Facebook can be a great tool for your business but you have to know how to use it effectively. The best facebook pages are fun, social, vary content, and focus on the client and their lifestyle. Whether you are using your page for real estate or another type of business the below are 5 tips to counteract the most common mistakes that business owners make that send people running away from their page.
1) Don’t Sell
Facebook is social. When you are being social do you want to be sold something? Of course not. The most common mistake I see, is a Realtor that sets up their page and then has their assistant fill the wall every week with listings and open houses. People could get this on Trulia, Zillow, Realtor etc. Provide them with interesting content that reminds them that you are there and always their most valuable real estate and community resource.
2) Market to Your Demographics 
Many people will post info that is very one-sided. Who are your demographics? What do you find they like the most? If you don’t know- do your homework. For example: if Gen Y is a big demographic for you on Facebook then google some Gen Y research to tell you how to reach them effectively.
3) Comment, Like and Share
Don’t be a facebook voyeur. Go to Account- Use facebook as page- and switch- those commands then allow you to use facebook and the entire Internet as your business page. Anything you like, share, comment on will be attached to that page and put your business out there. For example: do something as simple as wishing a client Happy Birthday on their wall as your business. Then many of their friends (AKA potential referrals) will see your business name and have the opportunity to click your link.
4) Strategically Post
It drives me nuts to see that a business has randomly posted 4 new posts at midnight on Sunday night. A) if you do so many at one time you are inhibiting the ability to have each one separately appear in newsfeeds B) that is a terrible time to post – again do your homework. Facebook highest traffic times research are readily available on many websites. If you can’t post at those recommended times use hootsuite or another social dashboard to schedule your posts. Your 1st goal is to have the highest number of people see your post in their newsfeed.
5) Content is King
Your 2nd goal after getting your post seen is that it is interesting enough that hopefully those people will click share, and share it with their 400 friends you don’t even know …yet! For real estate: I love wsjonline, nytimes real estate , chicago trib real estate, trulia blogs, youtube videos, and Coldwell Banker Blue Matter Blog. Local community newspapers online are great too for community info. If you have an ipad get the free apps Pulse and FWIX – they will help you get instant news to post to your pages.
Looking for help on the logistics of how to post and drive traffic? Check out this short video guide “I have a facebook business page now what?” http://www.youtube.com/thebarbarakleban#p/u/3/PT77dTyB-04
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