. They’ve maybe heard a bit about you, enough to at least convince them to spend this precious few hours sizing you up. Make one off-color comment to a conservative chick, or refuse a drink when you’re out with a hardcore partier, and you’re probably not making it to round two of this rose ceremony. It’s the same thing with businesses, personal brands, personalities. Decide who you are and stick to your guns- if you’re a people-pleasing brand who wants to turn haters to #1 fans, great! If you prefer to curse, kick, and scream right back at a customer with an issue, fantastic! Make a decision and share it with your fan-world in your bio- you’ll get that second date (or at least a fake number).

Part B of the ‘Who Are You’ phenomenon is if you want to be well-known, be well-known as you. If you mess up, piss someone off, or make a fool of yourself, do you really want your business to tank because of it? Separate yourself from your brand (unless it’s your personal one)- because trust me- eventually, you will mess up. It’s a part of life.

If you can’t handle parts a and b, hire someone to handle social media for you. Seriously- if you’re a CEO, you’ve got bigger things to worry about then what the optimal fan page post time is. Get a friendly, smart, sociable, savvy gal or guy, and let them take over. Seriously though- give them the social reigns once they get acclimated to the company. There’s nothing worse then a social media spokesperson talking out their you-know-what’s and sounding like the crisis PR team before there’s ever a crisis.

Step Three: Where Are You?

Don’t you hate when you call a customer service hotline and you press 0 incessantly, but STILL can’t get someone on the phone to save your life? Don’t be that guy!

People want to talk to people (even if they hate people, this is the exception)! For —-‘s sake, would you put contact info on your page?! On every page- EVERY. SOCIAL. MEDIA. PROFILE. Don’t make people search through 30,000 Google results before they can even find the name of someone who works at your company. BE THERE. BE AVAILABLE.

If you’re going to go through the trouble of creating the page and clicking on all the individual little pictures to invite people to know how awesome you are, take three seconds and add a photo and some relevant info. I shouldn’t have to tell you this. I kind of want to stop writing right here and now if you didn’t already do this- but you obviously didn’t which is why we’re both here in the first place.

Oh and also- answer the people. If they contact you on the phone, via email, if they tweet at you- comment on your (gasp) Facebook fan page- reply. They’re writing for a reason. Whether they want to just say thanks; are stark raving mad about their brand new product that broke; or have a question. Let your customers know you can hear them. You can’t resolve every problem, and you certainly can’t convert every enemy into an advocate, but you can listen. That’s the easy part.

Step Four: Do Something. (Almost) Anything!

If you’re going to create a fan page, and you want to have…you know, fans…make some! They don’t just appear out of thin air. They won’t love your product because once back in ’92, you saved a puppy from a burning building while selling girl scout cookies. You have to DO SOMETHING- and something good, at that! Fan pages are GREAT- but you have to utilize them properly.

What would I like to see as a fan?

-Tell me your story. Not the ‘HR-approved’ vague one-liner. Your actual STORY.

-Tell me about yoursel(ves). You want to build a community? Start with yours. Tell our people about your people. (This is a great approach if you’re in a business where someone has a dedicated sales person, marketing rep, or agent.) You can even throw in the line about the puppy and the girl scouts- but if I see it I’ll know you stole it. Let’s face it- it’s awkward communicating back and forth for a year and having a sales rep know enough about you to become you- and all you know is their email address.

-Tell me what moves you. Don’t make stuff up. This isn’t a dating profile so spare me the ‘long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners’ lines. Does your company participate in a 5k annually? Do you have a softball team? Do you volunteer on the weekends? I’d like to know you are an actual human being- not just a bot making your brand look better.

-Give me stuff! I saved this one for last because I know you’re hesitant. Times are tough, the economy is-or-isn’t in the tank, depending on who you ask- but did you know that giving something away for free…can actually make you money? Oh my Gawd, I know, totally crazy right? Wrong!

Motivate people to love you- and I don’t mean ‘fan my page I’ll give you an iPad.’ That defeats the whole purpose.

-Re: Free things: Get your brand advocates to tell you why they love your product- on video. Get new customers to give completely honest reviews of your service. Sure, you’ll get some bad ones- but you’re going to get those anyway. Learn about them before they become a problem. Win-win. Oh, and also, make the giveaway something good. I’m not going to give you my life documentary as directed by James Cameron and reenacted by Angelina Jolie for a plastic dinosaur, ok? Put some effort into it. It’s even better if you (shocking news coming here) giving away your product or service. Oh, wow! Then I’d like, totally have amazing things to say about it!

Step Five: Don’t be a WTF.

Seriously- do you really want to be one of ‘those’ people I’m writing this post about? The ones where every time the notification pops up on my page that says ‘1 new page suggestion’ I cringle, yell ‘What the F—‘ to my dogs and consider flinging my laptop off the balcony? No, you don’t. Well, maybe you do for me- but think of me as a generic here, not me specifically.

Do NOT- I repeat- DO NOT force people into fandom. You’ll actually force yourself into a far worse situation- brokedom. Maybe not today, maybe not next month, but really? If your marketing strategy is to annoy the crap out of your customer until they join your page-

#1- you haven’t sold anything yet and

#2- you aren’t going to. Which leaves you…in the poor house with two Facebook fans (your mom doesn’t count- no, really, she doesn’t)…make that one.

Dina Riccobono is the VP of Business Development for 1938 Business– a boutique video advertising agency. She is returning to the online TV space with a new show, 1938 Cares, launching on the 1938Media.com platform in April.

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