Be Somebody: Interacting with your Facebook Fans
When I write about blogging – and I often do – I like to recall that scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and crew finally confront the great and powerful wizard. Booming voice rattling the walls, hideous face wreathed in billowing smoke, seething with authority. And did Dorothy and crew care?
Not a lick!
That’s because they wanted what we all want – to meet the man behind the curtain. We’ve grown numb to all the austere pomp and circumstance of “staying on message” and “toeing the company line”. We’ve had it with all that. We want to meet than man – or woman – behind the curtain. We want what’s real.
So, too, do your Facebook fans. They don’t care what “Global Corporation International” thinks. They care what you think, and letting them in could make all the difference in your social media strategy.
Here are some simple best practices for developing a healthy, lasting and profitable relationship with your Facebook fans.
A Little Vocab Rehab
I want to introduce you to a word you’ve probably forgotten. A word that years of corporate culture has long orphaned from your lexicon. A word that I use all the time. The word is I.
You are you. You can’t be anybody else. So why when you post comments on Facebook, or when you blog, or when you Twitter do you suddenly become we? Or even worse, you become the hotel, or the company, or management, or Holiday Inn Fargo – South.
When you use these collective terms, you create a barrier between yourself and your Facebook audience. Suddenly they don’t see a reasonable good faith response from an individual representative, they see the company line. Of course, you do represent a company, and you want to share the sentiments of that company, but you can do that and maintain your individuality. Here’s an example:
Fan: Hey everyone, I loved the view from my balcony!
You: Thanks, Fan. I’m glad you enjoyed your view. I’ll be sure to let everyone know.
It’s a simple change, and you’re still you!
Keep Your Cans in the Pantry
Canned responses are boring and a major Facebook fan turn-off. Most fans will take at least a minute or two to read your wall before making their own comments. Maybe they care what other fans have had to say, some certainly do, but most of them are more interested in what you have had to say. They’re sizing you up. They want to know how well you maintain your Facebook page.
This means they’ll be reading several of your comments in quick succession. If you give the same canned response every time, they’re going to notice. A simple “Thanks for your comment” will not do.
You must individualize your answers. Take the time to fashion an appropriate response. It doesn’t have to be long; just enough to show that you’ve read your fans’ comments for more than simple comprehension.
If you embrace my first point and learn to be yourself, this practice gets a whole lot easier. It’s a shift in mindset. Stop thinking “How would the hotel respond?” and start responding for yourself. Not only will your fans appreciate (and reward) this, but you’ll have a lot more fun in the process.
Learn to Overachieve
If you’re one of those unfortunate souls who overachieved your way into unpopularity all through grade school, your time has come. This will be easy for you. For everyone else, it’s time to become an overachiever.
Used to be, social media was just a way for hotels to encourage more clicks to the Web site. Now, social media-lytes will make their decision without ever looking at your Web site. They’ll go straight from Facebooking to booking, but only if they like what you have to say.
You must learn to be an overachiever when it comes to answering your fans’ questions. Just like canned responses, answering with a link will not do. Provide a brief but thorough answer, then serve up the link. If a fan asks about directions from the airport, don’t send them to the directions page. Give them directions! And after you do, feel free to add a link to the directions page.
Remember, the fan with the question isn’t the only fan reading the answer. The more you put into every comment you make, the more that all of your fans stand to benefit.
Reap the Rewards
I know, I know. I’m basically asking you to work longer and harder on your Facebook campaign. But I’ll give you two good reasons to do it:
- Your fans deserve it. After all, they are your fans. If you don’t go above and beyond for the ones you’ve got, you’re not very likely to get many more.
- Your fans will reward you. They will be more likely to spend room nights with you in the future, and their enthusiasm will rub off on other potential guests. For you bottom-liners: there is money to be made in a well-run Facebook campaign.
Don’t know if you’re doing it right? Here’s what you want to look for. I found this comment last month on the Facebook page for the Crowne Plaza Times Square in Manhattan.
From a Natasha Rouse:
“hi there, my husband & i are planning our 1st trip o/s together for oct. i have been researching and researching new york accomodation. much to my husbands annoyance im a little bit of a princess so im finding it quite the challenge, until i came across your hotel. i havent booked as yet, but if i can just say what has… impressed me the most so far is your lovely comments & helpful attitude to your facebook friends.thanks for making my decision so much easier.”
Did you catch that last part? That’s what it’s all about!
Follow these simple guidelines, and you too can watch hard work and good will turn into revenue.
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