2012 Why No One "Likes" Your Social Media

Good for your company on starting a Facebook fan page; bad for you if you're the unlucky one forced to manage it without direction. The first mistake companies make is concentrate on sending the page to coworkers, friends, family then have to sheepishly ask for clicks like we do for our kids doing school fund drives. Problem is you are not a collector and they are not "fans."  So "Like" building has been your focus so to appear legitimate or because you believe more is better, then you'll likely generate as much new business as Donald Trump's hair stylist or Honey Boo Boo's charm school teacher. (Or Trump's charm school teacher or Honey's stylist. Take your pick.) 

The companies with successful track records on Facebook know that number of "Likes" is irrelevant. But trying to convince upper management of this fact van be tough. To them, it's all about numbers, more the merrier, the buckshot approach, fish in a barrel, and all those other sales idioms they tend to throw around. Challenge their "Trolling for Likes" approach by putting it on a personal level.  You know those friends with ridiculously high friend counts? (I haven't met 3,000 people nonetheless willing to call them amigo.) Is this really friendship or a collection of strangers? Can you count on them for help?

Now apply this to your company "Likes."  Can they "help" you? They are useless unless they are potential leads. Visitors care if they get something out of it and care little if others do. The only people you want to click the Blue Thumbs Up should be potential and current customers. You're intent is to build trust, credibility, and foster future business by supplying pertinent content and engaging offers.

So what should a business do? A Facebook Fan Page is meant to reinforce — not replace — your sales, public relations, and customer service. The idea of Facebook for companies is to create and capture new leads by building credibility and interest. Try to push visitors to their websites, custom landing pages, etc. Here are a few simple rules:

• Vary the sentiment of your posts. In addition to posting news about your products, offer Facebook-only promotions, special offers, and helpful tips.
• Remember it’s social media. Include photos of the staff at work, company outings, parties, etc. 
• Cross market and place the Facebook address on all other ads, emails, promotions, etc. to increase fan count.

Let your fan page bring us into your world. Give us reason to visit and to return. Who knows? Just like Mikey from the old Life cereal commercials, we just might "Like" it.

Article first published as Social Media: Why Nobody "Likes" Yours on Technorati.