7 IMPORTANT THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU POST ON FACEBOOK

Facebook is the medium of choice for many businesses when it comes to a social media marketing strategy.  Why?  Because Facebook has almost a billion users; it has become the social medium on which to connect and because, with its gazillion user-friendly features and apps, it’s just so damn cool!

Here are a few statistics and things (courtesy of consultant, Jeff Bullas, one of my favorite go-to guys for all things social media) you should know before using Facebook as a part of your business’ social media marketing campaign.

1. What Days of the Week are Best for Posting?  Although there’s nothing wrong with posting on Facebook any given day of the week, statistics show that the best days to post are Wednesdays and Sundays.                   

2. What Times of the Day are Best for Posting?  The best time to post on Facebook is between the hours of 8:00 PM and 7:00 AM.  Apparently posting between these hours garner 20% more user engagement.  So, if you want to increase traffic, “likes” and comments, analysis shows that it’s actually best to post during non-business hours, when users are not at work. 

3. How Many Posts a Day Should you Create?  Research dictates that it’s quality, not quantity, that matters most.  Accordingly, posting one or two times per day generates 40% more user engagement.

4. How Many Times a Week Should you Post?  By the same token, according to Bullas, you can, “Achieve maximum user engagement by not overcrowding users’ newsfeeds with too many Posts during the week.  Posting one to four times produces 71% higher user engagement than five or more Posts in a given week for retail brands.”

No one wants to have their News Feeds inundated with an over abundance of posts – especially not if they’re all from the same person or company.

5. What is the Optimal Length for a Post?  With respect to the length of posts, it would appear that more concise posts (posts between one and 40 characters in length) produce higher engagement than do longer posts.  The statistic is, “Posts with 80 characters or less receive 66% higher engagement.”

6. What Kind of Content Sparks Dialogue?  To get the dialogue ball rolling, ask questions of your fans.  If you really want to generate lots of comments, there’s no better way to do it.  If your objective is to really get fans talking, remember that, “question posts generate comment rates double that of “non-question” posts.”

7. What Keywords are Most Effective in Facebook Offer Posts?  People respond best to uncomplicated and undemanding offers.  Tell your fans what they’re getting in straightforward language.  Bullas claims that keywords like “$ Off” and “Coupons” generate the highest fan engagement.  On the flipside, keywords such as “Sale” and “% Off” receive the least fan engagement.

So, now that you’re armed with some of the best advice for posting on Facebook for business – get out there and get posting!!  For more information and to best optimize your social media endeavors, why not join one of our Social Networking for Business seminar/workshops and we’ll equip you with everything you need to know!  Just click on the link for a schedule of workshops in your area.

http://escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

5-POINT SOCIAL MEDIA TUNE-UP

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that social media have forever changed the way we think, play and conduct business.  From a business standpoint, social media have accomplished a major feat – they’ve added a human, personal dimension to companies that before never really existed.  The cornerstone of any business is its customer service practices.  And, this is where social media have been able to take hold and make a difference.

Forward-thinking businesses have leveraged social networking platforms to engage, elicit customer satisfaction and increase positive brand recognition and reputation.  When used effectively, social media can turn any business into a customer-friendly entity that people want to engage with and be a part of.  Happy, satisfied customers are what will drive a business into the stratosphere of success! 

Here are a few ways to keep your customers happy on your social media platforms:

1. More Visibility – In terms of customer service, it’s good practice to be completely visible and transparent.  You want your customers to be able to see your interactions with and responses to other customers.  It’s likely that more than one of your customers have similar questions or comments, and by making your communication visible, you are helping out a number of customers with one response.  Social media sites cultivate community surrounding your brand. 

2. Turn it Around Quickly – When customers seek support with respect to your services on social media platforms, they expect a quick if not immediate response.  Monitor every day how customers discuss and respond to your products & services and stay a part of the conversation to better understand the community supporting your brand.

