With the passing of Valentine’s Day last week, I’m reminded of the connection between romance and, yes, online marketing.
At a recent seminar I attended for Internet marketing geeks, the speaker talked about Facebook, and how people actually use it. And he presented connecting with prospects on Facebook in terms of building relationships. The trouble is that companies too often use Facebook like one night stands. They want to immediately swamp their prospective customers with offers and promotions to consumers to part with their money as soon as possible.
But the reality is that Facebook users don’t want one night stands. They want to be romanced.
When you maintain a Facebook presence, you accumulate “friends” of your business. These are presumably homeowners who’ve used your services, or are affiliated with you in some way. And while you always want that immediate phone call from a homeowner who’s ready to buy, Facebook gives you an inexpensive way to stay connected and build relationships with your audience over time.
Let’s take two scenarios.
Company #1 is aggressive and quickly accumulates 1,000 Facebook friends in its area. Unfortunately, the firm fails to update its Facebook pages, or upload new content, videos or stories. Company #1 does change the marketing offers it presents on the pages, and underscores them with regular e-mails to its Facebook friends highlighting you guessed it – offers, offers, offers.
That’s the one night stand mentality that too many home improvement companies use with their Facebook audience. “If you won’t buy right now, you’re not worth my time,” they intimate.
My guess is that they’re not going to keep their fans for long.
Company #2, on the other hand manages to “friend” just several hundred homeowners. It posts to its Facebook page once per week, usually with a short, but interesting note on a current topic related to home ownership, or a comment about weather-related incidences that could affect their homes. Company #2 writes original articles, but also passes along links to articles that its friends might like.
And in between, the company highlights its offers. A new product line. The latest trend among replacement windows. Or a new type of roofing solution that the company has just begun carrying.
Now that’s romance. In home improvement terms, anyway.
This approach can be effective for you for two reasons. First, it keeps your Facebook friends interested in you. And second, it keeps your company at the top of the homeowner’s mind when it comes time to make a home improvement.
And the beauty of it all? Facebook is unbelievably inexpensive, and all it costs is your time and effort.
So remember. Don’t think of Facebook as a place for one night stands. Try a little romance and you’ll develop truly rewarding relationships.
Homeowner Connections Through Performance Online Advertising
