Chapter 11
The Facebook Balancing Act
Social media has changed the way the world communicates, and Facebook is the leader in this form of communication. Facebook can be used for businesses to communicate with prospects; it can also be used to market yourself and your services, and converse with your past clients and sphere of influence along with personal and family uses.
Although Facebook is no doubt an increasingly important part of your life and is here to stay, it can take up larger chunks of your day than you can afford to give it. Allocating the right time, strategies, and communication systems helps you maintain the correct balance between traditional business tactics and new tech-savvy strategies like Facebook.
The Time Advantages of Facebook
The efficiency of Facebook in communicating a message to a group of people with a few minutes invested is second to none. While writing this chapter, my daughter Annabelle has been in final rehearsal to dance in The Nutcracker ballet. Between rehearsals that have lasted for months, costume fittings, two dress rehearsals, and three performances, my life is all about Tchaikovsky.
The advantage of Facebook is that my friends and family, many who are long distances away, can experience the annual Nutcracker through posts, pictures, and videos. They are able to offer instant responses and encouragement to Annabelle. This broadens her validation of herself, her self-esteem, and the enjoyment of her performance. The communication cycle is reduced by Facebook. The response cycle is reduced and response numbers increased. This creates a large time savings.
In business, Facebook has the capability to shrink the time in the communication cycle as well. You can post a white paper, e-book, or video that can be of value to your clients and customers. This helps position your stature as an expert, brings value to your client base, and can even upsell or cross-sell new products and services that you launch.
Additionally, Facebook can open your customers and clients to you as a person by giving them a window into your world at home or through outside interests. When they see you're a dad who focuses on his children, or you took a trip to hike the Pacific Trail, or you passed a marriage milestone, they get to know more about you and the trust in your relationship is enhanced. Your clients connect to you through common interests and thoughts. In sales, this is called building rapport, and Facebook creates that opportunity.
The black hole of time in Facebook
Although there are countless advantages to Facebook, there's a major drawback as well. A new study by Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange shows that the average American spends 3.2 hours a day on social media. The net result is personal face-to-face communication is out, and online electronic communication through our machine is in.
Nothing can replace face-to-face or voice-to-voice contact, though. You can't type as quickly as you can talk. I don't care how fast you can text, it's not as fast as talking. You also miss the nuances in vocal communication of voice inflection, pace, and tonality. Communication via electronic mediums has a much higher chance of error. I'm not talking about missing messages due to technology issues; I'm referring to the incorrect interpretation of the sent message. You have wasted time when you have to resend, clarify, or change the message.
You can waste time scrolling through your Facebook news feeds because you follow too many people and we want to read all their posts.
To help achieve the right balance in your Facebook use, set specific times of day to check your account. For example, check it first thing in the morning to catch up on overnight happenings. Focus on a 15-minute limit and stick to it. Then midday, take another 15-20 minutes to catch up, respond, and post a few things. This helps you stay connected and have some fun but doesn't waste time. Don't go over the time of the standard you set. In the evening, set a 30-minute use standard so you ensure family time away from the cyber world of business and friends.
Put a limit on social media
We recently had an evening at a friend's home with a large cadre of Wesley's school friends. As the parents were having conversations I observed the 13-year-olds sitting on the couches, glued to their phones. After a few minutes I asked Wesley what they were doing. He said they were texting each other, texting other friends that were not there, and posting pictures and comments on social media. In watching them for 15 minutes not one of them had uttered a word, and they were all in the same room within 8 feet of each other! I view that as a time waster and relationship building missed opportunity. If you want to enhance your quality of life and save time, limit social media time. Set specific time limits and boundaries for its use.
This event made me realize that time spent texting and on Facebook and other social media sites needs to be limited. In our home, there are no cell phones at the dinner table. That's where families have traditionally engaged in communication and togetherness, learning, and encouraging each other. When we are out to dinner we often do a quick picture, tag it, and post it if the occasion is memorable. Then the cell phones go in a pile in the middle of the table.
