As I prepare to give a new talk to a group of real estate agents next week on the topic of Facebook, I thought I'd take a minute and toss out a few points that may help us all navigate the world of Facebook a bit better.
(As an agent using ActiveRain, I know you are a bit more tech savvy than the average Joe, so I hope you can find at least one nugget in here that will benefit you!)
Facebook is "the new website"
Back when I first started designing for the web in the late 90s the things people said about "the Internet" is the exact same thing people are now saying about "Facebook." It went something like this: "Hey Jay, some guy told me about this 'internet' thing and I guess I need a 'website' but I don't really know why. Can you get me one of those?"
Today, just replace "website" with "Facebook Page." It's the MUST HAVE thing, but people don't know what to do with it when they get it!
If I can give you one tip above all tips it is this: STRATEGY COMES BEFORE TOOLS. If you don't have a destination, then any place you end up will be fine! Set goals and measure them (whether it's print or New Media!)
Okay, you knew that. I'm proud of you! Here are a couple of other things to think about:
A Facebook PROFILE is not the same as a Facebook PAGE
I have been running across this more and more.... Businesses running their show from their PROFILE and not a PAGE (what used to be called a FAN PAGE). This is bad news for a couple of reasons. I'll get to three big ones in a minute. First, let's get a BIG PICTURE THOUGHT: I think of my "profile" as the people who CARE about my family and what we do. My "fans" want to be entertained and informed and they are looking to my brand to do it.
** Let's define what I mean before we go on: A PROFILE is what everyone sets up on day 1 when getting a new Facebook account. This is where your friends and family are. A PAGE used to be called a "Fan Page" and it is what people "like" when they get there. To make one of these, go to your personal profile, in the top/right corner of the screen click ACCOUNT and go down to MANAGE PAGES to create your brand's page. **
1) Your PROFILE Has a Limited Number of Friends
I've got bad news for you businesses out there who didn't set up a PAGE from the beginning: If your brand gets hot, it will max out at 5,000 friends on that profile. Oh no! Should have used a PAGE because you can have a zillion and not reach a limit. Plan for future growth!
2) A PAGE Will Give You Stats (Metrics)
These stats are pretty amazing. You can see man/woman ratios, quantity of hits, new follower counts, YOU NAME IT! You get great info here. Also, Facebook recently added stats to EACH POST you make, so you can see how many impressions (views) it had and a % of interaction (comments) to it. Very helpful!
3) Create Ads Quicker
If you're advertising a new property, Facebook is the most targeted advertising available. Even if you don't BUY an ad, go all the way through the process and you can see exactly how many users are in your demographic (see the photo below: there are 424,820 Facebook users within a 10 mile radius of Kansas City between the ages of 25 and 35. Wow. Can any other media do that?) Whether you buy the ad or not, those are some good numbers to show a listing client for demographic purposes.
REMEMBER: Content is King!
I'm going to explain how I think of the differences between PROFILES and PAGES. Argue with me if you'd like to.
MY PROFILE: You are in a category (yes, every friend should be assigned to "work" or "college" or "church"). If I see these people at the store, I will chat with them. They care about where I am and what I'm doing/saying.
BUT...... I'm not in the business to BORE people. Even my personal posts are witty, interesting or deep. I want people to look forward to what my posts may say and want to comment on them. I never post "I'm having eggs for breakfast today" rather I would say, "Because I couldn't catch the pig in my back yard this morning, looks like it's eggs for breakfast and I'll have to settle for bacon tomorrow." See! That's more interesting and fun!!
MY FANS: I probably don't know you personally, but I still like chatting with you! I hope you find my info helpful and I want to engage with you to make my content better. Also, if you ever know of someone looking to buy or sell....... The goal is awareness and keeping my name top-of-mind.
So is any of this news to you? What are your thoughts on PROFILES and PAGES? Do you have a communication strategy?
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