Series: Facebook business sins: Oversharing

Facebook is the social media platform that most closely resembles your home away from home - i.e. your website. It remains one of the top platforms for business, and despite frustration by many over changing algorithms, and charging for advertising, you have to remember that this is a FREE tool that opened doors never possible in marketing even 10 years ago. 

In the evolution of marketing, Facebook is still new. It started out as a platform to connect friends, and eventually expanded into business. We all had to learn together how to use it, because nothing like it had ever come before. And while Facebook has helped us, giving us tools to use, support for features, and a whole lotta best practices on the Internet, many of us still aren't sure of how to use it effectively.

Your Facebook business page is an extension of your brand. It should be treated as seriously and as strategically as your website, as it has an important role. If someone lands on your FB page before your website, it has to be powerful enough to either get people to contact you directly from there, or to funnel them further into your brand experience by linking through to your website. So you have to ask yourself - are you maximizing this amazing tool, or are you just winging it? In the series, I will review what I see to be Facebook business sins, one per post, and what to do instead.

Facebook business sin: Oversharing details that can be misinterpreted.

I always say, present your 'curated' self. You can still be an authentic, true-to-self, funny, witty, or even a bit of a controversial person, without being TMI. For each and every post you write, you must ask yourself the two following questions. If the answer is no, reconsider the post.

• Does this post help build my brand and my voice with my audience?
• Does this post inspire potential clients to want to book me?

Here are a few examples (that I've actually seen) followed by two versions of what a client may think:

Been up editing these photos all night trying to get through them all - where's the coffee? 

If you're lucky: Client things you're being playful and honest and showing your love of coffee.

If you're not lucky: She can't manage her time if she's been up all night, or she'll be editing my photos bleary-eyed at 4am all jittery on caffeine.

Lesson: Clients want a magical experience. After they've seen a beautiful portfolio and had a wonderful experience with the photo session, they may imagine you in a lovely office, editing their gorgeous faces while the sun streams in through huge windows. Although this may be a pipe dream and you indeed are at your computer at 4am - don't kill their magical experience.

Ugh! My computer is sooo slow! I'd like to throw it out of the window.

If you're lucky: Client can empathize - we've all been there. You're just keepin' it real.

If you're not lucky: She's editing my photos on a crappy computer. I paid her all this money but her technology sucks.

Lesson: Clients do not want to hear about things like technology failure. You build trust with your brand to create returning clients who also refer you, and they want to know their photos are safe and secure at all times. If their memories feel at risk, they won't be coming back.

Clients! If you haven't downloaded your galleries, please do so by the end of the week.

If you're lucky: Clients appreciate the reminder.

If you're not lucky: She doesn't care enough to communicate with me directly. Hmm, I saw this but my sis-in-law who also had her photos done isn't on FB - I guess I need to mention this to her because I don't know if the photographer will also send messages in a different way.

Lesson: Do not communicate to clients en masse on a Facebook post. First off, your posts are not guaranteed to be seen by those who may need to see it. It can also look like a really lazy way to notify people versus taking the time for individual communications. It also loses the personal connection and level of customer service you need to maintain great client relationships and garner repeat business. It can also cause an unwanted slew of comments of clients asking questions in the thread, like re-setting passwords or questions about their orders, that have no business being on a public forum and belong in personal communications between you and them.

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