The 10 Biggest Facebook Marketing Blunders in 2013

Facebook marketing is one of the best forms of social media marketing in 2013. This might be so because of the sheer number of users that engage and interact with content on the social networking site.

A smart marketer will quickly take advantage of Facebook as a form of marketing to reach a wider base of dedicated buyers. But not everyone that is using Facebook to market their business is doing it the right way. This blog post will be focusing on some of the biggest Facebook marketing blunders of all time.

#1. Buying Facebook Fans

Okay, this is not where the flag is raised but one of the biggest Facebook marketing blunders you can practically think of is buying fans from third parties and apps. Loyal fans that will buy from you and build your business cannot be bought, they are earned: either through advertising (eg. through Facebook ads), or by using your existing connection to attract more fans.

If you truly want to market your company/business using Facebook, then the best method is to gradually and slowly build loyal fans. There is greater reward in having fans that are loyal to your brand on Facebook than having to purchase fans that do not exist from the beginning.

#2. Ignoring User Comments

Most of the time you might become overwhelmed with too many tasks that you think it will be safe to just ignore that user complaint on Facebook. If you are too often caught in this type of situation, you probably will need to hire a Facebook manager. The moment your fans on Facebook start noticing that you are not engaging with them, the sooner they’ll begin to leave your brand for you competition.

Engagement is the most effective method to keep your business thriving on Facebook. Be quick in addressing concerns your users are raising on Facebook and they will be more than willing to share your page with their friends and co-workers.

#3. Engaging Trolls on Your Posts

Okay, you are always ready to address the complaints from your fans on Facebook in order to keep them engaged with your page. But don’t mistake social media trolls for active loyal fans. Engaging them might cause your brand’s social reputation to wane quickly and cause a business-wrecking controversy for your brand.

#4. Not Using Images

If you want to target Facebook users effectively, then you need to plan your marketing strategy to suit the Facebook culture. Images are more effective in grabbing the average Facebook user’s attention than just words.

Upload a standard size image that speaks for your business, and use content to send your message to your Facebook fans. Images speak volumes on Facebook and your users will stick to your Facebook page for as long as you keep using the approach. In the long run your business will be rewarded with addicted buyers.

Infographic courtesy of WishPond

#5. Pushing Promotional Content Only

You understand that Facebook is an avenue to put your business’s products and services in front of several people, and you need a good deal of promotion to achieve success with it. Unless you think Facebook is an online classifieds, you want to put the number of times you promote your products services on your Facebook page under control.

Sharing real content targeted to your audience will help you win the trust and loyalty of your Facebook fans.

#6. Overposting

You might not know but you may be guilty of this. It is advised that brands post one to two posts per week on their Facebook page. This is even more reasonable if you consider that it’s not all your updates that your fans will see. To get the best effect from marketing on Facebook, then less is more.

Facebook studies find that users like four to six posts each week. If you really want to keep your users engaged then post less frequently, but more quality stuff.

#7. Posting Off-Brand Content

Another great blunder most businesses make when marketing on Facebook is posting updates that are totally unrelated to their brands. You see, because your fans like your brand does not explicitly say that they like everything you like. Keep it professional and retain high engagement with your fans by updating them with posts that are related to your business.

#8. Not Promoting your Facebook Page

If you’re making no effort to promote your Facebook page on other places such as your main website, through ads or mentions on other social media channels, then you’re making a huge blunder. Don’t expect that users will naturally find you on Facebook if you do not promote your Facebook page.

You might be missing out on great opportunity to have a wider fan base by not marketing your Facebook page. You should link your Facebook page directly to your website so that people can like your page without leaving your website. There are dozens of plugins for WordPress that will link your Facebook page directly to your website.

#9. Not Investing Quality time

One other great Facebook marketing blunder is not investing enough time in implementing a Facebook marketing plan. Many brands believe that all it takes to make success with Facebook is to simply setup a Facebook page and leave it.

Setting up a Facebook page for a marketing campaign is just the start. A lot of time has to be invested in several other things like content strategy, advertisement, style and all that.

#10. Failing to Get Familiar with Facebook Policy

Not getting familiar with all the Facebook policies is still one of the greatest Facebook marketing blunders you can ever imagine. It’s just like touring a city without knowing its rules. It would be pardonable if an individual does not take justifiable amount of time to peruse the Facebook policy, but it will be gross for a brand not to.

If need be, find a legal experts to help you interpret the confusing aspects of the policy if you can’t understand them on your own. The bottom line is that you get familiar with the policy and make sure you’re not infringing on them. A little ignorance could destroy several years of marketing efforts.

What other Facebook marketing blunders do you know about? Share your ideas with us in the comment section below.

photo credit akamaihd.net