Each time we log in to Facebook and start jumping around to different business pages, we’re always impressed by the Facebook pages that have large numbers of fans. It’s impressive to have a large following, particularly for smaller businesses. Sometimes, however, we get caught up in the how many Facebook fans and Twitter followers we have and forget what the whole point of building a social networking presence is: interaction. That’s why, when it comes to building up our clients’ social media presences, we tend to think that it’s better to have a quality following, not just a large amount of fans.
Think about it: would you rather have only 75 fans on your Facebook business page that are active and responsive to you, or 3,000 that barely comment? As much as we’d like to show the world that 3,000 people “like” our business, the reality is that you’re never going to get anything from those fans unless you see interaction from them. That’s why the goal of your social networking efforts should be building quality relationships with what fans you do have, not just worrying about building your numbers. Of course, it is important to do some things when you’re first starting social media to build up your fan base. After all, nobody wants to “like” a page with 3 fans. The important thing, however, is not to dwell on the number of fans you have and instead to focus on the quality of your fan base, rather than the quantity.
Here are some ways that you, or your real estate virtual assistant, can insure that you have a fan base of quality, not just quantity:
Be selective of who you follow on Twitter. When you go to follow people back on Twitter, take a look at what they’re tweeting. Do you actually have an interest in interacting with this person? Are they local business, or someone who lives in your area? If you can’t answer “yes” to any of these questions, it’s probably best not to follow that person back. They would just flood your Twitter streams with tweets that you’re not interested in, and it’s better to be selective if it means you get more interaction in the long run.
Post every day. We know that it can be difficult to find the time to post on your Facebook and Twitter accounts every day, but it really is the only way to remain in people’s minds and get the interaction you want. The world of social media moves so quickly that your content could move through people’s news feeds or twitter feeds at a fast rate. If you’re not posting frequently, your content could get lost in the shuffle, which makes people less likely to comment on your posts.
Focus on building your fan base, but make sure it’s for the right reasons. Ultimately, yes, you do want the fans to “like” your page, but not because they see that so many other people have. You want your fans to see your page through their friends’ interactions with you. If someone sees that one of their Facebook friends interacts with your business page frequently, they’d be more inclined to not just “like” the page, but to join in the interaction, too.
When you first start posting on Facebook and Twitter, it’s absolutely a great idea to focus on building your fan base by inviting your current friends to become your fan or follower and reach out to your data base. It’s also a great idea to run a Facebook ad, but once you start getting that initial fan base of about 25 or so, then it’s time to start focusing on interaction, not just the number of fans you have. Losing site of the reason you’re maintaining a social media presence can result in a Facebook and Twitter page that isn’t very successful.
To put it all together, the answer to the question in our title is that a quality fan base is far more important than having a humongous number of Facebook fans and Twitter followers. Focus on interacting with the fans that you do have and start getting interaction from them, and once the interaction starts to come, the large number of fans will follow.
If you’re interested in getting your social media presence up and running, your real estate virtual assistants are always here to help!
Make it a great day!
Sarah Kay
Social Media Specialist
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