(Connie Cermak) Facebook is not a numbers game. Many business owners obsess over getting that golden Facebook number up, (of course I'm referring to the number of Facebook Fans, or people who Like your page). So when the numbers stagnate, I'm often called in to evaluate. The first thing I do when I evaluate a Facebook Business Page is look for the value in your content. Are you providing information that's informative and resourceful? It your content refreshing? Are your posts allowing your fans an inside glimpse into who you are and what you value? Or are you simply self promoting? I know I say it all the time, but I'll say it again for those of you who haven't attended any of my presentations: Social Media is a good old fashioned Grass Roots approach to marketing, simply using technology as the platform. It's a total miss when you're simply promoting what you do and how well you do it. It's a total hit, however, when you realize the potential that exists for business owners and corporations to capitalize on the feel good mentality that comes along with sincerely recommending someone ELSE.

 

If you absolutely appreciate what another business is doing and you truly want to see them succeed, you tell your friends and neighbors, don't you? Now you've been given a much broader platform to express your appreciation to those who've been providing you with great service. Did someone who changed your oil totally make your day? Then I want to know who it is because that's where I'm going to get my oil changed. Is someone down the street that's always provided you with great service having a really tough time? I want to know about them so I can buy their services instead of the person I don't know anything about. If you love your dentist, then get on their Facebook Page and tell them how much you appreciate their pain free practice. Your friends will see your comment in their news feeds and by way of saying thanks, you just recommended them to all of your friends. Is it making sense?

 

Okay, so let's move on with the other side of this equation. You can't always post about other peoples businesses. I get that. So here are a few recommendation on how to self promote, without truly self promoting: If you're a restaurant, show us pictures of your food and tell us about one of your very favorite repeat customers who loves to order that particular dish. If you're in the medical profession, tell us about an individual in your organization that's truly making a difference. If you own a retail shop show us a picture of an item made by someone local and tell us about the person who made it. If you're an accountant share an article that will help us take the edge off of tax season by informing and educating us. If you're an artist, tell us about your very first sale and show us a picture of the artwork and how you felt when it sold. Stop and ask yourself what impassions you and THAT'S what we want to hear about. I am impassioned about teaching people to think of others success before their own. It's an extremely difficult concept to grasp when times are economically tough, but for those of you who are getting it, I can see that your numbers are growing!

 

Stay tuned for my next blog in the series "Hit or Miss" because I'm going to share a recent positive experience that will knock your socks off!