Many of us run some part of our business online and this can be a wonderful thing. It gives us the opportunity to work around our commitments such as family and employment. However it also detaches us from reality. When you are talking with someone in person you see the signs when they switch off, when they are no longer listening and no longer interested. This is a great social tool as it helps us navigate it intricacies of social engagement and communication. No where has the internet removed this ability to self regulate more than marketing on Facebook. We would never fill every conversation with every person we meet with talk about our great and wonderful product/service and how it is going to change their life yet Facebook is filled with these posts and you are likely to be just as guilty of writing them as the next person. But why?
The problem
The problem is throughout our day as we go through our list of other responsibilities our desire to be conducting a business we are often passionate about builds. We feel the internal push to get our thing out there, to try and chase up some new clients and to build awareness around our brand. So we finally sit at our computer or with phone in hand and we put it all out there. The problem is everyone does this and so when it comes to the person looking at our news feed we get bombarded with one post after another of offers to change our lives and make lots of money and great products we can buy and markets friends are at that we should go to support them. So much of it melds into nothingness as we scroll on ignoring the sales.
It’s kind of like how you used to turn the volume off when the TV ads came on. Think of all the Facebook groups you have joined hoping to build your business only to find that the group is full of people trying to build their business and so the group has no substance and is only ads.
Here you are on one side posting attempts to sell and build your business while you still sit on the other side ignoring and scrolling past all the sales posts.
Remember that disconnect I talked about?
This is it, an inability to see how your own Facebook actions are the very same actions you often dislike in others.
The solution
How do you do it? How do you build your business on Facebook while engaging your audience rather than turning them off? The first step is join the groups that do not allow promotion. That may seem counterintuitive, how do you promote your business when you aren’t allowed to promote? Before you even start promoting your business you need to focus on your target audience. If you sell wool your target audience is not going to be in a women’s business group. Sure there may be one or two, but your target audience is more likely to be in a knitting group and the knitting group is going to be focused on all things knitting and very likely to have a no promotion rule.
Fantastic, we have found some groups that are our target audience and they have a no promotion rule, so what now? Well people on Facebook buy much the same as people in person. They want to know the person, understand their experience and qualifications, trust the person and feel comfortable that this is the person to buy from.
What better way to do that than actively participate in your target audience group without trying to sell. Answer questions, post tips, pass on free knitting patterns. All these things build your reputation. People in the group get to know you and value you. So when someone does ask the question “where can I buy natural dyed Merino wool?” You can answer I sell it here at my shop (link provided). No this isn’t gratuitous promotion, this is someone they know and trust. Someone who has supported them regularly in their knitting journey, someone they are happy to go to and buy from.
Now your reputation starts to increase because when the next person posts “where can I get natural dyed wool from?” Your previous purchaser jumps in before you do and says “I bought my wool from X and it was great quality and I really recommend going to her.” This promotion is worth more than gold itself.
The next step
Now you know you need to join some groups and start sharing your personal genius. Start small and join one or two groups that connect well to your target market and start commenting and answering questions. It takes time but you will be building relationships and increasing your reputation for what you do. Good luck!
Guest Post by Emma Liggins
Emma Liggins is a qualified Intuitive Business Coach with a Master of Adult Education, Certificate of Intuitive Wellness Coaching and is completing her last two subjects for a Graduate Diploma of Psychology.
Educating and facilitating is in Emma’s blood and she has always found herself drawn to those feeling stuck and in need of support to move forward with their personal and professional goals.
Using her skills and knowledge Emma supports you to bring out your knowledge – you already have your personal genius – and Emma challenges you to embrace your worth and value to others. To contact Emma or to find out more https://www.urbanwellness.studio/emma-liggins