Facebook Fans vs Website Visitors…. Which is better?
Today while doing my normal scanning of sites to keep up with the Real-Time news on discoveries regarding business branding and marketing I came across a blog emphasizing the huge traffic disparity between Brand websites and Social media sites. I could preach to 
you until cows turn purple regarding the importance of social media marketing for your brand but we all know numbers do not lie; users love interacting with brands on social media platforms.
One thing you should notice about these top brands is that their focus is not on selling their products online. Their branded websites are more informational than anything else. These are brands that have become social and have brand loyalty based on what they offer their users. Users are able to receive announcements about new products and promotions in the same place they socialize with friends and families everyday which eliminates the need to actually visit their websites but is this really good?
Social media platforms have a multitude of activities to grab your users attention. Posts from their friends, Facebook instant messages, friend requests, email, new events and advertisements from your competitors bombard users. Is this really where you want to have most of your brand traffic going? Yes, social media platforms are important for brand awareness and are a great tool for finding, engaging, and getting to know your user base but in the end, traffic should be driven to your company website.
What could these brands do to drive more traffic to their websites?
Brand/Company websites should integrate social platforms into their website allowing users the ability to be in two places at one time. Allow users to visit the brand website while still remaining connected to Facebook. Something else brands can do is use Facebook announcements, specials and promotions to drive traffic back to their brand website. Lets say Coca-Cola is giving away free samples of a new flavor of Coke. Instead of asking people to like their page or having user sign up to receive their samples on Facebook; Coca-Cola should drive that traffic directly to the company website where the free samples can only be claimed on the Coca-Cola website.
Social Media Marketing is a great marketing “tool” for any brand but don’t forget that building traffic to your own company website should always be your number one priority. You can easily lose a user on a social media platform because they are constantly bombarded with information. You need their undivided attention to sell them on your brand, your product/service or your promotion with out distraction.
Tami Highbaugh-Abdullah Creative Marketing Director Aries – Graphic Design & Internet Marketing Indianapolis, IN Tami@ariesgdim.com
857 Edgemont Ave Indianapolis, IN, 46208 USA
tami@ariesgraphicdesign.com • 3173454182
Why users “Like” your Brand on Facebook, Do you have the right stuff?
You have created your Facebook Business page but you are seeing your “Like” base slow in growth or come to complete halt… you have exhausted your friend suggestions, you’ve tried using Facebook’s advertising and your numbers still aren’t going anywhere… Well let’s think about this for a minute. Why do people like Facebook business pages in the first place? What made you click “Like” on your list of Facebook business pages? The following is a list of the Top Reason users “Like” Facebook business pages:
- Latest news about the brand (useful blogs & status updates)
- New product information
- Contests & giveaways
- Sales, discounts, coupons, & special offers
- Allows the user to show brand loyalty (ie. Mac Users)
- Enjoy reading the brands & users thoughts & ideas
- Access to free downloads and virtual gifts
- They enjoy feeling like a part of the Brand community (ie. Mac Users)
- It gives users a sense of status (ie. Mac Users)
(List compiled from http://emarketer.com)
Is your Facebook business page supplying any of the above? If not this could be the reason your Facebook “Likes” are not increasing.
What else can you do?
- Do not use industry jargon; speak the language your users speak by writing from their point of view instead of your own.
- Know your target audience by researching and learning the habits of the users who are interested in your products or services.
- Interact with your users by posting topics that will generate conversation but don’t forget to be present for the conversation.
- Promote your page by adding a Facebook Badge to your website and tagging friends (who don’t mind) in your posts.
- Post to your wall regularly, it is important to keep your users engaged by posting to your Facebook wall at least once a day.
Lastly remember to keep it fun… no one wants to be bored to death so have fun with it. Facebook is a “social” platform… so be socialable.
Tami Highbaugh-Abdullah Creative Marketing Director Aries – Graphic Design & Internet MarketingSocial Media ROI is Killing Blogging for Real Estate Professionals [Infographic]
Real Estate Professionals who are not taking advantage of Social Media Platforms to market their services are truly missing out. You have to do more than just create a Facebook page and Twitter account. Employ Facebook Marketplace to advertise listings, use a Facebook business page to engage with your users, use Youtube for virtual tours, use Twitterand LinkedIn to share your professional background and referrals.