Which to use personally and professionally
Facebook is the most used social-media tool in the world. Using Facebook in business is a great way to build relationships and stay at the forefront of the technological world. If you have an entrepreneurial business or service business like a real estate agent, insurance agent, or financial planner, creating both a business Facebook page and a personal page is advisable. If you use both your personal and business relationships to conduct business, the line between the two can become muddled. I personally believe you need to establish both types of uses for Facebook.
Establishing a personal profile enables you to post your personal history — your likes and dislikes, photos, stories, and so on. This is the most common experience on Facebook, which now has more than a billion personal profiles. This type of profile is a one-person profile that highlights your interests and connections with others.
From a business perspective, Facebook enables you to brand your product or service. (Just a hint … the product or service is still you until you grow a larger market presence and leverage yourself through your business.) Facebook gives you numerous free methods to interact with prospects, clients, and people you know. This allows your company to connect and encourage people to like the page so they receive valuable information and updates.
Using your personal page to create business
On your personal Facebook page, you need to achieve a balance between communicating your business interests and sharing personal updates. Your personal profile should be mainly personal with a sprinkling of business information.
Your photo is one of the most important first decisions. Facebook is a casual and informal media. Your profile and cover photos should reflect that. You don't need the glamour shot, professional head shot, or air-brushed shot; in fact, it's probably better not to use those. This is your personal page, but you'll get crossover from personal contacts with whom you do business, so it's important to choose a photo that represents who you are in a casual setting, but that isn't too hobby-driven or inappropriate. Remember that your profile photo will appear in most posts, communications, and connections. Choose one that shows you as both the warm, personal person next door and the professional. The mistake I see too frequently is a picture that makes one appear unapproachable.
When you change your personal photo, it updates that photo on all the previous posts and creates a post that says you have changed your photo. By updating your photo you can express yourself and stay in front of clients and customers. You also get engagement as people comment on your new profile. This helps you stay on the minds of your clients.
Walk the fine line with business on your personal page
Too many people cross the personal/professional line. They post every new business accomplishment or offer on their personal timeline. Most of your friends don't want an overload of business invading their newsfeed. The rule of thumb is four to five personal posts for every business post you make. Err on the side of caution. If you think you may have overdone the business posts this week, you probably have.
Watch for life changes
One of the best ways to use Facebook is not posting but listening. Just review your friends’ posts to see what's happening and changing in their lives. The coolest part of Facebook is how quickly you can pick up on clues and cues of change.
Before Facebook, we often heard about job transfers, marriages, pregnancies, empty-nest situations, and many other life-changing events months after they happened. With Facebook, you can be front and center when life events happen to congratulate or commiserate with your friends, clients, and past clients.
The right message or comment can lead to a wealth of new business. If you're in real estate, telling someone how happy you are about the announcement of a new child can lead them to mention that their home is now getting cramped. As their insurance agent they might feel the need to add or up their life insurance policy. You generally won't have to say too much, because your warm greeting will jog their memory about their needs. You can also private message the person if you don't want to publicly seem like you're pouncing on a lead opportunity.
Leveraging your Facebook business pages
A Facebook business page should be part of your overall online marketing strategy. Most businesses try many different strategies for Facebook business pages. Some businesses have one business page where they drive much of their online interaction. Others segment their business pages to align with different aspects of their business. Starting out, this is probably more complex than you need to get.
The keys to a powerful Facebook business page are:
- Frequently update the content of your pages. The more you update and refresh the information, the more your likes on your page will grow and the more people will come back to see what's new. People that have liked your page will get notified that you have made a post. By posting regularly you keep your face and message in front of your prospects, clients, sphere of influence, and past clients.
- Create posts that lead to interaction. Using questions to foster interaction is a way to create interactivity. When you create engaging content that gets people talking, reposting, and sharing, you know you've been successful in expanding your reach.
Posting on your business page
You should post quality content to entice new likes and retain the current group of followers. Before you get all fired up to promote your page to the world, gather or create good content. No one wants to like a page that has limited information and value. You don't need a truckload of posts, but you need some value that can be seen and digested. Perhaps you want to ask a few close friends and family to take a quick peek before you promote the page.
