Getting your brand to stand out on Facebook takes some planning, consistency, and creativity (here is a helpful blog post about getting seen in the Facebook newsfeed). But the reality is, that if you are not putting time and efforts into your Facebook marketing, that you can just as easily stand out for the wrong reasons by making some critical Facebook Page mistakes.
Facebook Page Blunders to Avoid
1. Any Profile Photo will do
Sorry, you do need to be picky about how your 180x180px profile photo looks on your page, as well as the newsfeed and comments (remember, it will get smaller). Make sure you profile photo is a good quality image (not blurry) that is properly cropped, readable, and clear. If you need to remove text from a logo, such as slogans or phone numbers, do it to maintain simplicity. Remember, your profile picture is what gets seen in the newsfeed when you communicate with people, so make it count.
2. Who Needs a Cover Image?
You do! Have you recently gone to a Facebook page and saw a big gray empty spot across the top? A sure-fire way of telling your fans that you don’t put much time into your page is by not choosing a cover image. Your Cover Image should be optimized so that it properly fits the size of 851×315 px (also keep in mind that your profile picture will cover up the bottom left hand corner). In the newsfeed, when people like your page, even more of your profile image will be cut out, so it is something to consider when designing or choosing the image. Changing your cover image on a regular basis will help to keep the page fresh.
3. Don’t Tell Fans what you are About
Speak Up! The sections that in the “About” area vary by what category you choose – but you always have some space to tell your fans all about you! Use the About section to engage your fans in your brand and mission, share links to your other social spaces, and even invite them to subscribe to your email newsletter. I consider the “Short Description” the most valuable section in the “About” real estate space. I usually try to include the URL to the website or another short call-to-action, since it is included on the main Facebook page under the profile picture/cover image (again, depending on your category).
4. Forget about your Facebook Page for a While
Like a poorly tended garden, a Facebook page that is lacking tender care will eventually die off. In order for your Facebook marketing to be successful, you need to post frequently and engage with your fans. Find out what type of content they love and why they liked your Facebook page in the first place. Try varying your content mix (text, videos, photos, questions) and posting times to find out what works. Make it easy for your fans to find relevant content by pinning it to the top (don’t assume that they will always see it in the newsfeed). Photos and photo albums are especially visually appealing to “Highlight”. Optimize your images for the current sizes that show best.
5. Don’t Pay Attention to Posts by Others
If you want to turn prospective new fans away, just have some unanswered complaints or questions on your Facebook page. Of course, you DO want to pay attention to posts by others on your Facebook page, so you can answer questions and possibly highlight positive comments on your page for other fans to see. If you click on “See All” or an individual post in your “Recent Posts from Others”, you will see a X in the upper right hand corner, that says “remove” when hovered over. If you click on that X, you will get the options of “Highlighting” the post or “Hiding” the post. This gives you control over how you want to display posts from others, rather then just allowing the default.
