Be Like-Able to Get the Like

Get the like

If we can quantify anything from the efforts of Social Media managers these days, that is probably the number of "likes" they try to increase day by day. This represents the number of people who visited your site, and chose to receive your updates by pressing the "Like" button. These people are now your Fans. (I don't know if they are still referred to as Fans, but I am trying to be as old-school a possible. Before we go into the deep concept of how to make your Facebook page more like-able we need to understand why Social Marketing agencies fight for these people who "Like" the page. What Fans bring to the company

Believe it or not Facebook Fans are an important asset to any company. Many case studies prove that company fans are more likely to visit the store, tell other people etc... But I would only like to stress the most recent one. Facebook fans have 50% bigger intent to purchase than non-fans. Pretty useful info for everyone involved in social media don't you think. But of course on Facebook, decisions are made in matter of seconds. So the question is: How to get people to like your page in that brief split of second they pay attention to your brand? How to get the Like we so much need? How to be more Like-able:

Small guide

1. Optimize and integrate the cover and profile photo with the company communication message. Your Facebook page is suppose to enforce the brand, not be a non-integrated, insulated marketing effort.

2. Include calls to action in your posts. "Limited time only", "Get it now", Subscribe", "Call us today" are going to engage interaction more than regular posts.

3. Don't spam. Fans will feel it, unlike, and hate you. And I will be very, very disappointed.

4. Stay positive. You are going to have some unsatisfied customers every once in a while commenting on your wall. Keep your cool, don't get into arguing and offer to help them. That's how you beat the annoying jerks.

5. Don't require too much effort from your customers. If you have some active social media campaign, don't ask them for too much info. And don't expect them to take too many steps to participate in some campaign that quite possibly, you wouldn't enter if it wasn't yours.

6. Don't sell on Facebook. Nobody likes to read sales pitches, especially when they are logged in primarily to read about their friends updates. Believe it or not people don't log into Facebook to read brand commercials and pitches.

Any additions to this list? Any comments? Please feel free to post them in the comments section.

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Should Your Company Set Social Networking Posting Policies: 5 Tips for Sharing and What Should Not

The type of info shared on social networking sites will be different, and unique, for each business. Some will feel confident sharing general customer info such as stats for products sold. Others will not. However might freely share customer questions and answers provided. What your biz shares with the public is important for a variety of serious reasons. And should be taken into consideration once you decide who performs the task.

Should your company set social networking posting policies?

Since social networking (which includes blogging) is still a fairly new marketing strategy for many, companies are stopping short of considering it an integral part of their marketing department. One which also requires its own individual set of policies. Not the least of which should be how much and what should be shared.

It's important for every business to have company, departmental and employee policies. And social networking, though different from the usual marketing strategies, should be included within your marketing department. Have it's own unique policies.

This should not only include what is shared and what's not, but how it's presented, the voice used to present it. How comments are responded to. As we all now know, over-sharing, emotional posting and ignoring customer complaints, can quickly lead to major PR problems, financial loss, customer complaints and defections. And that's just to start. In short, improperly sharing with clients and customers can quickly translate into great marketing fodder for the competition. Escalate to a nightmare for you and your biz.

Here are 5 Tips to help you determine what your company should share on social networking sites:

1. Biz Stats - Financial, Customer, Marketing, Complaints - Do customers really need this info? Likely not. Except for customer complaints and reviews you may decide to share.

2. Internal and/or privileged info - Discussions re products, policies, projects in development. Unless you're launching a product, most of this info is best kept within the company; not for public consumption.

3. Company problems, court cases, etc. - Depending on the situation, you should consider making a one-time formal post including salient details. Discuss this with legal counsel. If questions persist, consider setting up a website or blog to continue responding, or turn it over to legal. Customers and potential clients won't jump ship, as easily, when they have the facts.

4. Info about competition - Most companies prefer to steer clear of negative comments about the competition. This is a legal gray area; which may rear up and bite you if you regularly post it.

5. Personal Info - As some, have sadly, come to realize, anything posted on blogs and social networking sites is immediately published. Sent out into the blogosphere and Internet. For anyone to see and read. Be aware and cautious when sharing personal info.

Do Share: Info about new products, useful resources, pertinent case histories, how-to and related articles, for example. Helpful information, tips and techniques customers and followers can actually use.

Don't: Get snarky, emotionally post, take followers for granted, refuse to respond. Fail to answer customer complaints.

One final question. Ask yourself:

'Do I really want the public to know this particular information?' After all, it immediately becomes public once posted.

That said, think twice about what you or your social networking employee posts. You, and they, represent the company. What it stands for. How it cares for and responds to its customers. And each post, or comment, can make a world of difference in how your biz is perceived.

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What Does a Facebook Like Express?