3. Keep Responses Consistent – Be consistent on all social media platforms in responding to customer questions and comments.  If, for example, the same question is posted on both Facebook and Twitter, ensure that your response is the same on both sites so as to avoid any confusion.  Remember, brand recognition and accuracy are crucial elements in inspiring assuredness and credibility within your customers and this goes a long way in terms of brand loyalty.

4. Always Stay Organized – While social media are vital in your customer service initiatives, it can be a challenge to keep up with each platform on a daily basis (in order to keep customers happy and engaged, as in point #2).  Allot some time each day to spend on your sites so that customers maintain respect for your brand and view your business as reliable and trustworthy.  If possible, enlist support team members to maintain each site, but ensure that you’re all on the same page in your responses (bear in mind point #3) – be consistent.

5. Maintain Your Human, Personable Side – They are, after all, called “social” media and it’s that social component that engages customers and further promotes brand loyalty.  People always respond positively when they know that their needs are being met by another human being - someone who takes the time to listen and care.  It makes them feel important - that they’re more than just another customer.  When someone posts a question or concern on your business’ Facebook page, that person should feel as comfortable as if he were simply posting on a friend’s wall.  And, that’s the real benefit of social media for your customer service practices.

Remember, social media are about networking.  If you incorporate the above 5 elements into your customer service initiatives and make it a positive experience, people will respond in kind and surely spread the word to all their friends about what wonderful service your business provides.  It’s worth the effort!

For more valuable information on how you can tune up your social media efforts, come join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops.  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit:

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

The 30 Things You Should Never Share on Social Media

Some are obvious, some of them a little less so and some are simply laugh out loud funny.  Australian social media expert and blogger, Jeff Bullas, compiled the following list of 30 things that you should never share on social media. Here it is – enjoy:

30 Things You Should Not Share on Social Media 

1. What chicken you are plucking or cow you’re milking on Farmville on Facebook
2. How many you have killed on Mafia wars or where they are buried.. again on Facebook
3. Party photos showing you inebriated or a hand placed where it shouldn’t be
4. That you are having a party.. you might get more guests than you counted on
5. Photos  revealing  you flirting with the bosses wife at the annual work Christmas party
6. That you are having an affair
7. That you are thinking of having an affair
8. Complaints about your boss
9. That you hate your job and want to leave.. you might get your wish.. involuntarily
10. Don’t share photos or an event that reveals that you were not sick that day at work
11. That are you are planning to take a sickie
12. Drama with your friends
13. Issues with your parents
14. Passwords.. unless you have more money than brains
15. Hints about passwords like dogs names
16. Images and videos of your children
17. Updates on Facebook after you have escaped from Jail and on the run (don’t laugh it has happened)
18. Revealing your thoughts about a court case… when on jury duty
19. Don’t link personal sites to professional business sites like LinkedIn.. don’t mix business with pleasure
20. Financial information such as how much money you do or don’t have in your bank account
21. Personal Information – birthdate, mother’s maiden name and other security info
22. How to get more friends or followers.. it already sounds like a scam
23. You are leaving on a holiday
24. The dates you are away on your holiday
25. Your daily schedule.. burglars have been known to use these little hints to their advantage
26. Showing you doing something stupid .. not good for personal branding
27. Your bodily functions
28. Revealing extreme views on Race, Religion or politics
29. What you had for breakfast
30. Finally, if you are not comfortable about your mom seeing it … don’t share it!

That was fun, but take it to heart.  I can cite examples of most of the items on this list.  Some of them have even made newspaper headlines!   Because social networking sites are such new media, most people are unaware of the reach and potential of posts on these sites.

Social networking is one of the most practical and valuable tools at our disposal today and we should all be taking advantage of everything it has to offer.  We should also, however, be in tune with appropriate and safe practices on social media.  We can show you how in one of our Social Networking for Business workshops.  For more information, please visit:

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20