The more powerful the content, the more it will be shared. Sharing is one of the most useful aspects of Facebook. It explodes your reach exponentially.
If you're a real estate agent you should post market data to update your followers on that state of the marketplace. If you own an HVAC company, post tips on saving energy and when to change furnace air filters.
Practice consistency
A key to posting is consistency and frequency. You need to post at least five times a week. When you post, use photos, videos, or links on a handful of those posts and you will see growth. You can't set the standard for yourself that every post is earth-shatteringly brilliant. The truth is that not every post will create the attention you want. Your job is to build a voice and build a habit. When it comes down to it, success comes to people who are consistent more than it comes to the brilliant.
Find the right mix
The right mix in your posts fosters community and connection. The focus of 40 percent of your posts should be to engage others in conversation and communication. Use 20 percent of your posts to link to other content that positions you as well informed and that has value to your followers. Another 20 percent can be general business or economic news that influences the world or region you live in. The final 20 percent could be motivational or inspirational messages or sayings.
Keeping Contacts with Facebook
Facebook can be a real timesaver when communicating with people. It also creates an opportunity to learn more about your friends, customers, and clients. Businesses can save a lot of time by knowing their customers’ wants, needs, and problems. It enables a business to bring out the right product or service to the customers and potential customers. Facebook provides a conduit for listening.
There are no absolutes with Facebook so you have to find your own style of posting pictures, videos, and text. Many social media and Facebook experts agree that authentic or in “your voice” posts garner the most attention and response.
To friend or not to friend … that is the question
Who do you want to friend on Facebook? That actually is not a simple question, especially if you have both a business and personal page. Are you only going to allow people you really know to be your Facebook friend? Are you going to friend someone who is an acquaintance? How about that high-school bully from years go who tormented you? What if you friend someone to later find out their posts are not what you want to see? Are you casting a wide personal friend net to transfer them to a business relationship? And then there are the political and religious posts, which are beyond the scope of this book. To learn how to navigate around controversial topics, check out Facebook For Dummies by Carolyn Abrahm (Wiley).
Posting from public to private
You can post to public, which means anyone within Facebook, whether you are Facebook friends or not, can view your posts. You have the option to post to a single individual, to a group (a list of people of your choice that you create), or to everyone you're friends with in your Facebook account. I share with you the use and power of the list feature later in the chapter.
Keeping people up to date with both your personal life and business can be a chore. Here are a couple of tips on how to keep up with posting and create variety for you and your friends.
- Share what's up. Don't be afraid to share about your family and what's happening. This makes you approachable and shows that you're just like your friends, clients, and prospects. As your stature in business grows, it's even more important to remain approachable. Share your likes and dislikes with your friends. If you ask questions that create interaction, you can improve your position in the newsfeed of others who answer and comment. Post about places you're going, and share pictures of your experiences, both professional and personal.
Giving out too much information about vacations and business trips can be tricky. Be smart about not giving away too much detail and having your home or office broken into.
- But don't share everything. Be careful to not post controversial political views, especially during election season. Many people can become highly charged and sensitive at this time. Be careful with religious and societal views as well. Any photo of you that doesn't align with your professional image would also be a no-no. Avoid the revealing bathing suits, the giant margarita, or the less-than-flattering hangover picture.
Use the check-in feature when you visit stores, restaurants, and travel destinations. Check-ins can create conversations or spur memories from others that will open dialogue between you and friends. The more interesting you seem in your check-ins and experiences, the wider the net you cast for posts from others.
- Share your photos. Most people prefer to see visuals rather than read text. Your photos can reflect personal shots or community involvement. Don't be shy about showing that photo of you at work on a Habitat for Humanity home, or walking dogs at a local animal shelter. Photos of local places and events create an image of you as “the man (or woman) about town.”
- Share interesting articles or links. The key is sharing links that your network of friends and colleagues will find interesting. It can be notices about local events and issues, or it can be business information from The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, or other respected sources. This demonstrates that you're well read, educated, and on top of the business trends.
