Let's Talk about Facebook (Part 1 of 2)

There are so many social media options out there, and keeping up with all of them can be a daunting task.  It's hard to know where we should be concentrating our efforts, and it's even more difficult to know if our efforts are even paying off.

I use several different forms of social media, including Twitter, Pinterest, Wanelo, StumbleUpon, Blogger, and Facebook.  They all have they're good and not-so-good points, and they've all brought traffic to my shop in one form or another, but of those listed, Facebook is my favorite.

I know that might seem odd to a lot of folks out there.  And really, it is a little, because Facebook definitely isn't my highest source of traffic.  But Facebook brings things to the table that no other social media site really does: The ability to interact directly with your fan base. 

I find Facebook to be a happy balance between the impersonal and uber personal.  It gives your fans a chance to interact easily, it allows you to present both visually and verbally, and perhaps most importantly, it allows you to build connection.

So what's the secret to using Facebook successfully?  I'm not sure there is one. Below you'll find some helpful (if boring) statistics, followed by some great tips and tricks from users just like you

According to some social media experts, there are key times that small business should be taking advantage of to post, but aren't.  A report based on 1,800 of the world's biggest brand pages showed that while "weekend posts get 69% higher interactions, only 11% of posts are published on Saturday or Sunday."  In other words, posting on the weekend reaches way more people than during the week, but the average business fails to take advantage of the increased audience.  Not all industries follow the same pattern though--Thursday is actually the biggest day for clothing and fashion, and Monday is the biggest for general retail.

The same study also shows:

• Wednesday's interactions average 7.4% lower than any other day--so if you're gonna skip posting, today's the day
•  Posts between 8PM and 7AM see a 14% higher rate of interaction
• Less is more--brands that post 1-2x a day see a 19% higher rate of interaction.  Posting more than 4 times a day can actually result in being seen less due to the penalty imposed by FB's Newsfeed Optimization
• Video and link posts see far less than average traffic, making them the least effective means of promotion
• Photos see 39% more interaction, making them the most effective
• Using emoticons like :D and :P is good for business--posts that do receive a 52% higher rate of interaction than posts that don't
• Using a call to action (commands like "caption this", "Like", "Share", or "True or False") garners a 48% higher than average interaction rate

Now that all that boring (but important) statistical info is out of the way, let's take a look at a few questions and tips from some great Etsy users.  (More Q&A and tips in next week's post)

Some folks in my most favorite Etsy team  had questions about setting up and posting from a business page on Facebook, so I thought I'd start there.  To set up a business page, simply scroll to the bottom of any page on Facebook while logged into your personal account, and click "Create a Page".  You'll be presented with a screen that looks like this:

When I set up my page for Little Hill Jewelry I chose "Brand or Product" because it was the best fit for my business.  Take some time and check out all the options before deciding--some might be a better fit than others.  Once you've chosen, Facebook will walk you through setting up your page.  Keep in mind that while you are the admin of the page, people viewing your business page won't see your personal profile.  This is ideal for folks who really want to keep their personal lives separate from their business lives.

Once you've got your page all set up, it's time to start posting (we'll get to what to post in a minute).  Because you must be logged into your personal account to have access to your business page, it can sometimes get confusing trying to figure out where your posting from.  

When you're looking at your news feed from your personal account, on the left hand side running down the screen is a sort of directory to all the places you might need to go on FB.  Once you've created your business page, you should see it over here in this tool bar.  If you click on your business page, it will bring you to your Admin Page, where you can gain insight to your page, post as your business, and just generally manage your this area.

If you go to your business page this way, anything you post on your business page will be posted from your business page.  However, if you navigate away from here, say, to a friend's profile, you will no longer be posting as your business page.

If you want to post elsewhere on Facebook as your business, there are a few really easy steps to take to do so.

In the upper right hand corner of your screen on your personal account, there's a little gear shaped icon.  Clicking on that will drop down a menu with some managing options.  If you want to switch from posting from your personal account to posting as your business, simply click on the top option in this drop down menu "Use Facebook as (insert your business page name here)".  Once you click on that, everything you post on Facebook will be posted from your business page, no matter where you go.  Switching back is just as easy, simply click the little gear again, and select your personal page as the "user".

Now, it can get a little confusing, remembering who you're posting as.  If you click the page icon on the left of the screen, the top of your admin page will look like this:

See how in the upper right it still says my name?  If I navigate away from my business page, I'll be posting as myself.

If, however, you switch over using the drop down menu on the upper right, this is what the top of your admin page will look like:

See how it says "Little Hill Jewelry" in the upper right?  Now no matter where I go, I'll be posting as my business page.

A few common question I see while lurking in the Etsy forums are:

1. What should I post?
2. How do I gain followers?
3. How do I get my followers to interact?

From: CrownAndCole: TRAVELER necklace

Steph from CrownAndCole suggests:

"Think about the kind of audience that your brand attracts and then think about what interests them. For example, if you specialize in making all-natural soap, your audience might also be interested in organic eating, or other all-natural products. Post about these things! Did you spend the weekend camping? Post some great scenic photos. Did you find a great all-natural product (that is not your competition!) - post about it! Posting things that your audience might be interested in is a great way to increase traffic to your FB page, thereby gaining exposure for your business."

I think her response kind of covers all 3 common questions.  By posting about things that are both important to you, and interesting to your target audience, you make yourself and your brand memorable and forge connections with with genuine fans.  If all you ever do is post links to your newest Etsy listing, people will probably scroll right by you in their news feed.  But if you can engage them, involve them in your work, life, and process, you'll make a lasting impression.  And when they think "Oh hey, I need _________" your name might come to mind really quickly.

Another way to gain followers is to run a Facebook ad.  This may seem like an expense you're not really interested in, but it can gain you a lot of followers in a short time for very little money.  

From: NancyKayCreations: Black Donut Shell Bracelet

Nancy Mare from  NancyKayCreations says: "I've had good success with the ad feature.  You can set your own price, so it doesn't cost too much."  And she's right, you control everything about your FB Ad, from how much you spend, to who sees it, to when it's shown and where it links to.  I've run ads to build up my followers list, and I've run ads that link directly to my Etsy shop.  Both helped me grow as a business.

Next week, I'll post some more great tips and tricks from Etsy users, and go a little more in depth on some of the ones I think are key to success using Facebook.

A BIG thank you to all the great Etsians who responded to my thread!  I wish I had room to add photos from all of your wonderful shops!!  If you have some time, be sure to check out the shops of those who contributed to this week's (and next!) blog post!! 

• Lolita Moreno from DreamRelic  
• Krystal Ruppert from MyShardsofGlass
• Kaylee from ItsaGoodDayforClay
• Tara from waterwaif
• Heather from PALOHE
• Kim from PaperHouseDesigns
• KBlossoms
• Fatema from SilverLilyJewelry
• Heather Jones from selectjewelrydesigns
• Valerie from ValinthePaperValley
• Eva from KapKaDesign 
• Crystal from CrystalGaylePhoto
• Cheryl Rae from CherylParrottJewelry 
• Libbi from Mtbaldyglassworks 
• PopArtPetPortraits 
• Jocelyn from NewCreatioNZ