[Author’s Note: No doubt by now you’ve read Chris Smith’s article from earlier this week, “You Need to Delete Your Facebook Business Pages Immediately.” If you have yet to heed Chris’s advice and simply hit the delete button OR you took his instruction as a personal challenge to improve your Facebook Business Page, read on – this post is for you!]
There are a multitude of blog posts and articles on the Internet on everything from how to create your Facebook Business Page to how to use third party applications, how to manage your page to how to get more likes. This is not one of those posts. This is a quick and dirty low-down on five ways you can make your Facebook Business Page more likable – today. Not next week. Not when you get around to hiring a app creator or buying Facebook ads or finding a social media intern. Today.
If you have 1 hour, you can do this yourself, today, and then sit back and pat yourself on the back.
Tip 1: Your profile photo.
Take a look at the profile photo on your page. Make sure it’s a good quality photo. If it is pixelated or blurry or out of date, then you need to change it. Hold your cursor over the photo and the words “Change Picture” will appear; click on “Change Picture” and follow the instructions to upload a new photo.
If your profile photo is a photo of yourself or your team, make sure it’s a current photo (as in, within the last two years) and that all team members in the photo are still on your team. Here’s a quick litmus test for your profile pic: If your picture is older than two or three years, it’s time for a new photo. If there’s a possibility that I could see your photo online, then run into you in the grocery store and not know you are the same person from that picture, it’s time for a new photo. If your clothing or hairstyle in your photo date from the last millennium, it’s time for a new photo. (As an aside, this goes for your business card photo, too. Come on, you know who you are! Get the to a photographer, STAT!)
Tip 2: Your info.
First look at the section labeled “About” under your profile photo. This is your opportunity to tell your page visitors – at a glance – who you are and what you do. It’s a great place to put a link to your website, a brief idea of your market area, and even a little bit about who you are. There is a 255 character limit, so you will have to be concise. If you don’t see an “About” section under your profile pic, then you simply haven’t filled it out yet. Click on “Info” under your profile pic, find the “About” section and get to it!
While you’re in the “Info” section, take a look at your options and opportunities here. Do a quick diagnostic check:
- Do you have your phone number and email listed? You want to be sure that you can be contacted if your page visitors have inquiries. Make sure they are accurate!
- Do you have your websites listed (all of them – including your blog)? Many consumers like to check us out before making direct contact – give them a chance to do that!
- Do you have all of your locations listed? If you are a broker or have multiple office locations, list the main one under address and then list ALL of them in the area marked “Description”. (For a great example of this, visit www.facebook.com/thecorcorangroup.)
- If you are a broker or you are only available during certain hours, do you have your office hours listed? (NOTE: Many REALTORS® may not want to fill this in, since we work nontraditional hours and are often available outside of our office hours. However, if you are managing a page for an office, be sure to fill in accurate office hours so consumers don’t visit and find your door locked.)
Tip 3: Your photos and videos.
Consumers love visual content, so why not give them what they like? It’s a chance for you to create a connection between your clients and visitors – giving them a chance to get to know about you, your team, your business and others who have done business with you. (For more info straight from Facebook on getting your username, click here.) A few suggestions for photos and videos that you might already have in your archives:
- Events you’ve sponsored – client appreciation parties, charity events
- Past clients (you may want to consider getting a release signed that gives you permission to use their photo(s) in your marketing and, if they’re your Facebook friends, to tag them in Facebook photos) – photos at closings, photos in front of their new home, photos that accompany their testimonials
- Photos of you and your team – a no-brainer! Give the consumer a chance to connect with you and your team in an informal way. I’m talking about candid photos here…no glamour shots, folks!
Tip 4: Your vanity URL or Facebook Page Username.
If you have more than 25 “Likes” on your Facebook page, you can get your vanity URL. This is an easy way for you to direct people to your page, whether it’s in your email signature, on printed materials or simply by word of mouth. It’s a lot easier to say, “Find me on Facebook at facebook.com/ISellAtlanta” than it is to say, “Find me on Facebook at facebook.com/ pages/ISellAtlanta/66588411750”. If you have 25 or more “Likes” on your page, click on the “Info” link under your profile pic, then click edit page. You will see a category called “Username” near the top of the page. This is where you will enter your desired username, check it’s availability and then claim it. BEWARE! Once you click confirm, you CANNOT change your username. Even if you change your mind. Even if you think of something better later. Even if you misspell your own name. So think carefully, double- and triple-check it. And then – very cautiously – click Confirm.
