First Lesson:

Don’t use these cliché words or phrases down below for the rest of your life… and then for exactly 6 months after that.

For all your ______ needs.

Make your dreams a reality.

Second to none.

Best quality.

Your __________ headquarters.

They’re called clichés because the words hold no voltage. They’re “empty words”. I know you have something better to say than that.

A good Facebook post is anything that snaps and jolts your prospect out of their current trance. People have thousands of things going on each day. Kids to school, cranky boss at work, dinner tonight, car needs an oil change, house payment is due, lawn needs to be mowed, traffic, road construction, dropped their phone in the toilet, etc., etc., etc. So, it should be no surprise to you that your “target” on Facebook is not excitingly waiting for the next post from your business. They’re scrolling… and scrolling… and sorting and sifting through their Facebook feed. It’s a break for them. It’s entertainment. It’s “socializing”. And their time is valuable. So, your business FB post needs to NOT WASTE THEIR TIME.

What do people love to see on Facebook? Pictures and videos.

If you’re including a picture… make it one of your own. Not some stock photo. Personalize it! If you post just words without a picture, the engagement of that post will be much lower than if you had included a relevant image of some sort.

If you’re including a video… make sure that video is helpful. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. At the end of the video, do you truly feel that anyone who has watched is going to be glad they did? Or is it just another “post” because you heard you should post on Facebook 6x per week? If you don’t have anything good to post, then, skip it. Don’t bother. And you better keep your videos short. 90 seconds or less. 30 seconds or less would be even better for anything on social media. I’m not saying longer videos aren’t ever effective. The only thing that really matters is how long you can keep people engaged.

And if you’re one of those who are TRYING to make something go viral… you’re wasting your time. And probably embarrassing yourself and your business in the process. 99.99infinity% of viral videos were not planned. Have you ever watched a clip on America’s Funniest Videos and you KNOW it was staged? Yeah… those don’t win. They’re not funny. Your inner BS detector flushed it out and said, “I don’t think so.”

And most viral videos aren’t selling something like you’re trying to do. Viral videos are spontaneous, entertaining, shocking, tear-jerking, super-funny, jaw-dropping, etc. Stop trying to create viral videos.

Who’s seeing most of your business Facebook posts? Your current customers. Your fans. Facebook isn’t a great place to find new customers for most businesses. Especially most local service businesses. We don’t care about your plumbing company right now. We only care about you when we have a plumbing problem. (Side Note: Service businesses benefit incredibly with a good branding campaign on the Radio. A campaign that helps people get to know you, trust you, and like you before we even meet you.)

Facebook Ads are great for products. Interesting products. Something new. Where a quick picture can capture our attention in a busy world. More on FB ads later.

Should you have a Facebook presence? Sure. But throw some smiling pics of your employees in action on there once in a while. Maybe stir the pot a bit, and share something like, “Here’s why you’re paying more than you should to most plumbers.” (or whatever category you’re in) Or give some helpful tips (being helpful and “non-self-serving” increases trust).

I have a client who advertises only on the Radio. They rarely post on Facebook. They’re very successful. They treat their customers and employees better than most or all of their competitors. They’ve been advertising on the radio for 10+ years. They grow every year. They’re happy with their radio advertising because it brings them new customers consistently without them having to come up with some social media gimmick to attract someone new. And just like a good Facebook post, our ads are attention-getting, engaging, and entertaining. Week-in and week-out, they’re getting new customers. If you’re not getting a consistent flow of new customers every week, every month… then, you’re probably hurting.

Their Radio plan / strategy / ads are reaching 10s and 10s of thousands of people each week. Their social media posts are reaching mostly current customers, friend, and family. Even if they had a couple thousand Facebook Fans (they have maybe 400), it would still be a drop in the bucket compared to the number of people their Radio reaches. And most of their Facebook fans are going to keep doing business with them anyway.

Yes, it’s great to stay fairly consistent and post some valuable things on your FB page. But don’t hang your entire marketing plan on social media. It’s social. People are there to “socialize”. Or watch dumb videos. Or bitch about politics.

Now, if you’re a retail business… I want to know about your products. I want to see pictures of your products and why I might want your product. I want to see any specials you have. I DON’T want to hear you spout off about how “you’re the best” and you have “the best quality”. PROVE IT TO ME.

And what about Facebook Ads? I think you’ll have to try some out for yourself and see if it’s worth it. For some, it is… for others, it’s not. And make sure you’re looking at your Facebook ad results with a questioning eye. Facebook has gotten known for grossly over-inflating their views and clicks. And what if you do get a ton of views or clicks on your ad? The only thing that matters is if it gave you the results you wanted. Did your sales increase? And isn’t that the only thing that matters?

I know a few businesses who are paying someone around $700 every month to post on Facebook for them. These “marketers” don’t have a clue what makes people tick. They’re just winging it for the most part. Posting for the sake of posting won’t get you anywhere. And the business owners don’t even know if it’s giving them a positive return on their investment. Are they getting more views? A few more likes? Maybe. More sales from it? Very questionable.

There are a TON of Realtors in Sioux Falls. So, do you think it would work for a Realtor to post things like, “Looking for a good Realtor? Contact me for all of your residential real estate needs.” ??? Yuck. No. That won’t work. The best Facebook posts and “boosts” for a Realtor are new listings and Open Houses. On most of those, there is always one or more people who tag someone they know who is looking for a new home. And when you get shares or “tags”… that’s when you get a ton more people seeing your posts.

Social media for any business is a good way to stay in front of current customers. It’s a good way to help stay “top of mind” with them. But relying on it for a good source of finding new customers is going to give you ulcers. Just remember when you’re going to post to Facebook… if it feels forced… skip it. Make sure it contains VALUE for people. Such as entertainment value or helpful information. If you’re doing video, keep it SHORT. If you’re posting pics, make sure it adds to the power of the message you’re trying to convey.

One last thing… if you do your other advertising properly (like Radio Advertising), it will greatly improve your social media impact.

Let me know if you’d like help.

Duane Christensen

9 Yards Marketing

duane@9yards-marketing.com

Radio page: https://www.9yards-marketing.com/radio-advertising.html

When we figure out the right things to say in your radio ads (or any of your advertising), you’ll never have to wonder how to find new customers, and keep them coming. I’ve seen a lot of different trends in media and marketing over the years. But one thing has always held true – the things you SAY in your ads are what makes or breaks an advertising campaign. It doesn’t matter if you buy the cheapest ads in town… or negotiate for weeks to save a few bucks… if they don’t work, they’re all expensive. And this is worth repeating… When we figure out the right things to say in your marketing communications, you’ll never have to wonder how to attract new customers, and keep them coming.