Should I hire someone to handle my Facebook Page....

I was recently asked by a local businessman asking me why he cannot get as much interaction on his Facebook page as I can on mine and if he should consider hiring a marketing firm to handle his social media.

I quickly explained to him that social media should be handled by someone that is dedicated to your business,  you need to think of social media as your personality being presented to your customer 27/7.... I think I had the poor man scratching his head...so I later emailed him a list of answers to help him out!

I feel for small businesses in today's time, especially those owned by an older generation and are trying to stay up with the newer generation.  There is the risk of being to "hip" for your older clients and not hip enough for the younger generation.

Here is what I later answered the local businessman:

Marketing firms are great, I think they could get your Facebook page up and going, but I would look closely to who you hire.  I would want someone that would be at my beck and call, someone that would take the time to sit down and explain how to use Facebook, someone that would spend some time in your business getting to know YOU and YOUR CUSTOMER!

I then told him to consider this for his Facebook Page:  his business was located in a town with a population of less than 900, his local school more than likely had a business club or something of that sort.  Look for a teenager that is pursuing a career in marketing, media, or just loves to be on Facebook.   Get with them, talk it out with them and see if you can slip them some money for helping you with your Facebook.

No Luck there....then look for a local blogger, or social media guru (like me), someone that he (or his wife) follows on Facebook  and talk to them.  Many folks love to make a few extra bucks and lets face it running a Facebook Page is not that hard (I secretly admin several).

If still no luck, look within his own business, maybe he could purchase a book on Facebook and someone with his own business could take control over his Facebook.

Then I explained if all else fails then I would consider hiring a marketing firm to handle his Facebook account.

Of course this left him standing with tons of questions, like how much to pay, what do I have them post, how do I know if they are doing a good job.

Pay for Facebook????  Everyone charges a different fee, some charge by the month, some charge by the post.  I personally charge both ways depending on each individual page I am running, some pages are high maintenance and some just want me to look over the page and make a few post here and there.

What do they Post????  Here is the real trick to Facebook, what do they post.  The key to success with

Sample Post I did for the Town of Marquand, Missouri.
To see video click here:  http://youtu.be/7ro6VVXtRC0

Facebook is the person making your post has to LOVE your business as much as you do.  They have to be able to portray YOUR PERSONALITY 24 hours a day.   I have personally became so mad at local businesses for the sheer fact that they come off as buttheads in their Facebook post and I know they really are not....I often have to remind myself that someone other than the owner is running their Facebook Page.
When I am hired to work on a Facebook Page I take a few days to get to know the person I am working for, I then look back over their past social media presence, and then I begin to write some post.  My goal is to always put the business first, even if I know I am going to work harder than what I paid to work.  I know many local and small business owners don't have the money to put out in marketing that large companies do.  In fact many of them can barely afford a newspaper ad let alone to hire a marketing firm to do all their advertising.

Statistics for Visit Bollinger County -
A Facebook Page I started on 07/23/13

How do I know they are doing their job????  The first thing is to NEVER lose power over your Facebook, make sure they leave you on as an administrator and do not hire them unless they are willing to take the time to TEACH you how to operate and understand your Facebook including where to find your stats.  In your insights you will be able to see the number of people being reached, the number of likes, new likes, and interactions....Here is where you better be getting what you paid for.  If you are not seeing drastic changes in your Facebook after you have hired someone (especially within the first few weeks) then you better rethink your plan.  I have seen people hire someone and pay good money for them to run their Facebook and the page only increase likes by 10 or 15 over a few months time.....that is BAD.

My last and most important piece of advice is DO WHAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH.....your gut instinct it far more important than my advice.  I never want anyone to make the mistake of doing what they are not comfortable doing.

Have a Social Day :-)

~Becky

Are You Spreading Your Social Networking Too Thin?

Image via CrunchBase

Experts say be on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Linkedn, Instagram, Klout, Google+, Foursquare…..okay you get my point, the experts say you need to be everywhere!  However, WHERE are your followers?  Are the experts your followers?   LOL…I doubt that!  I would pay damn pretty penny to get one of the experts to follow me!  Hell, I got excited and did the happy dance when the Lieutenant Governor re-tweeted my non-sense!  However, being on all those social networks takes time, effort, and brain power…most days I just have brain farts! 

Where are your followers?  Chances are if you are living in the same region as me, your followers are on Facebook…yes the blue social network that everyone gabs about!  I will never tell anyone to put all their eggs in one basket, as I have done that way too many times and totally #failed.  However, I do suggest focusing on one maybe 2 social networks, and let the big wigs chatter about the others...after all most of the time all they are really doing is chattering!   

In rural Missouri (where I live in the sticks) most people are on Facebook, in fact that is probably true anywhere, a few are on Twitter ( I think 30 in my hometown of 1400), and many are on Instagram.  If I was a local business working to Social Media Market my business, product, or brand in this rural Missouri area, here is where my target would be:

Facebook – this would be my focus, I would post daily, maybe 3 times a day depending on what I am marketing.  I would refrain from only posting about what I do, what is on sale, and I would post also about community events, inspiring quotes, and something funny…everyone loves to laugh.

Twitter – I would set up a Twitter account to follow other local businesses, even businesses that are far away, but similar and just to have staked my claim on my Twitter handle.  I would develop my own #hashtag that may someday help with my branding.

Instagram – okay I would have Instagram…I think I have preached a thousand times over why local businesses should be on Instagram!  Share your life, your story, and what you have in the most visual way you can…PHOTOS.  Instagram easily links to your Facebook and Twitter, #hashtags work, and you can follow local folks and start up some local gab! 

Social networking can and should be fun, it should never be let go to the side, as it has potential to bring in new customers and remind your old customers how super duper cool you really are! 

~Becky 

Social Media Tips for Real Life

My Facebook Page

Most everyone has an online life even if you are not on “social networks”.  With Google stepping up search options and Bing, right behind them with their new mapping system you can search almost anyone’s name and find out some bit of personal information. 

For some this is a scary world we live in, for others (like me) we saw this change coming and prepared for it.  It is no secret that most of my life is public knowledge…I think of it as I have nothing to hide, so just make it public.  I am criticized daily for putting my life, my kids, and my personal information online well my response is if you don’t want to know then don’t read or look at it.  However, I also realize there is a danger to having everything public and years ago, I learned the hard way how just plain out ignorant people could be. 

When I first started blogging, I honestly thought no one actually read what I wrote, so I did not worry about referring to my family by name.  One day out of the blue, I received what I like to laugh about as “fan mail” somebody who read my blog actually took the time to find my mailing address and mail me a letter that basically said I was using my kids for popularity.  I have no intention of exploiting, using, or taking advantage of my kids…in fact if you look back over my blog, post they get a pretty good deals out of the work mommy does.  After the anger the letter caused passed, I started to think rationally and realized if one person could find me how many others could.  I had two options give up blogging (which I believe is what the “fan” wanted) or to learn how to protect the identity of my kids.