- Acknowledge others. If you've received great service, or if someone in your network has achieved success by winning an award, opening a business, and so on, acknowledge that. You're spreading the wealth of who you know to aid others in achieving their dreams.
Getting people to share your posts
In the personal and business setting, Facebook offers some time-saving advantages to communication and business through sharing. When you can get someone to share your posts, it can spread your reach to a new group of “friends” you do not know. Create posts that your friends want to share. By doing so, you get your name and business out of your circle of friends and into the general Facebook community. By writing humorous quips, posting unique pictures, and sharing timely links, you create content that others want to share — and even more want to see. Using video and photos makes the sharing go through the roof.
If you use a photo, select an interesting shot that catches the audience's attention. And along with that compelling picture, create a great headline. Many people only read the opening headline, but if it's provocative and engaging you can get them to share.
Create anecdotal stories that align with what's happening in your business or business niche. Also, think about posting general marketplace updates, funny stories, announcements of big sales, and pictures of hot new opportunities.
When all else fails, ask. The adage “ask and you shall receive” is still in play. Asking your friends to “help me out,” “share if you would like to,” or “feel free to share with your friends” can increase your shares, as well.
Using the list feature to manage interaction
One of the least used but most important features of Facebook is the list feature. You can create lists of people that categorize them so it's easier to listen and watch. Use the smart list suggestions in Facebook to separate some of your lists. These smart lists break your contact list down by city or high school, for example. These are helpful, but setting up your own lists is even better.
Set up specific watch lists around the type of people or business prospects you want. You can set up any type of list you want. I have lists of people who are CEOs of companies, high school friends, college friends — I even have a list for my best prospects so I can keep in front of them. Put in people who are high-level prospects with whom you interact and who have shown an interest in your services.
Watch lists make it easier for you to monitor these peoples’ posts. They still remain in your newsfeed, but they also appear in the list area on the left-hand side of your Facebook page. All you have to do is click the specific watch list, and the recent posts of all the people on that list are organized on your screen. It creates a smaller more organized set of posts of people to review each day. This list approach saves you lots of time instead of scrolling through your whole newsfeed to see what a group of people you deem viable prospects posted today.
It's easy to create different lists. If you go to your newsfeed and select Friends from the left side, you can select Create List. You see a pop-up menu that requires you to name the list; then you can select the friends you want to be part of the list.
You can send posts directly to these lists as well, rather than to all your friends. For example, you can create a post targeted to the people on your list that could buy your product or service in 60 days or less. Maybe you read a great newspaper article about rising interest rates and why people should buy now. You can post the article but target it to your group. You're sending information of value to the group that is most likely to use it.
Keeping up with family
The group feature is wonderful for families. If your family is spread apart by many miles, you can easily share information, posts, pictures, and even files with each other by creating a group. If you have a family Christmas party, you can inform, invite, and create an event just for that group. You can easily receive RSVPs, assign potluck dishes, give directions, and more, all from the comfort of your Facebook group page.
Communicating through groups
Facebook helps with time efficiency through the creation of groups. Businesses use the Groups feature to create communities with their customers and clients. Their group communities create interactivity and share best practices as well as gather new ideas for products and services. When creating a group, you can invite specific people to join, or you can simply add names to your group. When someone wants to join, you have the option to accept or reject their request.
Facebook offers three types of groups: secret, closed, and open. The open group allows anyone who has a Facebook account to see who and what is being said in the group. If people can find your group through the search function, they can see all the members and posts; however, they aren't able to post until they join the group.
The closed group has become common is business circles. They allow members only to see what's posted and post their own content, past threads, and files. Note that anyone outside of the group can see who's in it. An effective business strategy is to review your key competitors’ closed Facebook groups. That enables you, in essence, to see their customer list. It's a mistake many businesses make with a closed group.
A secret group does not allow anyone not invited to the group to see anything. The membership of the group is secret as well as the posts, threads, and files. If you want to set up a Facebook group, in most cases I would recommend a secret group.