Social Media Corner - September 2013

Ragan.com recently posted an article entitled “The 5 Types of Facebook fan (and how to keep them).”    Understanding what your fans are looking for; what kind of content they like and ultimately what keeps them as a happy customer may be the key to boost your engagement and reach your Facebook objectives.  So, how do these five profiles influence your marketing plan? (TEASER)

The five groups are the following:

Potential customers:  Potential customers may have seen an ad or have heard about your company via word of mouth.  If the time is right and your content has convinced them that they need to reach out for business, it is likely that they will remain a fan or stay as such until they are ready.  Should they be a potential large customer, perhaps posts can be tailored to content that may serve their needs and make them want to bite!

Friends/Employee:    The article provided an interesting fact on asking friends and employees to “like” pages to boosting numbers.  While it may get your fanbase up to your specific goals, this could also hurt your engagement scores.   Is there a way we can get our supportive friends, family or employees to engage with the content we are sharing?   

Contest Junkies:    If your page frequently has a contest or sweepstakes, it’s a safe bet that you’ve got fans who liked your page just to be the lucky winner.  And, if there isn’t another contest in the near future after one has ended, there is a good chance that they will split if posts don’t include anything regarding a contest.  So how do you keep them on board?    Things such as teasing another upcoming contest and offering coupons will most likely keep these contest junkies addicted. 

Happy campers:  The best fans to have, the happy campers are actively engaged and eager to share their positive experiences with you and the rest of your fans.  Keeping them happy with conversational posts, such as asking for opinions will certainly keep them engaged and willing to share their opinion on why your brand is the best.  If they post something groundbreaking on your page—go ahead and give them the credit and share it. 

Fair-weathered friends:
These fans may have had a positive experience with your brand and will follow to stay up to date, but if something goes awry, they could provide negative feedback.  The best way to handle any concerns or negative comments is address it.  Back up your comments with factual information, reminding them of the value of your service or product. 

While these profiles may not completely change your facebook analytics, it could provide reasoning as to why some folks are behaving the way they are on your page.  By building your social media calendar to suit all of the above, your Facebook objectives can be met.

Submitted by your social media chair, Jodi Huntoon.

See the original article here.