My inspiration for that post origins in a recent Podcast of the SoLoMo Show, hosted by Cory O'Brien and Adam Helweh. In my opinion, by far the best Podcast for Social Media Marketing. It covers current developments around social, local and mobile marketing and gives excellent recommendations for hot online tools. It is a must for every online marketer, so check it out.

Adam and Cory were discussing the meaning of a Facebook Like based on a recent case, where a deputy got fired because he liked the Facebook page of the opposition. The whole conversation went in the direction whether or not Social Media should be considered free speech. I don't want to dive too deep in the topic but follow the thoughts. I asked myself which meaning a Facebook Like has for myself. Which emotions, feelings and expressions do I connect with a click on the famous button?

Facebook's statement about the Like Button

What is the Like feature?

"Like is a way to give positive feedback or to connect with things you care about on or off of Facebook. You can like content that your friends post to give them feedback or like a Page that you want to connect with on Facebook" What does it mean to "Like" something? "Clicking Like under something you or a friend posts on Facebook is an easy way to let someone know that you enjoy it, without leaving a comment."

What does it mean to Like a Page or content off of Facebook?

"When you click Like on a Facebook Page, in an advertisement, or on content, you are making a connection. A story about your like will appear on your Wall (timeline) and may also appear in your news feed. You may be displayed on the Page you connected to, in advertisements about that Page, or in social plugins next to the content you like... Facebook Pages you like may post updates to your news feed or send you messages. Your connection to the page may also be shared with apps on the Facebook Platform."

The official Facebook statement about their button is as rational as expected. The takeaway is that Liking something is a sort of positive feedback for things you care about. Clicking the Like Button shows that you enjoy a post without commenting it. Very important is the point that a Like appears not only on your own timeline and in the news feed but is also shared with third-party apps. A Like is not limited to your own Facebook community and can travel quite a long way. Therefore, you shouldn't underestimate the impact of a quick Like.

When do you click the Facebook Like Button?

There are different motives for clicking the small Button on a mouse or touchpad. Since the Facebook language changed form "Become a Fan" to "Like", it could simply mean that you want to follow a brand or a page to get the latest updates. Pages often give discounts or further insights after you liked their page. Maybe you are really a fan of the organization, maybe it's hip to follow them or the action is only based on give-aways by the page you like. Clicking the Like button for a brand is a form of self-expression or public endorsement - simply a matter of individual interpretation.

Away from pages, a Like may mean that you endorse a status, statement, image or comment. It does not necessarily mean that you actually like the posted content, but you agree with it. Basically, it is a quick and casual way to express approval and show your sympathy. For instance, liking a status "your friend went from being in a relationship into being a single" expresses probably your concern instead of liking the split up (at least in most cases).

A study from ExactTarget reveals interesting findings about the meaning of a Facebook Like to users. They conclude that a Like is ambiguous and can have subtle variations in meaning that are highly dependent on context and the individual user. The study states that a Like is light-hearted, casual and fun and no commitment to anything.

"I like it, but in a different Way"

I asked some of my friends what they think when clicking the Facebook Like button. I got different answers. Some act intuitive because they really like a page or a post, others want to show support for an action or share interests with their friends. My personal use of the button is rather limited. I follow some brands because I really appreciate what they are doing and I want to keep up with their latest news. I like images and posts of friends in my network to express that I enjoy the contributions. In my perception, Facebook is still a social network, which is meant to be entertaining and let us connect which each other. Meaning that I don't put too much weight in a Like and simply see it as a tool to share my interests with others.

When it comes to pages, brands or organizations, the perception of the Like Button changes. Everyone should be aware that a casual click has a future impact and doesn't stay inside Facebook. Still, brands shouldn't overstate Likes since it can have completely different motivations and doesn't necessarily mean people support the page or become brand advocates. There is definitely a demand for a legal framework when it comes to shares, likes and tweets in the future.

Interpreting a Like can probably end in a discussion that lasts for hours. Finally, it depends a lot on the content that was liked and the person, who liked it. I am very interested in your opinion. What do you express with a Facebook Like? How do you use the small button? I appreciate your comments and, of course, a Like for this Post...

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How People Who Know Social Networking For Business Are Better Off Than Those Who Do Not

Those people who know social networking for business are far better off than those who do not know how to socially network. Social networking is a skill that is valuable now and will become much more valuable in the future. Most people cannot generate income from social media. Therefore, businesses will pay for professionals that know how to generate money from social media.

1. Social media experts can pull money out of thin air

People who have a social media list can pull money out of thin air. What this means is that they find a product to sell and ask their list to buy it and they will make sales. The amount of sales they get is dependent on how well they have created (and trained) their list to buy products from them. There is a level of skill involved; however, a person who has a list is going to make more sales for a product or service than those who do not have a list. The time and effort it takes to create a list is time well spent.

