Businesses that use social media–let’s say Facebook–walk a very slim line between courting fans to build relationships and pushing them away by selling.
Yet, we’re impatient people. So let’s face it. You’re really on Facebook because you want to find customers. And when you find customers, aren’t we supposed to sell??
Fast Company asked its readers some interesting questions about just this.
“What’s the most annoying thing brands do on social media?”
#1 Answer: try to sell me stuff (38.2%)
#2 Answer: Write sloppily (32.4%–not pertinent to this conversation but thought I’d share so you can clean up your act if this is you)
Then Fast Company tested the results of this survey. For five days they tracked four popular Facebook brands. First, they checked how often those brands “try to sell me stuff.” Then they looked at how “liked” their sales pitches were compared to their average Facebook non-pitching posts.
Sit down for the conclusions because they are surprising.
If the company’s primary messaging “mission” is selling, then sell-away on Facebook! Yep, companies that pitched more got more props per pitch. Brands that pitched less got dinged more when they pitched.
Wha?????
Aren’t we all told Facebook is about building relationships? Yet, here we see plainly that pitching can actually build your “likes”…if you are perceived as being a selling company…and then you sell. Almost all the time.
Now that your brain is twisted in a big knot, let’s sort this out and make sense of this for you.
First, some extra background. The companies tracked by Fast Company are big guys–Subway, Walmart, Amazon and Starbucks. Amazon and Starbucks pitch 70% and 75% of the time respectively on Facebook. Subway and Walmart pitch 33.3% and 44.4%.
Amazon and Starbucks got increases in “likes” when they pitched. Subway and Walmart experienced a drop in “likes” when they pitched.
My take-away: be consistent!
If you want to sell on Facebook, then sell on Facebook. Almost all the time, not some of the time.
It also says build your brand so people know what you are about. You must convey you are a “selling” brand. That’s part of your job. Then when I become a fan, I fully understand you are a selling brand, and I am choosing to follow you.
Maybe I’m choosing to follow you because I like what you have to sell. I want to know about it. Part of my personal style is defined by wearing or using your products.
Maybe I’m choosing to follow you because what you offer shows me trends or sets a marketplace pace.
In other words, I’m not surprised when you sell. I actually expect you to sell. I want you to sell. I like it when you sell.
When you can meet these standards, the statistics say “sell and sell often.”
If you can’t meet these standards, please use social media to build your relationships, or suffer the exit of your fans.
Go forth and do great things,
Martha Hanlon and Chris Williams