Top Mistakes Businesses Make on Facebook

Social media platforms can easily work against you. However, if you if you use them correctly, they can greatly benefit your brand. To obtain benefits from social media platforms like Facebook, you must realize the importance of its tools. Every small mistake counts and will stunt the growth of your brand. Here are a few common blunders made by brands, while they promote themselves on Facebook.

1. Not Designing a Clear Purpose or Plan

Social media tools are mostly free, but several brands jump into the social media bandwagon before designing a clear plan. Creating a Facebook Fan page is a matter of clicking a few times, but you must spend a few minutes considering the purpose of this page. Your purpose should be getting more exposure online, converting visitors into potential customers or encouraging discussion. After defining clear goals, plan to achieve those through flexible measures.

2. Using Facebook Profile Pages and Not Business Pages

Many brands use Facebook profiles for business, and not a business Page. Profiles don’t have a ‘Like’ tab. Likes don’t have to be approved manually unlike adding friends. Facebook widgets allow Pages to be incorporated onto websites; you can’t use these with Facebook profiles.  For better results you must get a business page. The Facebook’s User Guide will help you create a business page.

3. Fanpage Usernames

You must have a username like https://Facebook.com/X instead of long URLs. Usernames help fans to locate your Page. Choosing a username, which is catchy and close to your brand, will help. To get a username for your Page, you must have 25 fans. Start by asking your friends to ‘Like’ your Page and you will easily get 25 fans. I don’t think this the case anymore, maybe somebody can help me out on this one?

4. Failing to Follow Facebook Rules

Not adhering to Facebook guidelines, while using Pages, will make you permanently lose your account. Several Facebook Pages have been recently disabled as they were displaying promotions on their Pages. Brands must go through Facebook guidelines, to allow better functioning of a Fan Page. Brands must also read the Facebook Advertising Rules for further details.

5. Inconsistent Updates

Success through social media needs patience. You may not attract several fans within a matter of few days of making the page. However, success will come your way if you are consistent with your updates. Manual updates are the best, however, you may seldom use the RSS for automatic posts. However, don’t bomb your fans with posts every two minutes. Your updates must be spaced out and fairly regular.

6. Not Allowing Discussions on Your Wall

The basic use of a Facebook Wall/Page is to allow two way discussions. You can broadcast your updates, and keep it open for conversations. However, you must be a good listener to allow your fans to speak. You are free to post interesting photos, content and videos, contests and polls which will encourage fans to freely express words. You should also let your Fans write their posts on your Wall.

7. Not Devoting Adequate Resources

A Facebook page is not the ultimate thing. The actual test starts after you begin using these tools and this is when brands understand that Facebook is not totally free. Certain additional investments must be considered. You will have to invest extra time and money to manage your Fan page, update your page, reply to posts and keep your Fans entertained. If you are not in a position to invest these things, don’t create a page.