5 Things You Should Stop Doing On Your Facebook Business Page

I usually prefer to write about things "you should be doing" but I just couldn't help myself with this topic. Facebook, like all Social Media, is a noisy crowd and for some reason too many Pages are using the following tactics to try and get heard. Sadly the opposite will happen and my hope is that if you stop you might just start to see your message being heard on a more regular basis. Agree or disagree? Let me know your thoughts on my Facebook Page -> www.facebook.com/empoweringyoutoshare

Using Hashtags

Ok so Hashtags do exist as a Feature on Facebook but the reality is they never took off. So leave them on Twitter and Instagram where they belong. Remember that each post you do on Facebook is one amongst millions. So making every word and piece of space count is critical. Hashtags mostly just look messy and distract from what you were trying to say in the first place. They make it harder to read. Also if you have some sort of link or call to action in your post they can distract from that. If you must use a hashtag make sure it has a strong reason for being there. Like for example if it is a theme for a bigger campaign you are running. Or maybe you are wanting to encourage people to check out your Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Sharing YouTube Videos

This point is not just about YouTube videos but for some reason people keep sharing them on Facebook. Yes 3 years ago this was a thing but Facebook didn't have their own video feature back then. Now they do and you simply cannot compete with a social network's native video feature. In fact they even purposely prefer their videos over YouTube and Vimeo. The only exception where I think you can get away with sharing a Youtube link is if your #1 job and focus in life is a YouTube Channel. Though even then I would try and come up with creative ways to also utilize Facebook videos to get people connected to your channel. So if you have a video to share please upload it to Facebook!

Only Selling Stuff

Social media is social, it is a conversation, and like any conversation when it becomes all about you people get turned away. When I scroll down a Page's feed and all I see is

"Buy this" followed by "Join Us" and then topped off with "Do This"

I cringe. There is nothing wrong with the occasional sell but let people know that you are there for them. That you actually truly care about them and want to help them out. Relationships work when you go into them with the motivation of serving vs. being served. Simple ways you can do this is by learning about the needs of your audience and sharing your strengths with them. Write a helpful or inspiring blog that will boost their day. Or maybe an inspirational quote. Though keep in mind it needs to be relevant to who you are and what your page is about.

Not Posting

Post or be forgotten. Facebook's news feed algorithm is built on this. So if you only get around to posting once a week or even a month your reach will only continue to get worse. This is even worse when combined with the previous point and sadly I see it all the time. So like with any communications or business strategy make sure to make a plan. Look at the next few months and plan out each week. You can still post fresh content that is not planned well ahead but your pre planned stuff is critical for when you get busy. And like everyone in this world you will get busy.

Being Cheap

Ok so cheap is a relative term but basically stop treating Facebook as a free platform. Facebook has to make money somehow and their news feed and whole advertising platform is built to do just that. So the Pages that spend money get seen and those that don't, well you get the idea. We can keep looking at that fact as a negative, or you can turn it around and see Facebook's advertising tools as some of the most vital parts to getting your message heard. So I now want you to open a new tab and go do your best to learn how to use it and start spending real money on it. Even if that is $5 you should do it, and do it well.