Dear Olga: I get so distracted by social media that I feel like I’m not committing to other parts of my business. What percentage of my marketing budget (and my time) should I be allocating to Facebook… or should I bother at all. ~ Alicia L., Handbag Designer, North Hollywood, CA
First of all, there isn’t one set answer to this question: for some, the spend on social media may be 5%, for others, it may be 95%. If you’re re-posting cat pictures and memes all day, though, it might be time to re-think your strategy.
Real Facebook Marketing Strategy
The first real question is what your ultimate social media goal is. Are you looking to educate people about your product, get new fans, sell handbags, get a discussion going, create a buzz, etc.? It’s helpful to understand your priorities–especially since the answer "F: all of the above" will surely drive you insane.
IMHO, the top goal should be to drive people back to your site. You’ve gotta make social media work for you–not against you. Get ’em to your site.
The second issue is…
…where your target customers spend their time online. For a handbag, I suspect your targets spend a lot of time on Pinterest and Pose. Those might be better channels for a visual product, such as yours. (Even so, you’ll need to integrate that stream through Facebook.)
Third, you have to decide how you’ll allocate your money and time within Facebook. You can’t just go after paid placement. (And CERTAINLY don’t pay for likes!) You *may* pay to show up in your users’ streams…and your competitors’ users’ streams. By all means, promote your posts (that lead to where? pop quiz! A: your site, not your FB).
But think about community, too. (I’m not trying to be glib; this could be a whole topic in and of itself. Check out the competition here. The point is: do whatever you need to do to build a community.) Don’t forget to pay attention to your existing fans in the effort to get new ones.
Finally, stop driving your self nuts: create an editorial calendar. Don’t just go posting willy-nilly. Consumers are savvy and naturally suspicious of marketing efforts. If you can’t find a way to be helpful or intriguing, you might as well just forget it.
SO…I’m curious, who’s doing it right and–even better–who’s doing it wrong? (See: https://www.facebook.com/corporatebollocks for some amazing examples of wrong-ness.) Scroll down and share your faves and fails in the comment box below. Do it!
