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The Facebook Fan Page - Do You Join Because There's Value There... or Just To Be Polite?

In my continuing effort to better understand the professional value of a presence on Facebook, I am now going to ask for help on the concept of the Facebook Fan Page.

Let me disclose upfront that I have Fan Page and I am grateful for every one of the 305 310 313 fans who have, well, become fans. I even post there most days, and get a huge kick when someone comments on my postings.

facebook

But I must admit, I really don't see the point. As far as I can tell, conversations generated on Fan Pages tend to die out pretty quickly since the conversationalists aren't notified that someone has replied to a comment. Outta sight, outta mind.

And, well, this next bit is a little touchy.

I get invited to become a fan to at least a dozen fan pages a day. Mostly from real estate agents who are Facebook Friends on my personal page. That's totally cool.

But again, what's the point of becoming a fan of a real estate agent in another market except just to be polite? I can't say I'm much interested in the comings and goings of their local market, or of their listings or open houses. No offense, but well, I'm just not. Now, if the point of becoming a fan IS to do so out of politeness, that's fine, I'll do it. I want to have good manners, to be sure. If I never visit the Fan Page, I guess no one will know, so what harm does it do?

Am I missing something? Is there something really cool about these Facebook Fan Pages that has escaped my notice (MINE INCLUDED)? I'm serious - it may very well be the case because I'm still utterly perplexed by why anyone would want to Twitter. Although, I do have a Twitter account, too...

So... if YOU have joined a Fan Page (mine or anyone else's), why did you do it? Because you care about what that person or company is up to? Or just to be polite?

Jennifer Allan, GRI

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Posted by Jennifer Allan, Author of Sell with Soul on 11/05/2009 05:00 PM

Comments (33)

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Originally posted at: Selling Soulfully with Jennifer Allan: The Facebook Fan Page - Do You Join Because There's Value There... or Just To Be Polite?

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33 Comments on The Facebook Fan Page - Do You Join Because There's Value There... or Just To Be Polite?

NOV

I'm a fan of your page now!!! Raise that number to 314!!! :o))) I have a fan page too and I have been puzzled about who I am trying to attract...hopefully buyers, sellers and potential recruits...since I am a broker/owner. I have several fans who are peers and competitors and I am fans of theirs too...but you raise an interesting question...I will await future comments and see what the AR masses have to say about this! Thanks....your latest fan!!!

Thanks, Jeani - after all, the only reason I posted this was to get lots of people to become fans... NOT! But I am truly curious - WHY do people join Fan Pages... I shall park here as well...

I agree with you somewhat. I am one of the 313 fans of your page but I have not sent you an invitation to become a fan of the Coldwell Banker page in my area because quite frankly as you say what is the point. I believe in the long run there is some value to have your SOI as fans of your facebook page, its just another form of keeping your name in front of people.

I am reading the book , "Social Media is a Cocktail Party." Check it out for some interesting tips.

Cheryl has a point if you read the book she is suggesting. The fact is there are only so many hours in a day and if we are busy selling our listings and working with buyers there is only so much time to devote to Face Book, ActiveRain, Twitter etc. I have few precious hours for friends cocktail parties..and I won't miss those!!

Awe Shucks. I don't believe that most folks who join Facebook, et al. have the foggiest idea of any benefits. They are simply, IMO, tweeting, posting, blah, blah, blah because they have an idea that it's what they're supposed to do.

Jennifer, I think people just like to be liked and so some people join each other's pages so that they have fans on the page...you have to admit that it is fun to see our fan pages grow and even have people request to be our friend. As for a business proposition, not quite sure. Thanks for sharing!

Cheryl, thanks for the book recommendation...will have to check that out!

Jennifer - What a wonderful post and that is really showing the LOVE, your post has been featured at one of my favorite groups ...............

LOVE AT ACTIVERAIN

VB ;o)

I don't really like fan pages, but I do like personal pages. Makes me feel like I know them better.

NOV

I have one just because everyone else has one. It makes me feel like I'm a REAL business with it. But I dont keep up with it. I much prefer personal pages though.

I am with you on this. As we have many relatives out of the country we use face book, because they do as a nice way to chat and jkeep up. Other than that I don't get it. Maybe my grey hair is showing

Less than 100 points to 200,000!

I'm thinking that the Facebook Fan Page is an imperfect solution to the problems Facebook has with spamming? I'm in that minority that doesn't see Facebook as the Next Great Thing, mainly due to the temptation for people to use it inappropriately (to annoyingly promote their businesses). What started out as a cool replacement for the fee-based Classmates.com has gotten out of control with so much nonsense that many (myself included) have lost interest, somewhat.

I could be wrong, of course.

