The core of Facebook marketing comes down to really one question: do they like me? It sounds childish, and it probably recalls days of pimples and sweaty hands. But this is what Facebook is all about: connecting with past friends and new colleagues, becoming visible to your community, and potentially - being the most popular.
Being likeable is key to an established presence on Facebook.
What Makes a Likeable Business? The question that a consumer will ask regarding your business on Facebook is this: will this company care more about making a profit than my well-being?
Translation: Do they even care about me enough to talk to me and respond to me? Great products and services help influence people to like business but it's the people behind the business that really make the business likeable. Not a logo, or a cool product-although these are important, too.
Social media marketing has opened the gates to a more social world online. Consumers are able to reach businesses and have conversations with them 24/7 now in a form where everyone can see the conversation. If people representing the company are unpleasant or even mean-spirited, everyone sees this and it hurts the likeability of the brand. When we think about the businesses we like the most, we think about people within the businesses that are completely selfless, who give help at a moment's notice, and who go above and beyond their normal duty.
It's the attendant at the ice cream parlor who gives me an extra large scoop of mint chocolate chip, the waiter who brings my little girl a balloon, or the bartender that knows what I like to drink and hands me my favorite beer as I sit down.
You can do the same nice gestures on Facebook.
- You can congratulate fans for any successes they may post with a big thank you, happy birthday, happy anniversary
- You can supply fans not only with a short answer to their question, but a link to a page on your website, blog, or video that talks more in-depth about the topic they asked about
- You can make them 'fan of the month' by the amount of interaction they have taken on your Facebook page in a given month and promote them
- If a fan has posted a question, and you don't know the answer. Ask all of your fans the same question to see if the greater audience might know
- You can encourage your fans to network with each other by asking them to all introduce themselves
By developing relationships with your fans, you will get to know them and that will make the difference in loyal fans versus just another metric. And, you'll have a picture of that fan to help you remember who they are and what they look like.