We’ve all heard the squeaky wheel gets the oil. And if that squeaky wheel is someone complaining on your Facebook page’s wall, you are very quick to oil it. Or at least you should be.
But do you have that same sense of urgency for all Facebook comments? You should.
I’ve likened social media comments to phone calls before, but it’s worth repeating. If the phone at your business were to ring, you’d trip over yourself trying to answer it as quickly as possible. Yes?
So, why do so many businesses ignore the customer calling via social media? Is it not the same thing? I argue that it is. Whether they’re leaving a comment on Facebook or dialing your main line, they are trying to contact you.
Answer the “phone”
Being an admin for your brand’s Facebook page isn’t just posting status updates and photos. You need to constantly be on the lookout for users attempting to interact. Whether they’ve posted a question on your wall or in the comments of a status update, you need to answer them as soon as possible.
While you’re at it, be very liberal with your like button. If a user has posted a cool photo on your wall, like it. If they’ve jumped into a conversation with something witty or insightful to say, like the comment. It might mean nothing to you, but it might make them feel pretty special that you noticed them in the sea of hundreds of profile pics. (Read “cultivating customer loyalty.”)
Make it personal
When responding to a user on Facebook, tag them in the reply. Do this for two reasons.
1.) Tagging them will send them a notification that you’ve responded.
2.) It just makes it more personal.
The real trick to building a great Facebook page is to make users feel like they’re talking to a person, not a business. A person would address you by name in a conversation, so use their name.
Keep them talking
Engagement is what you’re really trying to accomplish here. Don’t just throw out an answer and be done with it. Engage the user. Answer their question and then pose another. It not only shows them you care, it keeps them coming back to your page.
A final thought
You may think you’re just answering questions and talking to one or two people, but you’re actually doing a lot more than you think. The conversation you’re having will be viewed by countless others on your page and in their friends’ news feeds. And if you’re doing the things discussed above, you’ll be looking pretty good right about now.
Thanks for reading,
