I love Facebook. It’s turned into a bit of an addiction. I’ve connected with old friends and am able to keep in touch with all my long distance friends. It’s great. So I decided why not try using it to help my Home Party Plan Business.
Then I came across this article by Jennifer Fong, Direct Sales expert and former Direct Sales CEO. The title of her article “How NOT to Use Social Media” really grabbed my attention. Here are her top 5 not-to-do’s when using Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc to boost your business….
1. The Sales Swoop
If I mention your company or your product, do not swoop down on me and try to get me to buy from you. Instead, start a conversation with me. Get to know me and find out what I like, what my interests are. Check out my blog and see what I write about. In short, know me as a person before you try to be my consultant.
2. The Link Attack
Don’t provide me with a link to your website the minute I meet you online. I won’t click it. Instead, I’m more likely than not to ignore you and never click on anything you send me ever again. I might even block you. Instead, engage with me. Say hello. Share (FREE) resources with me about the interest that I’ve mentioned. I’m a lot more likely to be interested in what you have to offer when you express an interest in my needs, and try to help me with my needs (without trying to sell me immediately.)
3. Is Anybody Listening?
Do not make every status update a broadcast about your product and your opportunity. You may think you’re meeting people’s needs by sharing valuable information about your products and your business opportunity, but you’re not. I really hate to break this to you, but you sound like a commercial. And I like to go get ice cream during commercials, not pay attention to them. People don’t CARE about your products and opportunity if they don’t know you, and/or haven’t opted in for that type of information. I’d rather get to know YOU in your status updates, and have you get to know me.
4. Meet My Logo
PLEASE don’t make your logo your avatar, even if your company gives you one to use. People in social media want to connect with PEOPLE, not logos. It’s amazing, but I feel a LOT more connected with those people online who have faces. When people have a logo up, I have no idea who they are, and I pay less attention. The people you’re trying to reach will do the same thing.
5. Spam Attack!
And finally, DON’T sign me up for your newsletter until I do it myself. Now perhaps this is another occupational hazard of communicating with a lot of direct sellers, as I do for my job. But my friends, this is actually against the law. It’s called SPAM if I don’t sign up for it myself. If I have an interest in your newsletter, rest assured, I know how to find you. But don’t sign me up without asking first.
If you’d like to read more articles from Jennifer Fong, visit her blog, “Helping You Achieve Success in Direct Sales and Social Media” by clicking here. So please enjoy Facebook, Twitter and all the internet has to offer to help your business grow. It really is amazing on what the web can do for you and your Home Party venture.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Amy,
Thanks so much for sharing this info with your readers! It’s so important that we know how to use Facebook and other social networking tools properly for business, if we hope to make them profitable. The reputation we build will last a long time, so it’s important to do it right the first time!
I appreciate you sharing the link to my blog above! You may be interested in knowing that my blog address has changed, and I have newer content at http://jenfongspeaks.com.
Here’s to your great success!
Jennifer Fong
This is very well put! I have a Home Parties business, known as Spicy Home Parties, and I used social networks A LOT. I truly have found that when you are more personable you get more of a response, which leads to more sales. Great Article, great tips, and so true! Thanks!
-Jeanette of Spicy Home Parties.
I haven’t used facebook for marketing purposes (and I probably won’t because I prefer to keep it strictly friends only), but twitter is a great way to meet with like minded people in your industry.
I agree that you need to treat it as networking though and not selling.
I totally agree with everything here, thats why I created a FACEBOOK fan page specifically for my Scentsy biz, though I do post a few times on my personal page about Scentsy (just because many times people ask me if I am still with Scentsy)…I usually keep my post limited! Do take time to meet people first, if they are interested in your biz, they will ask; I have 3 recruits that I met on FACEBOOK!
Interesting article. Also interesting how 2 out of 4 responses stuck a plug in about their business.
Great post, too often people trying to use social media for marketing seem to “push” their message across to strongly. Social networks are an amazing channel to deepen relationships and form new ones. Success in direct sales has so much to do with building and forming relationships, rather than just making the sale. While there is no “magic bullet”, using social media correctly to build and create relationships only helps your personal brand down the line.