Your Facebook page is humming, and people are “liking” you left and right. Now what? How do you leverage those fans and turn them into customers or clients.
If we pause to evaluate buyer behavior in 2012, we have to consider the buying process. People make purchase decisions emotionally, then rationalize those decisions until they are comfortable. This should sound familiar. I love that car, but can I afford it, what are the payments, what features does it come with, when can I get it. Emotion followed by rationalization. When people “like” you on Facebook, they have started to make that emotional connection.
People only buy when their pain becomes acute. Advertisers know this, and that is where the concept of reach and frequency came from: Tell as many people as possible, as many times as possible about your product or service, so that your ad is in front of them when their pain is actually acute. There is one flaw in this approach; it takes a long time and requires a lot of money — resources most people don’t have.
People will only buy from you (or your company) when they know, like and trust you. This is why social media has become so popular and so effective for marketers. In the old days, you had to take prospects to lunch, play golf with them or visit them personally a number of times before they knew, liked and trusted you. Now total strangers learn to know, like and trust us online. The key is creating marketing programs that help prospects know, like and trust your business.
With that premise in mind, here are some suggestions on how to develop a more emotional relationship with your Facebook friends so that they know, like and trust you, and ultimately hire you or buy your products.
Educational content: Most people frequenting social networks are there to learn. They are looking for information, insights, opinions and perspectives. You can leverage your social network by continuously feeding them educational content. This content does an amazing job getting your network to know, like and trust you. After all, you are helping them. Make sure the content is entertaining and educational. We call this edutainment.
Thought leadership: People are also looking for new and interesting perspectives. The more contrarian and controversial your opinions, the more likely people are to comment and share them with their social network. Pick a point of view. Stick to it and make it yours. You can generate a lot of interest and buzz via social media if you stir up the pot.
Shareables: People who use social media share a personality characteristic. They love to share. By creating educational content and offering it to your fans, friends, connections and followers you are giving them an opportunity to “look smart” and to say, “Look what I found.” Educational videos, infographics, whitepapers, tip guides and even blog posts are all perfect for sharing on social media. The more you create, the more they will share and the more your reach will expand. Activity breeds activity.
The goal is to start a conversation, feed the conversation and keep the conversation going. Social media is the perfect facilitation tool for these conversations and these casual, non-salesy, helpful interactions do wonders making emotional connections with prospects, shortening the sales cycle and driving new business.
To learn more about using Facebook and other social media tools to increase leads for your business, download the free report “4.5 Ways to Drive Leads With Social Media.”