Tip 5: Your content.
There’s really nothing worse (in the land of Facebook Business Pages, at least) than being asked to Like someone’s page, visiting it and finding there’s NO content. There is no reason for a visitor to like your page (other than to do you a tremendous favor) if there is no content on it for it to be of use to them. A few suggestions for possible content:
- Your photos and videos (see #3 above) – these count as content. If you skipped step 3, go back and post them.
- Links to your blog posts. What better place to share the content that you painstakingly create than on your Facebook page. For added zest, post a teaser (2-3 lines of summary, or a question, or a brief intro) to entice people to click through to the full post, then add the link – and voilà! – content!
- Links to articles about local happenings that you think might be of interest to your clients and visitors, which also show that you are connected to your community.
- Links to articles about real estate issues and concerns – local, regional, national – whatever you think might interest your visitors.
- Fun stuff! Don’t go overboard with cute photos of puppies or funny YouTube videos, but an occasional post meant only to make your visitors smile can’t hurt.
For a couple of great Facebook pages who are doing this well, check these out: Avery-Hess, REALTORS®, The Corcoran Group, Brian Copeland’s Nashville and Beyond, and Dale Chumbley’s 365 Things to do in Vancouver, WA.
You’ve reached the end. If you’ve successfully checked off all 5 tips, then it’s time for that pat on the back. You’ve earned it.
Now get out there and promote that Facebook page!
October 19, 2011 at 11:14 am
Maura love the tips here and while on the surface and in the title they may be simple, they are also critical to success!
October 19, 2011 at 11:53 am
Chris – I could not agree more. And of course, we could go on for days with recommendations, suggestions, tips, etc., but these are some of the simplest things that I am usually surprised to see NOT being done! If someone can’t manage to do these simple things…then I urge them to refer back to your latest post and DELETE THEIR PAGE!
Thanks for the comment!
October 19, 2011 at 11:53 am
Like the tips, very clear and simple. Looking forward to the next step: How to promote your Facebook page and get more likes. Still a difficult thing.
October 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Hi, Maurien!
I think the best way to get more likes is to let it happen organically. You can, of course, urge your current and past clients to like your page – but only make the ask once. More than that and it feels like spam.
Because the only people who will see your Facebook page posts are those who already like your page, your Facebook page is most likely not going to be a vehicle for NEW business; it is more of a place for your already raving fans to continue to rave and to stay in touch. The way to garner those NEW likes (from people you DO NOT already know) is to put the Facebook Badge on your website and/or blog, so that visitors to your site who may not already be your Facebook friend can Like you straight from there. If they like what they see, then they will consider clicking like (one more reason to have a blog that has consistent new content – to keep people coming back for more).
Always remember, however, likes (like anything else) should be about QUALITY, not quantity. Who needs 5,000 likes if they don’t bring you more business? I know it’s an ego boost to see those numbers climb sky-high, but 100 people who like your page and regularly send you business (which therefore, means more dollars in your pocket) is way better than 1,000 who send nothing your way.
Good luck!
October 19, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Content being the extremely important factor in my opinion. The rest are important as well but content is top on my list.
October 20, 2011 at 5:42 am
Atim: I absolutely agree that content is the mot important and is the thing that keeps people coming back. The others are so simple, but I am always surprised how many people fail to do them.
October 19, 2011 at 4:14 pm
I like what you said, and have most of it ready for our new FB business page. I do have a question though. Should our default welcome page with a video promote our FB page, or website, or both? I was thinking about a short 2-3m video that tells them a little about our team, and that we would love to answer any RE questions they have, and also anything they would like to know or find out about the local community. If you have a better idea of a welcome page, I would love to hear it! =)
October 26, 2011 at 9:32 am
Hi, Daniel!
We know viewers love photos and videos – the question is, will your video be compelling enough to grab their attention and make them want to know more. It sounds to me (and this is just my opinion) like the information you want to provide is more like two or three videos worth of info – could you really cover all that in 2-3 minutes? What I would watch, if I was your audience, is a brief video that introduces you and/or your team in a playful yet professional way. Say, a quick tour through your offices or a a creative way to introduce everyone on your team (even if you’re a solo agent, you can include your lender, your closing attorney and others who make up your extended team). Just my two cents – would love to see it when you get it done!
