Series: Facebook business sins: Exclamation points!
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: Ending every sentence with an exclamation!
It looks weird! It sounds like you're screaming! Exclamation points are meant to emphasize or create buzz or excitement within a sentence. They are used judiciously in every written communication, because naturally our sentence structure and how we speak only uses them when emphasis is needed. And yet FB has cultivated a culture full of posts riddled with exclamation points. Do me a favour. Open your favourite book. Then, imagine every sentence you read with an exclamation point. It's tiring, isn't it? Writing these kinds of posts also makes you sound like you just drank 10 cups of coffee and creates a frenetic tone that be off-putting. Remember, if something is overused, it loses its impact. So save the exclamations for when you really need to make a point! (like I did, just now)
Take a look at these 2 sentences. How do you feel about each? Which tells a better story?
It was a great session today! I took this family to my favourite spot! They did amazing in front of the camera! I can't wait to show them the final images! Just look at those smiles! Be sure to contact me to book your own session!
It was a great session today - I took this family to my favourite spot. They did amazing in front of the camera! I can't wait to show them the final images; just look at those smiles. Be sure to contact me to book your own session!
What to do instead: Tell a story, using proper grammar and punctuation. You are building a recognizable voice to your clients with every word you say. Don't just scream it all at them; have a warm and thoughtful tone that reflects who you are and engages them into your work. And if you tell me that you're an excitable person, you can still use punctuation properly and at the right times, and still portray that.
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