Last time I got up on my soap box and talked with you, it was about why you need to be blogging for your business. I spent a lot of time talking about how your blog could be about more than just your products and prices.
This is an extension of that conversation but for your Facebook page. I deal with marketing and sales people on a daily basis and many of our conversation move to different businesses that have Facebook Pages and other social media accounts that are stagnant. The pages exist, but nothing is happening there, and because of this there is no reason to “like” them.
“But what should I write about? I just have a small (blank) business and what we do isn’t interesting.” (says everyone, ever)
I understand that. I, like many people, have a job that isn’t even remotely interesting. But that is no reason to think people won’t like what you can post.
www.geograph.org.ukAs an example let’s pretend you install insulation for a living. What on earth could you possibly put on your Facebook page?
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A picture of some completely molded insulation you recently tore out.
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A picture (as you are a family owned business)
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An article about how insulating your basement can save you money on your winter heating bill.
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The link to federal or state funding websites for energy upgrades to your house.
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An instagram of your breakfast on the road to a job.
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A post about all the local charities you donate to.
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A question to your fans to find out what they want to know about insulation (an ask the expert sort of thing).
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A picture of your dog that rides shotgun in the truck.
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A short video of a new technique your company just started implementing.
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A link to a great review you received on Yelp.
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Links to weather pages showing a 10 day forecast and a cold spell.
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Information about how long you have been in business and what your specialties are.
These are just a few examples of the types of content you can pepper your social media with, that people will find interesting. Show off your experience, your business and how you can help people, but in real terms.
You can’t help people by being the cheapest option, you can help people by keeping them warm. Show them how you can do this. You can do this with all the options I have listed above.
Adding photos to your posts will help to increase your reach and engagement. It will also help get your posts shared by others, exposing you to potential customers. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on this; use your smartphone and an Instagram filter and you will be surprised how good you can make photos look.
Co-op your page with fun trends already happening. #TBT stands for Throwback Thursday. On Thursday’s people will post old photos of themselves, from when they were young and awkward or from a special moment in their life. Some businesses are picking up on this and doing a really good job with it.
Funtown/Splashtown is a great example of a seasonal business that posted through this past winter, including a #TBT photo on their Facebook page of park’s earlier days. It resonates with people when they are sick of snow, and gets them thinking about summer…and taking a trip to Funtown.
Another company doing this is Katalyst, which put on the State of the State Concert at the State Theater in Portland last July. The company is currently gearing up for year two and is using the #TBT tag to push out photos from last year’s memorable show.
Finally, treat your social media like a branding campaign. You are building awareness about your company and getting people familiar with who you are, so that when they need a plumber, an accountant, or a cup of coffee, your business is the first one that pops into their head.
