Should I be on Facebook? And what should I share?

A conversation at the dentist’s office ultimately moved to the topic of Facebook. It got me to thinking that a question small business owners should be asking is whether Facebook is the right platform to market their business. Also included here, are some tips on what sort of content to share on this platform.

While my son was having a dental check-up, my dentist and I got to talking about various topics of conversation: the royal wedding (Did I watch it? No I didn’t), flossing (when is a good time for a young person to start? Now is good), and ultimately we ended up talking about Facebook. He said that his practice has a Facebook page, because it seems like the thing he ought to be doing. However, he was at a loss as to what he should be sharing on his page.

This brought two questions to mind:

1. Should he be on Facebook (or any social media channel for that matter) just because it’s the done thing?

With any sort of marketing, the focus should be on your target customer. Does your ideal customer hang out in that space? Chances are a lot of people do hang out on Facebook, but are they your target customer, and is it the right place to talk about your products?

For example, if you are a company that sells semi-conductors to electronics manufacturers, do you think Facebook is the place to market your product?

On the other end of the spectrum, if you are a company that has created a fun gaming app, such as Candy Crush, should you be promoting your app on LinkedIn – a place for busy professionals? Maybe some other channel might be more appropriate.

In this instance, it is a dental practice, and I think that Facebook is a useful platform for him to be on. Everybody needs to keep their teeth healthy.

Should your small business be on Facebook? This is a question worth asking before jumping on the bandwagon. Click To Tweet

 

2. If so, what sorts of things should he be sharing?

Remember that during the conversation we had while my 14-year old son was in his chair, I asked my dentist when my son should start flossing. See that right there? That is a question that I –his customer– had, and probably a lot of other parents have the same question.

Here are some ideas of what he could share:

  • A blog post talking about the various stages of a child’s dental health.
  • Share an image of a pre-teen with too much space between their teeth to warrant flossing vs someone who is ready to start that routine.
  • The benefits of flossing and the consequences of not doing it.
  • A video on how to floss correctly.
  • A quick tip on how to get your teen to floss.

Images are great to share, and video works even better. Facebook loves video.

The key is to think about your prospective customer and share content that will solve his or her problems. Be generous with your help and avoid being self-centred with what you share. People are not interested in sales talk, and they don’t care what you had for lunch (unless you are a foodie blogger, then that definitely should be on your list of things to share 😀).

Should I be on Facebook? And what should I share?

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