Business Blogging Part 2: Why Like Us on Facebook is Not a Social Media Strategy

There’s a sweet little spa down around the corner from my house that I frequent from time to time. I enjoy it there. It’s quiet. The owner is calm and the atmosphere soothing. Business trickles in and out and it is never overbooked. When I get a paraffin pedicure I can relax because it is so quiet.

Recently, I noticed their sign out front was changed to read: TRIPLE A Spa (not its name) Like Us on Facebook.

I have driven by it daily and walked by it often. I find it perplexing and a wee bit irritating. Once or twice I may have muttered under my breath about it. Because here’s the thing: When you are a business it is not enough to post a sign that says: Like Us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter and then sit back and wait for the phone to ring and the walk in traffic to increase. I mean a tiny piece of community manager me and blogger me is happy when I see more people are on Twitter and Facebook and Pinterest. But for a business or a brand this is barely even a digital starting point.

As a community manager for several companies, brands and non profits, I spend a lot of time analyzing where businesses need to go and what they need to do next on line. A blog? Blogger outreach? Facebook? Twitter? Contests or no contests? How will we grow strategically on line? Where is our client? Where is our audience? What do they want? What do they need to be here, to stay here and to keep coming back? How do we grow our numbers and listen to our clients? I can tell you that this is a constantly changing landscape that starts with a presence on your social media platforms and requires regular attention, occasional out of the box creative thinking and a lot of personal interaction.

I am forever reframing what is Facebook doing this week and where are we making connections to our community? What do we need to do better? Are people talking? Are they engaging with our message? Is that building community? Is it helping us to stay in touch and anticipate or client’s needs? Last month I launched a new series here at the same time as I welcomed several business blogging clients. Part One was all about Five Ways to Find Your Voice as a business blogger. 

This is a wee bit better than the Like Us on Facebook sign but not on its own.

Perhaps, because Facebook is not my favourite platform, I work harder at staying on top of its insights. It is a challenge for me. It is a challenge also for a lot of businesses. Building Business for Facebook is not a passive process at all. If you think you can park a sign on Facebook and wait for the on line business to roll in, then perhaps you also believe I have a unicorn hidden in the basement that is responsible for the children’s misbehaviour. (Youngest DD always does something mischievous and then tries to make me believe the unicorn in the basement did it.)

Social media strategy is not a sign, or a thumbs up or a number. It’s not enough to plant a seed and step back and think well that will grow all by itself into a gorgeous garden. Without the weeding, watering, occasional protection, pruning, fertilization and nurturing, well it’s pretty rare that you can cultivate roses.