2. They can sell access to their lists

Another thing a person with a list can do is sell access to their list. This means that they will post a message for company that wants to use their list to sell their product or service. This could be one time or multiple times, it is all negotiable by the list owner. However, what is important to notice is that a list gives the owner get flexibility. They can sell access, they can sell products and services, or they just keep making a bigger list. A list is everything in a business and is the most valuable asset a business has in their position.

3. They can find job based on the type of their list

If a person with social media skills has the wherewithal, they can build a list of prospects before ever asking for a job. It is much easier to enter a sales position when someone has a list of people who are already potentially interested in the product or service that the business could provide (the business that the list owner is trying to work for in the future). There is no business owner who can turn down the opportunity to make quick money by hiring someone who already has an existing client base. A person with a list can write his or her own ticket into working with a business or working for a business in the future by proving that the hiring of that person will provide instant cash.

Building a list through social networking skills is a skill that will allow a person to write their own ticket in life. The acquisition of this skill only takes time and testing. However, the skill will allow the person to work on their own or to work for almost any company that they wish to work for in the future. It just takes time, effort, and skill. Every person should learn to build a list through social networking and then leverage that list to make a living.

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What Are Some Insider Tips for Social Networking for Business Purposes?

Social networking for business is an art form. This is because most people do not understand how to use social media for business purposes. The truth is that the target market of a business does not care where a business had lunch or who the business thinks is going to win the Super Bowl. The target market only cares about information that will help them solve their problems. Most social media gurus do not understand this fact.

1. Do not focus on your number of followers

There is a certain segment of the internet marketing community that calls themselves list builders. These people claim to be experts at generating lists of people interested in a certain topic or solving a certain problem. However, what happens most of the time for these people is that they generate lists full of people who are seeking for free information for those problems. This is akin to generating a lot of followers.

Many of the followers on Twitter may be people who are only looking to find free information about how to fix their problems. This is why focusing on followers looks impressive but the acquisition of followers may or may not increase the revenue of a business. It is better to focus on highly usable content that is consumable on for people who are really looking for someone to help them with their problem and willing to pay for it.

One of the best ways to do this is what a famous internet marketing expert calls, "racking the shotgun." A low priced (loss leader) product or service can quickly separate the buyers from the freebie seekers. Once, it is determined who actually buys and who is just looking or free advice, it becomes easier to gain the attention of those people who do buy. Focus on providing information, products, and services to those people who show that they are willing to spend money to solve their problems.

2. Get Free Market Research From the Social Networking Platforms

The social networks are an immense repository of marketing information. Many people gloss over the information that is available on these sites. However, the smart business owner does not do this. They carefully study the market for opportunities and specific language that they can use to develop a marketing message that is very persuasive to the target market.

These well-informed business owners also look for related topics that reveal business opportunities that they may miss elsewhere. Every complaint about a product or service on the social networks is an opportunity gap that no business has yet filled. A smart business owner looks at these opportunities and develops products and services to solve those problems.

A business that listens to this advice can do very well when entering a market. Not only will they be smarter about how they do business, but they will also be very effective at generating clients and sales. A business needs to be perceptive about how they use social media and how they speak to customers. The best way to be intelligent is to gain the intelligence from social media.

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The Secret to Getting Recommendations on LinkedIn

LinkedIn recommendations can be a great way to prove yourself to people who find you while searching on that website. But the process that LinkedIn actually recommends for getting recommendations is definitely not the best way to do so. Let's take a look at the secret that will help you to get more recommendations.

Why should you even be worried about this in the first place? Well, when people visit your profile, one of the things they can see is the number of people that have recommended you. And the higher that number is, the more likely they'll want to do business with you. That's even more applicable if they actually know any of the people listed.

LinkedIn makes it very easy to ask for recommendations. Don't!

Although that's their suggestion for getting them, through my own tests on my account and the accounts of others, I've discovered a secret that results in many, many more that you get by asking. Ready for the secret?

Give before you get.

Ralph Waldo Emerson's Law of Compensation applies here. I'm paraphrasing, but essentially he said, "To get more, you must first give more." In fact, although LinkedIn's recommends asking, their system is actually wired for giving them to work even better!

The first thing you'll want to do is go through your contact list and pick out people that you know, like and trust, and that you're pretty sure feels the same way about you. Obviously we don't want to lie just to get more recommendations, so this step is fairly important. Naturally, it can be people you've done business with. But you can also pick someone that you're in a professional organization with, or even someone who has been a client or customer of yours.

Next, you recommend them! Just write a brief description of why you feel like you can give them your endorsement, then submit it. Then they will receive an email asking them to approve your recommendation so it can be shown on their profile. Immediately after they approve it so it will be displayed on their profile, LinkedIn will suggest that they then return the favor.

Of course, not everyone you recommend will return the favor. But within 2-3 days, you'll generally see a 10% - 20% response rate where those people recommend you back.

So start going through your list of contacts today and see who you can recommend.

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