Facebook Archives - Max Weinstein, Social Media Strategies

Authenticity can make all the difference

Authenticity is a word used frequently in the digital marketing space. Authenticity builds trust. Humanization is important too. People want to do business with other people not logos.

I have been considering switching cell phone carriers for a long time. T-Mobile has been on my radar recently. I have only heard good things and their pricing is better than what I’m currently paying now. I still haven’t been able to pull the trigger and switch but that may change in the near future.

A few weeks ago I was looking for a slow cooker recipe and stumbled across John Legere’s Instagram account . John is the CEO of T-Mobile. He’s active and posts to Instagram Stories. He also drives traffic to other social media channels.

Every week he has a Facebook Live show called #SlowCookerSunday. He wrote a cookbook and the proceeds go to a charity.

He frequently wears magenta and he dyed his hair magenta once too. Overall, he puts out a very positive and engaging energy. He’s a real person and it shows.

When it comes to social media it can’t all be about sales. Consumers come to social media for a different experience. They do not want to be sold to at every turn. He does a great job of balancing fun content and sharing the benefits and features of T-Mobile.

Being present, honest and authentic, while posting content consistently can make all the difference. It increase the know, like and trust factor.

I still need to consider and research quality of service and pricing but after watching John for the past few weeks he just may have changed my mind. I have no idea who the CEO of AT&T is. But know I know who John is.

From looking for a slow cooker recipe to the possibility of becoming a new customer is an interesting journey.

How do you incorporate authenticity in your social media presence?

For more case studies like this one check out Social Media Done Right

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Vanity Metrics and why you should do without them

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Earlier this year I wrote a two part blog piece about my social media wishes for 2019. You can read Pt 1 here. Number 11 in Pt. 2 is about Vanity Metrics. I go into further detail about Vanity Metrics in this article.

There is an idea that if a social media account has a large following that more people will be attracted to it and be more likely to do the same. I do think there is some truth to it, but faking it won’t do you any favors. The focus is on the number and the number alone. When this is the case it becomes a vanity metric. Perception is important but it’s not the be all end all. Vanity Metrics may look nice, but in the end it has to be more than just appearance.

If you are applying for a job, it doesn’t matter how good you’re resume is, if you show up late and mess up in the interview your not getting the job.

Vanity Metrics: What to look for

There are companies and services that you can pay to grow your social media audience. Essentially, you are paying for “Likes” and “Followers.” Some of these companies say that they will grow your audience organically. (Anytime you hear the word organic when talking about social media it means that it is activity that is not paid for.) Most of the time it’s not organic, and it’s the worst thing you can do.

The problem is that the likes you are going to get are fake and from click farms. All day long people just like Facebook pages. They are fake and will grow your business or help your online presence. After someone from a click farm likes the page, it will NEVER engage with your content. NEVER. The energy and focus needs to be spent attracting and engaging people to your social media platforms that care about you, your business, your product, and want to engage with your content.

The main problem is only a small percentage of the people who have liked your Facebook Page will see the content you post. Because of this you want the accounts to be real. The more engagement (likes, comments, and shares) a post receives shortly after it is posted, the better it will do. When there is high engagement, Facebook and other platforms then show that post to a larger audience. You want to INCREASE your chances of success not decrease.

Remember, the quality of the followers is more important than the number itself. of the followers that’s importantVanity Metric bad. Engagement good.

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True Fans

In the social media world there is often too much focus on numbers.
I have x number of fans or followers. I’ve reached 5,000 friends on Facebook. Please join my fan page. Social media is not a numbers game. It’s a conversation game.

I think that we have a habit of liking a brand page on Facebook or following someone new on Twitter and then we forget about it,choose to ignore it or are passive. I know I’ve been guilty of this.

Mashable.com reported on a new study this morning based on how consumers interact with Facebook.

77% of consumers said they interact with brands on Facebook primarily through reading posts and updates from the brands.
17% of respondents said they interact with brands by sharing experiences and news stories with others about the brand
13% of respondents said they post updates about brands that they Like.
56% of consumers said they are more likely to recommend a brand to a friend after becoming a fan on Facebook
51% of consumers said they are more likely to buy a product since becoming a fan on Facebook
78% of consumers who “Like” brands on Facebook said they “Like” fewer than ten brands
76% of consumers said they have never “unliked” a brand on Facebook

Don’t focus on numbers. It is about the quality of your fans and followers opposed to the quantity. You want people that are engaged and interested in what you do and what you have to offer. Kevin Kelly says it best in his article 1,000 True Fans

Rock of Ages is a 1980’s themed Broadway jukebox musical. The show has true fans. On a daily basis Rock of Ages interacts and engages with their fans on Facebook, asking questions ranging from 80’s trivia to questions about the show and some other stuff in between. There is not one post that doesn’t get some kind of response. They are tapping into their fans and listening to what they have to say. They are a good example of someone who is doing it right.

In the beginning, it may be challenging to tap into your audience. There may be some experimentation involved and that’s okay. If something doesn’t work, don’t get discouraged. You can always try something new tomorrow.