October 19, 2011 at 5:33 pm
Everybody’s talking about Chris Smith’s post! I will be keeping my page, and really people, how hard is it to update once or twice a day? Unless I guess you just don’t get SM.
October 19, 2011 at 6:14 pm
we just had a social media meeting this morning and from tracking our interactions, find that our most engaging posts are the random ones we take while out with clients and showing people what we see. they are sometimes blurry, too dark but real and spur of the moment camera phone pics.
basic links, articles and other “business” type stuff doesn’t appear as often nor is it as engaging. we get a lot of great feedback from past clients that follow us as well as new business from our fans that we’ve known for awhile.
in our case, we promote our business on our business page and most of us keep our personal pages more personal with only small bits of business. our clients then relate to us on a personal level on those pages but don’t feel like we spam them there. I think it’s great to be able to have both a business and personal page if done correctly.
facebook.com/stylehouserealty
October 26, 2011 at 9:37 am
Hi, Amanda!
It sounds like you’re doing it well, then! I agree that the posts that get the most “action” are the spontaneous ones. I mean, look at Leigh Brown’s post from a home she showed (found here: http://tinyurl.com/home-staging-pic — you may not be able to see it if you’re not Facebook friends). If you can’t see it, it’s a stripper pole in a living room and her caption is, “Staging question….should the stripper pole stay or go?” It had 67 Likes and 105 Comments – for its outrageousness, its shock value, its spontaneity…and the fact that it was just plain funny. Of course, she also posts serious items, but she peppers her page with entertainment, as well. It’s all about balance.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
October 20, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Thanks Maura,
to delete my page.
just in time before I followed Chris’s advice
October 26, 2011 at 9:37 am
Good to hear it, Gitta! Good luck!
October 21, 2011 at 9:06 am
Maura – What is your Facebook page? I was trying to tag you in a share on Facebook but only can find a link to your profile.
October 26, 2011 at 9:38 am
Hi, Stacey! My Facebook page (other than my personal profile) is http://www.facebook.com/atlanta365thingstodo. If you’re tagging me about the post, though, you can just tag my personal profile.
October 24, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Great tips! I consistently write on my lifestyle blog at Facebook.com/365Kona and include pictures, tips, hints, opinions, news and events. I feel like I have a true community I have built. I also give Realtors some tips on running successful business pages. I wrote one today about a Realtor who asked me to Like her page today. She only had three curated links up. I am sending her your blog post to give her some good tips on getting the kind of content that I would want to come back and read! https://www.facebook.com/RealtorTips4NewMedia
October 26, 2011 at 9:45 am
Hi, Julie! Thanks for reading and commenting!
You’re absolutely right: I want to like a page once I see that it holds value for me. Three posts does not a valuable page make. Thank you for sharing my post with her – I hope she finds it helpful. My advice would be for her to post photos (even older ones) to give her page a more mature (meaning, that it’s been around longer – not that her content or style is immature) feeling. It might help her not feel so pressured to fabricate content – she probably already has some lurking in her My Pictures folder or on her smartphone!
On another note: I have to say that I am a little annoyed when I get “Like” requests from other REALTORS. While it is wonderful and flattering to see that another REALTOR has liked my page, I would rather my likes come from clients, potential clients and my community. And even more so, nothing is more annoying than getting a post on your Page’s Wall like this one: “I’ve liked your Facebook page – won’t you like mine?” Likes should come organically, not from tit-for-tat mutual admiration societies…
Thoughts?
October 26, 2011 at 10:43 am
I LOVE Corcoran layout…do you know how they accomplished the photo block link look?
October 27, 2011 at 2:25 pm
This is such fabulous advice! Thanks for the quick tips…. implementing now.
October 29, 2011 at 10:17 am
First time I’ve seen Facebook tips made simple, understandable and executable that non-techies like me can accomplish. Thank you!
October 29, 2011 at 2:18 pm
The personal photo is definitely what gives your page the human side which everyone likes and trusts. Thanks for the tips Maura.
M Stephanie
November 1, 2011 at 4:14 am
Simple and basic tips but mandatory to update above mentioned points on FB page for user’s assurance.
November 3, 2011 at 2:29 pm
And please, agents, stop posting information about your business/listings/recent sales on your personal page. Set up a business page for that.
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