When we search for homes most users search online and with 500 million plus users on Facebook, Real Estate Professionals who utilize social media are at a huge advantage over those who do not.
Do you need a Social Media Detox? [Infographic]
![Do you need a Social Media Detox? [Infographic]](http://ariesgdim.com/wp-content/uploads/et_temp/detox1-289629_238x238.jpg)
I think we could all use a Social Media Detox… but then what would we do? My Mac goes every where I go and if I couldn’t get to Facebook, Twitter, Rockmelt, SproutSocial & my blogs… I’d be lost.
Have you checked on Your Brand Lately?
It is one thing to have a website and set up your social networking pages, it is another to keep track of these pages in order to safeguard your Brand. Just yesterday, someone on Facebook decided it would be nice to use one of my company logos as their profile picture. Concerned that people would think this person was either the owner or a representative of my company I immediately contacted them and informed them of their copyright infringement. I then nicely requested that they remove the image from their profile and refrain from using any images related to my company or any of my company sites for their own personal use. I was hoping for an understanding response, something like I am sorry I was unaware of your copyright and I will remove the image immediately. Well… that was not the case… instead the response was very negative and unfortunately, they “unliked”my business page. Considering how bad this could have gone, I don’t mind losing (1) “like” to safeguard my company Brand and reputation.
Safeguarding your company Brand image is a little more difficult than keeping tabs on what is being said about your company. Social media monitoring is important when trying to manage your Brand. Knowing what is being said about your Brand as soon as it is said and responding (especially when the communication is negative) is imperative and potentially detrimental to your company reputation if you ignore it. Quick responses show customers that you care; joining in on their conversations will help build relationships between your customers and your business. Social Customers are a given in today’s world. They learn, buy, and research on the Internet and usually don’t respond to inbox spam. You will find them on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms; so when they aren’t happy with your business where do you think they will complain? They will complain on the very platforms we all use everyday to socialize. These new social customers expect your company to listen and engage with them in a social environment. Many companies are now handling customer service claims on Social Media platforms. Check out AT&T U-verse on Facebook. There are several social media monitoring tools for the “do it yourselfer’s”.
SproutSocial Seesmic TweetDeck Google reader Rock Melt Godaddy’s Social Visability®The key is to use the tools above to monitor social media channels for all mentions of your Brand, your advertising campaigns, and reactions to your posts. When these mentions take place join in on these conversations. If your company has erred in some way, do not sweep it under the rug and ignore it. The Internet never forgets and your error will always be there for anyone to search at any given time for years to come. Don’t believe me, look at United Airways blunder when they mishandled and destroyed a band members guitar. United Airways chose not to respond when the band requested a reimbursement for their destroyed equipment. The band wrote a song and created a video aboutUnited Airways destroying their guitars. The video is still getting hits (currently over 9 million) and of course United Airways decided, since their Brand was being drug through the mud, that they should now step up and settle the claim but the damage had been done. If you have mishandled a situation, it is best to admit your wrong doing, as well as your plan of action to rectify the situation. We are a very forgiving culture, so it is important to create a history of caring with your Brand. Own up to your mistakes and show customers you want to make the situation right.
If you are a new business owner and are unsure of how to track your Brand, you should contact an Internet Brand Specialist or Internet Marketer. Ensure that the professional you chose has an in-depth understanding of Branding on the net. Ask for their client list and links to social media sites they are currently monitoring. See if they are responding to issues within a 24-hour period and pay attention the language they use in their responses. It is often hard to check the growth of a Brand but you will know how successful that Brand is based on the customer responses on their social media pages or blogs.
Social media monitoring takes time, you need to be willing to dedicate your attention to your mentions as well create posts that generate discussion on a regular basis. If this is not something you feel you have time to do…. hire a professional. A successful Brand is a key component in ensuring a successful company.
If all this seems like it is too much for you… my contact information is below. AriesGDIM is ready to start monitoring your brand today.
~AriesGDIM~ Tami Highbaugh-Abdullah Creative Marketing Director 317.345.4182 Office 866.412.3818 Fax tami@ariesgraphicdesign.com Aries on Facebook Aries on Twitter Aries Blog
