As an internet marketer I receive many emails through my Facebook account. Today I received three emails that brought me to a point where I had to write this article. I had to think back to when I first began on Facebook a few years ago and really sit and think about when my Facebook marketing really began to explode. First let me start by saying that it didn't explode because I had over 3000 friends. Second, it did not explode because I posted a lot of quotes on my page. Now understand I totally tried these methods, yet they did not result in money in my pocket, or a response from the individuals with whom I was attempting to connect. Third, I attempted to email everyone that accepted my friendship a link which led them to my business. None of those three steps led to any kind of positive response. Actually, it led to individuals removing me from their friend list. At this moment I stopped and evaluated if my goals were reached through these methods of "so-called" marketing. The answer was an overwhelming NO! This morning I checked my inbox on Facebook and realized that there are new marketers getting on Facebook that can really learn from my mistakes and save time, which in essences saves money.
Realize that if you are using Facebook to market, and you are not using Facebook pay-per-click, you are taking advantage of FREE Marketing. Free marketing is fine, yet understand that either you are going to have money or time or both when it comes to marketing on-line. If you are taking advantage of free marketing, then expect it to take more time to get your point across. When you pay money it takes less time, usually.
Let me start by sharing what the message said, and then follow-up by the correct way to market using Facebook. The first was a message that simply asked me click on a link and like a fan page. Now I know that this message seems nice and innocent, and you are correct it is. Yet, this particular friend has never even taken the time to say Hello to me. Remember, this is a "Social" network. Most individuals accept your friend request expecting to build a relationship with that person. Not expecting that person to start asking them to spend their precious time visiting fan pages and liking them, especially when the person, sending the email, has not even taken time to say Hello to you. When you are sending out an email on Facebook, think about what you would like to receive. Would you want to receive a message from a person you do not know, and that person acts like you only have time to like their page or look over their link, or basically do something for them. I mean before you ask somebody for a favor, inquire as to what their needs are at the time. Simply send a message that says, "Hello, how are you?" Start to build some rapport, then when you ask something of them, there is a higher chance that they will respond in a positive manner.
I received another email from a person asking me to like a page and then search Facebook for a name because this person is trying to win a contest. Now they did not place a link on the email, and I guess I have a lot of time, since obviously I can search pages to like and then search people to vote for. This system is selfish and inconsiderate. Again time is expensive in my world, I'm not sure about yours, yet if you are looking to market correctly on Facebook, then you will find out sooner or later that every minute of marketing counts. If you have already built rapport with your friend list, then take the time to give them a link to click, as to cut their time in completing your favor as soon as possible. If you decide to send a bulk email to your friend list asking them to do something of this nature for you, make sure that you are willing to do the same for them.
The email today that broke the camel's back was from a person requesting my friendship on Facebook. Now, if you didn't now, Facebook only allows 5000 friends per profile, and I'm currently very close to maxing out, therefore, I send my friend request to my fan page. I still connect with my friends on my fan page, truthfully almost more than those on my profile. Well, I had a person email me and tell me that they do not connect on fan pages because they could not get "real" access to the person. I must admit this message left me puzzled. My first thought was what kind of access do you want? Yet, I wanted to understand the mind of this person so I responded to the email with a question, "What made you decide to request my friendship?" Question asking is prospecting 101 which is an entirely different article. I also researched the person who sent the response. This particular person had less than 400 friends on their profile, which more than likely means that this person is new to Facebook. He is making decisions about "how" he connects with people yet he doesn't quite understand the system he is connecting on. I bring this email up because we have to be open to learning how to understand a system prior to recreating the wheel. When it comes to Facebook, there is no reason to recreate the wheel, simply observe individuals and pick up some training. Realize that success leaves clues. Yet the main thing to remember about Facebook Marketing for Beginners is to realize that it is Social Media, so you must remember to get social.
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