What role does Facebook play in your community strategy?
From Erik:
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Most likely your largest group of followers on one social network: Facebook. You can’t ignore it even if you’re frustrated.”
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Don’t JUST post great content on Facebook, engage with those who like, share and comment on it.”
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Be less concerned with reach on Facebook, and be available to those you DO reach.”
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True, Facebook isn’t always the ideal channel. Know your audience and which network they are active on.”
Other great insights:
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FB runs the show for deep, probing content and long relationships. Twitter feeds the news stream.” @jayvig“Depends on who is your community. Sometimes it is for promotion, sometimes it is for ideation, sometimes for research.” @nimu9
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The thing I like most about Facebook for branding, etc is that it’s a bit deeper than other SM. Conversations tend to be deep.” @shartwell92
What experiences have you had engaging your audience on Facebook?
From Erik:
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It can be hard to know to go to a post days or weeks old and respond to a comment, but there are tools that help with that.”
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It’s also cool to click ‘like’ on the shares of our posts on Facebook to say thanks for sharing. Take time to do that.”
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Brands should try to act more human, since they are made of people, on Facebook, right?”
“Let’s not forget the power of Facebook groups. People opting in to a tight niche community.”
Other great insights:
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When targeting is right, engagement is up! Custom Audiences work wonders to buld real community on FB” @lisabuyer
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From a brand perspective, doing lots of listening, then asking the right questions, has made all the difference for me.” @jarematkinson
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Behind the scenes images & stories provide high engagement on client FB pages. People want to see who’s behind the curtain.” @LifeofRileyNYC
What are the biggest lessons you learned in Facebook marketing?
From Erik:
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No matter the social network, know what your audience wants.”
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It’s ok to use tech. But be human too. Be a cyborg. :)”“A weekly review should be the minimum that you look at what you’ve done and how you can do it better.”
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Go back to your best performing posts and repost them at a time where you will have less competition – overnight.”
Other great insights:
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Be patient, quality communities don’t pop up over night” @scottas
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People are more inclined to passively pay attention to content than actually interact w/ it on FB. You have to be creative.” @shannnonb
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Every week, if certain posts are working I do more of those.” @lizloizousmith
Is it necessary to pay for engagement on Facebook?
From Erik:
“Paying on Facebook isn’t necessary. If you are crafting the right posts, responding, testing times, you can get views.”
Other great insights:
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Yes, that is why #facebook should be a part of an integrated social strategy. Would you run just a PPC campaign w/out SEO?” @_MariaJuan
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While it is not necessary to pay to get views on Fbk, it can be helpful to Test some paid ads or promoted posts.” @CathyWebSavvyPR
How do you measure success with your Facebook page?
From Erik:
“It may not seem obvious, but success = achieving your goals. ? It’s different for everyone.”“Make sure whatever you do, you know your end goal and can measure how close you get.”
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Are people clicking your links if you have them? Is it driving traffic? If that’s your goal.”
Other great insights:
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Good conversations. Engaging with others is so much better than a thumbs up.” @LearnwithJill
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Again, answer depends. Is FB being used to drive traffic? Generate awareness? Provide cust service? Measure accordingly.” @bldchris
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Measuring with a combination of FB insights, Google Analytics, and engagement allows for a better perspective.” @NikkiFica
Final Facebook marketing tips:
From Erik:
“Try posting at times where you will have less competition. Like 11:30 or so at night.”
Other great insights:
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Don’t be afraid to spend money. Get creative with ads. And remember that a little goes a long way for promoted posts!” @friendemic“Always have an integrated marketing plan to incorporate other #SocMed websites.” @kimbeasley
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Use the cover wisely, short links, short post, optimised landing pages, eye catching images & VALUABLE Content!” @liliholl
Thank you to Erik for sharing such great expertise with #Bufferchat!
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