I have a fan page (that I just started a few weeks ago actually) just to keep business business and personal personal. My guess is that many of my friends on Facebook don't know that I'm an agent. I started to fan page to publicize what I do without spamming my friends personal pages. It's up to them if they want to follow my business persona.

I don't follow many business pages but when I do it is mostly to be polite.

I have a fan page, (actually, I HAD a group, but just switched to a fan page) and it's worked wonders for me thus far. In the six weeks or so that I've have it, it's generated me 4 leads! It's been great for reconnecting with people I have a lost touch with over the years. I'm now working with a girl who used to sit behind me in homeroom in high school, who I hadn't spoken to since we graduated! We were pretty good friends and had just gone our separate ways, but my fan page allowed me let her know I was an agent and for her to check out what I have to offer on her own terms.

Also, I will join other agents pages to see what agents are doing in other parts of the country. Since I have moved back to Pennsylvania, from Austin, Tx, it has shown me how many different ways there are to run a successful real estate business. So being a fan of other agents across the country can give you ideas that you can apply to grow your own business.

The best part about facebook is that you can see what works and what doesn't. If you are a fan of an agent, and they are generating lots of diaglogue with their posts, then you can apply that to your business. And if you happen to be a fan of an agent that is just spamming, then they are giving you dialy examples of what not to do and you can delete them when you've seen enough!

I'm a huge fan of fan pages (get it?), and I'm constantly looking for ways to improve on it!

P.S.- Jen, I think I just sent you an invitation to my new fan page last night!

Thanks Jennifer...and everyone else for their comments. Facebook is still a bit of a mystery to me. The whole fan page idea was something I just didn't really understand. At least now I understand it a little better. The idea of using it to partition business and personal is intriguing. But if Facebook is all about social networking, why move away from that with fan pages. If a relationship is established, they know how to contact you if they want to. Business can be handled on blogs or other business specific social media accounts.

It seems ;ile I get a Fan request 2 or 3 times a week. I have not joined most of them because I don't see the point.

I'm still tweaking my fan page. I have a link to the fan page on my business email signature. My thought here is that business contacts with whom I communicate might want to check it out. (I don't ask them to "friend" me on my regular FB account...although that may occur down the road.) I post links to RE blog posts, photos, etc. relative to business. As hard as it may be to believe, not everyone has heard of Active Rain (I know...shocking, isn't it?) so I consider my fan page another way for people who are interested in my RE antics to get to know me a little better.

As far as becoming a fan of other RE pros...why not? It is another way to check out different ideas (good and bad) and develop relationships for future referrals.

And thank you from the bottom of my heart for politely accepting my fan invitation. Rockin' Kim's RE page is all the better for it. ;-)

Kim - LOL - I actually wrote this blog right before I got your invitation, so I was hoping you wouldn't see it and think I was "complaining" about my friend Rockin' Kim! I actually had some thoughts about yours that I'll share offline (well, not offline, but not HERE) later on.

Bob - We're on the same page, but I WANT to see the point!

John - Good points. It's an imperfect system so far... but lots of options!

Jon - GREAT stuff! Thank you! I think your points are excellent and you definitely gave me some things to think about. Do you find that Facebook makes the Fan Pages tough to use, though? I find them much harder to find, navigate and stay interested in than the personal pages...

Julia - that's my attitude as well.

I wasn't/didn't. But now I'm a tad nervous...Teacher wants to see me after class. Uh-oh. :-}

Jen,

I found that my original 'group' page was very tough to deal with, but my 'fan' page is much better. I really like the idea that you have status updates with the fan page, it's much less intrusive than sending people direct messages all the time. I save the direct messages for important stuff! I'm a facebook addict, both personally and professionally (it's bad!), so I'm constantly tweaking things.

Jon

Jennifer,

I have a regular Facebook page, but have been thinking about strarting a Fan page as a neighborhood page for my farm so, for example, I could post a schedule of PTA meetings, neighborhood association meetings, etc . What's your opinion? Good idea or bad?

JA--slightly OT, but I just found this quick interview with a woman who's having some success with her fan page. The interesting thing is that she says that she doesn't post a lot of real estate stuff on it. Check it out: http://ow.ly/zU8F

Her page is more about what's going on in her area...and that's what people seem to be looking for. The RE connections follow from that. Generating RE biz without being an "in your face" real estate agent. What a concept! ;-)

NOV

I have my own fan page and am a fan of many, but I admit I have very few that I check in with. I just don't think about it. I've been at REBarCamp and there was a session on Facebook fan pages but I was interested in another topic instead. Wonder if they discussed this?

