A few years ago we thought we had finally figured out how professional Facebook pages and websites could work together. Now it is changing again, ultimately significantly reducing access to your followers and fans. Facebook is turning from an “owned” to an “earned” paid media solution.

The question is what does that mean for you?

This means that your carefully constructed editorial posting calendars now need to be re-worked to include sponsored posts, or you will only reach approximately 5% (or less) of your current followers.

So you have to decide whether to build your own online communities or to join forces with other social media platforms to take advantage of their more financially friendly terms.

Don’t be discouraged by this!!

Facebook was a great tool, and still can be if you choose to pay for sponsored posts or advertising, but we have found that the vast majority of Facebook users are primarily passive. This means that it is still a great tool for sharing products, sharing your knowledge, getting followers, and spreading the word; but it is not the most ideal place to actually try to sell your products/services.

So this sudden change of heart that Facebook has about offering the low cost promotion of your business, to now charging for EVERYTHING, is actually a fantastic opportunity to re-evaluate where you spend your time and money.

We are thrilled to share with you some simple points to keep in mind when you are considering marketing your business. Whether it is on Facebook, any other social media platform, or really any type of marketing.

 

FIRST AND FOREMOST:

Focus on YOUR business – Be aware of your clientele and know who you are as a company.

Consider where your clients live, physically and digitally.

Where do they spend their time?

Who is your ideal client?

Really evaluate YOUR brand, meaning who you are and who you want to become.

That has to be FIRST on your mind when you are looking to select the best location for your business’s promotion.

This can be done with a few questions at check-out, surveys, social media tracking & analysis; the list goes on and on.. There are many different ways to find out this information.

But the first step is to look at your business and ask

“Am I where I want to be?”

If the answer is No, then ask “Where exactly do I want to be?”

We are thrilled to continue with these implementable points in next month’s issue.

Thank you,

Diane Economaki