When I sold cable service door to door some years back, the sales people were trained to ask the “how” or “why” questions. We were to stay away from the dead-end inquiries such as, “Do you like your current cable service?”
The reason of course, was that if the reply can be given in one word, the conversation is over and the door slams in your face.
The idea in Facebook is to keep the conversation going. Your fans are those who need your business. They are your waiting list of prospects and leads. Your posts and ads are hooks that pull them toward you.
If you keep them engaged and interested, the next time they need your product or service, they’ll think of you. Not only that, but more likes, comments and shares among your fans means that Facebook gives you a higher Edgerank, which means that Facebook will more likely send your posts to their news feeds.
How do you keep them interested and engaged?
Inform and entertain them. Go beyond just posting information. Make comments that compel them to respond. Here are a few ideas from marketing expert Perry Marshall, adapted somewhat:
Get a reader, such as Feedly, which is a free service that grabs articles from various websites that you pick. Let’s say you want material for your flower shop page. You choose websites that post regularly about horticulture, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, family celebrations, gift ideas, healthy living, etc. Use Google and search with your keywords.
Scan your news feeds every day for ideas. Link your posts to their pages. Or use them for ideas, such as:
- Inspirational quotes
- Funny or educational videos
- Events that happened on this day in history
- News relevant to your product
- Attractive and interesting photos
Make your post inspire a response. Ways to do this:
- Post a news story, and ask a question: “Do you think this is going too far?”
- Ask, “What does Gregor Mendel have to do with flowers? Press ‘like’ if you know the answer.”
- Suggest that your readers complete a question: “One thing a man should never do with flowers is ______________.”
- “What is your favorite childhood experience that involved flowers?”
- “If you think the smell of fresh flowers on your kitchen table is great, press ‘like.'”
- “Press ‘like’ if you plan to plant flowers in your yard or garden this year.”
Think also of an indirectly-related approach. In the case of a flower shop, how about an article about finding romance?
Avoid the temptation to sell your product directly to your reader with every post. Some marketers suggest a 1:4 ratio of self-serving posts to news and entertainment. Other suggest even fewer.
Remember, your posts are not just about information. There are also for the purposes of entertainment and feeling good. After all, Facebook is for the lighthearted and the passionate part of the day.