I haven't created the Fan page yet. It seems that FB is an imperfect way to connect with friends and clients online. I gues the Fan page is the best way to separate friends from business, but, like many of the comments here - still seems like something is lacking. I do like that FB allows me to keep in touch with clients and make it easier for them to find me when I am needed.

Tom - That's exactly what I was trying to say. It's interesting, but not quite right...

It drives me nuts that that the fan pages don't notify others in the conversation or post. I have a fan page that I just started because my stager has been getting crazy busy with hers and she suggested I do one. She posts information, articles, listings, photos, etc that are related to her business and invite all local agents. As they see newly staged properties go under contract, they are calling her to stage their listings. I like to keep my FB page mostly personal because I think my SOI want to connect with me as a person, not the realtor. I will occasionally mention business to keep them Top of the Mind Awareness (TOMA) but overall its personal. The fan page is all business and we are posting reminders i.e. Daylights Savings, posting vendor info (power washing special one of our vendors is offering, etc)

NOV

Hi Jennifer. I enjoy your webpage and also enjoyed the interview on Real Estate Radio USA. I look forward to getting your books,after the new year when I'll have a little bit more money.

Anyway I guess I sign on to others fan pages and Facebook stuff more out being polite. I just don't have the time to sit there and Twitter,Facebook ,etc....I am more of a,"lets keep my stuff to myself..." and don't feel like I want to broadcast all of what's going on in my life to the world. Anyway that's just me.

Charles Esters

Century 21 Advantage--- Wichita Kansas

NOV

The only reason I ask people to become fans of my page is so I can get that magic 100 fans so I can get a vanity URL.

I have become a fan of many pages and most have reciprocated - but I am still significantly short of the 100 pages.

I do know that my friends on facebook do look at pictures that I put up on my fan page. I can tell because they THEN go to my blog from the fan page....so it does have benefit to ME to have the page. I'm not sure what the benefit is of BEING a fan.

I don't necessarily want 100 fans who aren't interested in my page becuase then when I send out messages about the area, most of the people will not care anyway....so I've decided to just get the natural results...that way the fans willb e REAL and will be interested in the content that I post.

Hi Jennifer,

This is why I don't have a fan page...I just don't get it. If you are a friend - then you should also be a fan???? It seems more than a tad redundant and time is the real issue. Do I want to spend a bunch of time tweaking a "fan page" or developing my blogs and actually working with people? I kinda think the latter....

Ruthmarie, The fan page is for business. Facebook does not want people using their personal profiles for business. And supposedly the Fan pages are indexed on google.

NOV

Don't forget that Facebook Fan pages get SEO but your personal page doesn't which is good. I just started a fan page and received a Google Alert tonight so the web had crawled it. It's just another means of getting Google Juice so you just have to make sure the content in it is good.

NOV

OK here's my late 2 cents.

Why do fan pages. The only reason to do a fan page is to have a specific business marketing plan in mind or a goal you want to achieve. Example, lets say you are wanting to target a specific type of buyer, seller, geographic area, lawyers, you get the idea.... you need to plan the page to achieve that goal, primarily it is going to be to focus on the target you are seeking. A key point to remember is that Fan Pages are indexed by the search engines, so that immediately says make it keyword rich (do keyword research before even beginning to build a fan page) for what you are trying to accomplish.

The next thing to remember is Facebook is "Social Media" and social media serves only 2 purposes, 1) create relationships, do not sell anything 2) It is only a vehicle to casually get people to go to your blog where you continue to develop the relationship and or the website where you openingly sell to prospects, clients etc, the website is your Internet Store.

Facebook terms of service SPECIFICALLY DOES NOT ALLOW conducting business on personal pages, fan pages are offered as an alternative by Facebook for those that have Personal Accounts to conduct business rather than sign up for a Business account, kind of nice they do this and I personally think people in business should sign for a personal account and use the fan pages as their business tool, that way they get the best of both worlds, because again, TOS only allows one account.

So for you Jennifer, you might set up a Fan Page that is focused on Board Of Realtors, or Franchise Real Estate Companies to target your business/ products/training opportunities/public speaking at them, then seek out those groups/ people to join your targeted fan page, the page is still in a social media environment so you should include in your plan strong influences to visit your blog and your website, you might even want to create a specific landing page for that campaign on your website.

I agree with many of the comments that many do Social Media for business because they think they have to and don't have a plan or goal in mind about what it is going to do.

OK so that's three cents worth.

I'm just getting started with my FB fan page, so I really appreciate this discussion. They are some really good comments here btw.

I'd like to offer an invite to anyone who is interested. My page is:

http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Rich-Cederberg-Albuquerque-REMAX-Elite-Agent/167915743182?ref=ts&v=wall

I'll be happy to reciprocate and perhaps those of us who are interested in FB Fan pages can learn togther.

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