10 Basic Do's & Don'ts of Facebook

I don't care how busy you are running your business; you must find time to gain a social media presence for your business. If you can't do it, hire someone to manage it. No, not your niece who is always on Facebook posting selfies of herself... Hire a professional! Don't worry that will be in another article coming soon. Today I am going to give you basic knowledge of what to do and what not to do on Facebook, as a business owner.

The DON'TS

1. Always Sell: Now a days, people are bombarded with advertisements all day long. Do you want to stand out from the pack? Provide useful free content. Use an 80/20 rule, 80% content and 20% product. An example, If you are a restaurant owner you can post an easy recipe your customers can make at home.

2. Spam Your Audience: Refrain from excessive posting to prevent annoying your followers. Also do not overshare or rant about employees, customers or vendors.

3. Talk Politics: Not everyone has the same political views as you do, it's not worth losing a potential customer or a current customer over it.

4. Go Dormant: I am even guilty of this one. Due to algorithms, less posts means less value on future posts. You will have less organic reach with your posts which can lead to users forgetting about you.

5. Ignore: Acknowledge all comments and reviews. Ignoring may only add fuel to the fire, so respond and ask the person to discuss off line in an email or phone call. This way it is not public.

Now The DO'S

1. Keep it Short: Less words get more engagement. Remember the attention span of people. Have you noticed a short one-line post? It LOOKS BIGGER THAN THE OTHERS.

2. Post Frequently: Yes I know it sounds contradictory, but I am saying post at least 3 to 5 times a week... Don't SPAM. Keep your audience informed by posting photos, promotions and special offers, while providing relevant links.

3. Be Genuine: Connect with your audience and talk with them in a human way. Talk in a conversational manner.

4. Get Feedback: Listen to your users, it will help you develop new products and improve on current services. Remember these are the ones giving you money, so listen to what they say.

5. Respond: Don't get tired of responding to reviews or answering questions. A potential customer might see your answer to a question that was preventing his purchase and now he/she has the clarity needed to take action.

If you are like me and like pictures with everything you read, I will attach an infographic. I hope this article can help some of the "new to Facebook" business owners. If you have any questions, you can always contact us through our website (www.thehospitalitymarketers.com) or give us a call at 718.554.4190. We have Social Media Plans to fit any budget. If you are a restaurant owner in New York or New Jersey and looking for low-cost highly-effective marketing, you may be interested in becoming a participant of our dining card program called Hospitality 10 Card.