It seems to be that every conversation I have with a business owner is about their Facebook Page. Many of them are full of myths (and legends) about running their page and how it’s incredibly difficult. I understand that consulting and coaching around Social Media is what I do, but there are some Facebook Page myths out there that really need addressing.

Facebook Page Myths #1
Facebook is dead!

Um no! That’s just your page because you haven’t worked out some of the basics and how to leverage the algorithm. Sure, other platforms might be growing faster, there are now 1.7 Billion active Facebook users. That’s far from dead. I don’t know any other free resource (other than Google and their suite) that will put you in front of that many eyeballs.

If you happen to subscribe to this Facebook Page myth, then I suggest two things. If you believe it’s dead deactivate your page and walk away because your attitude will come through on your page and you’ll scare your clients away. If you’re not prepared to turn your back on it, then you actually don’t believe it’s dead – it’s just that you find engaging people on the platform difficult and ‘d then suggest reading this article I wrote.

Facebook Page Myths#2
My ideal client isn’t there, so why should I be

Say what now? Go back and read the figure in point 1 above. Now, unless your ideal client lives in some third-world country, I have to disagree. But Kara, my client is under the age of 13 (or over the age of 70) they’re NOT on Facebook. They might be your end user, but they’re generally not the decision maker. Children rely on their parents (by and large) to make their purchases, the elderly rely on their children or carers to help them make decisions. These secondary groups ARE on Facebook and therefore they are your ideal client.

Ok, but my client isn’t either of those. Sorry, but with 1.7 Billion users you’re still going to need some presence – even if it’s small and there purely to hold your business name and to redirect your clients to your main social media channel, your website, or the phone.

Facebook Pages Myths - Kara Lambert Social Media Coach

Facebook Page Myths #3
Facebook drains my time

That is true, but only if you allow it. There are a number of ways to minimise its distraction.
– use the Facebook Business Manager to remove the distraction of your personal feed
– schedule your content in Facebook so you don’t feel as if you need to always be posting (batching work is a major time saver)
– only have the Facebook Pages App on your phone
– use a time lock (or set times) on your PC to prevent the ‘I’m just going to quickly check’ time suck.

Facebook Page Myths #4
I don’t have a lot of followers so why bother

That’s ok, neither do I and I hope you still follow me there! You see, unless you’re a social media influencer you really don’t need to worry about the number. Let’s face it, a number of pages have been caught out by buying fans and we all had to start with 1 like.

I realise that there are stats out there indicating that conversion is between 1-3%, on average. Here’s the thing, that’s an average – you can be above that if you know your client well and you’re trusted by them. How do I know this? I’ve seen it with my clients.

The other thing that I’ve found is that larger pages need either more content or more targeted/specialised posts to continue to grow and mostly engage their audience. So bigger isn’t always better.

Facebook Pages Myths #5
You have to pay to play

OMG! I’d love a dollar for every time I’ve heard this. (I’d offer the money as scholarships to my course) You see, this is a lie marketers tell you because:
– they don’t understand that people make social media what it is
– they don’t want to learn about people, because we’re complex
– they’ve got shiny object syndrome & love new toys/tech
– they want to sell you their service (ok, I admit I do too)

It’s easier to teach people about the technology than it is to teach them about the user. However, it’s always the businesses who understand their client who have the greatest success. There’s no getting around it!

 

In the end, if you think Facebook will fail your business – it will (here’s why). If you believe the naysayers, you’ll pull yourself into their negative mindset and prove them right. Even if you have a current presence, with relevant content you’re going to be ahead of your competitor without a page. Even if it’s because Pages are indexed by Google & to drive your fans to your main presence.

Facebook Page Myths Kara Lambert Social Media Coaching

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