Hi John,

One of the key areas I see small business struggle with is that 50-500 fan segment.

Many find it pretty easy to get 40 or 50 likes from their friends, family, associates etc but often they are not interested in the business other than to support their friend or relative.

Then everything stops and nothing happens and 2 months later the page hasn’t been updated in 3 weeks and we have lost another small business to social media!

My question is, what do you suggest in this situation and what’s the best way to fly through this difficult segment of likes?

One issue i see is that they may have a base of 50 fans to build on but that number in reality is more likely 0-10 as the majority just don’t care beyond liking it and helping a relative / friend out so often tactics using those 50 will fail badly as they aren’t really there!

So do you go straight to fb ads from here or can you please recommend some other techniques to get going for real!

Thanks

Scott

Scott and Ann,

The biggest mistake I see with most small businesses on Facebook is that they lack a plan. Stalling fan growth is just a symptom of a bigger problem.

There are certainly a lot of tactics that will help a business get through a Facebook slump. But without a plan, any gain will only be temporary.

There are three fundamental pillars that make up a successful strategy on Facebook:

1. Brand:  The more a business can articulate and refine who they really are, the better they will be at publishing content on Facebook that makes sense for their business goals.
2. Audience:  The better a business understands their audience, the easier it will be to publish content that they will like, comment on, and share.
3. Message: Messaging is nothing more then a two-way conversation between a business and their audience. A refined and articulated brand and audience naturally leads to effective messaging (content) that works for both the business and the fans.

For example, a business that lacks an e-mail list or a huge presence on social media might have tons of foot traffic in their store! How can this business create a strategy that leverages this asset (foot traffic)?

Make sense?

John

Hey @johnhaydon,Thanks for being here. I appreciate your points above.

How do you think small businesses should budget for building their Facebook presence? In other words, break down the investment of time (people), advertising, and the creation of assets (apps, graphics, content, etc…).

Hi Richard!

I just went to check your page and the first thing you may want to do is correct the link… The link on your profile to your ‘Facebook Page’ did not work (maybe you forgot the http://). So, I used the link to your personal profile to find your page (and Liked it for you also!).

I think your page looks good. What are the results you are seeking which you aren’t getting?

The only suggestion I have it that I see you are participating in a lot of Like Exchanges on your wall comments and this can lead to distorted analytics. Try to gain followers with real interest in your business. Have you tried Facebook’s ‘Deals’ option? =)

@ccateringc

Thank you so much for the information! I’d love to hear what you suggest to people looking to provide a bit of fun without requiring it.. I’m able to successfully engage people for business reasons, however I’m turning into a completely boring girl.. There’s plenty of fun to be had… I have no idea how to turn my engagement FUN for a bit without losing fans.. my last attempt annoyed a large percentage of people :O

I’m social media illustrator / designer, I provide personal & professional branding solutions. You can find my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/tinkdesigns I look forward to any insight you can provide!

hi  @johnhaydon long time no see

@louisteoh - See my earlier reply in this thread.

@johnhaydon Thanks so much for your advice. I am learning a lot!