5 Common Mistakes FMs Make On Social Media

by Kaitlan Whitteberry on June 26, 2015
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Everyone makes mistakes, it’s just part of human nature. When it becomes a problem is if those mistakes aren’t corrected, or worse, you don’t learn something from them. Succeeding on social is mostly trial and error, but these five common mistakes are definitely preventable. When starting a social page for your FM business, take a lesson from what others have done wrong – and reap the benefits of learning without making the error yourself. 

Mistake 1: They’re Not On Social

All the excuses for this are long worn out. It may not be your number one priority, and that’s okay! iStock_000039961576_SmallHowever it has to be on your list in some form or fashion. Potential employees and customers expect companies to have some sort of social presence. It helps them identify who you are as a business, and what type of service they can expect from you. It’s your chance to craft just the type of message you want to send out into the world, and what you want to be known for. It also shows your commitment to customer service and ensuring you offer a direct line of communication to your clients.

If your company already has a social page, consider adding a “buildings” tab that the FM team is responsible for. LinkedIn showcase pages would be a perfect fit for this. For example, if you worked as the FM for a university, you could have control over the building showcase page under your university’s company page. Or if you own a facilities management company, having your own page would probably make more sense.

Mistake 2: They’re On Every Social

Facilities Management isn’t a traditional Business to Consumer enterprise. Your core customers aren’t purchasing items everyday – and the need to be on social “selling” sites like Instagram and Pinterest just may not be worth your time. If you need help deciding which sites to invest in, check out our blog here. Don’t rule these out completely, just be sure to take the time to see where your potential customers or current tenants spend their time, and you’ve found your sweet spot. If you are managing a property for a young apartment complex, Facebook is probably a safe bet. However, if you’re the FM for a large law office, you may want to stick to LinkedIn.

Mistake 3: They Start And Then… (stop)

Imagine, you’ve hired a painter to add a bright new color to your office entryway. You spent time researching to find just the perfect color, and made sure the painter would be at your office at the right time. It’s starting to look great when he stands up, drops his paint can and walks away. You’d be shocked, and probably pretty frustrated. This is how your followers feel when you abandon your social ship.

Creating a social media page is making a commitment to your followers to stay active at least somewhat regularly. You don’t need to post everyday – but having a consistent schedule will keep everyone happy. Don’t begin a page and decide it’s too much to handle. Delegate who is responsible for monitoring the page and when. Schedule posts ahead of time on free sites like Hootsuite to avoid missing an entire week of posts when someone calls in sick.

Mistake 4: They Don’t Respond To Their Followers

One of the greatest parts of social is interacting with your tenants or your building occupants. You’ve created this page for them, so don’t ignore them when they say hello! If you’ve decided to operate a page, be sure someone is checking for messages and comments at least once per day. It’s best to tackle it in the morning, and then you won’t risk forgetting.

People may come to you for information on everything from maintenance requests to temperature control. This is especially important during construction or maintenance. Try to be explicitly clear with any road closures or changes in hours of operation, however no matter how clear you are there will usually be someone who still asks. Be courteous, and respond in a timely manner.

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Mistake 5: They Don’t Complete Their Profiles

It’s tough, we get it. Between Facebook’s changing algorithms and Twitter’s strange image sizing, and LinkedIn’s silent updates, it’s quite overwhelming. It can be easy to be motivated to tackle social, and then fall flat on the basic profile settings once the realization hits that it’s going to take some effort. We promise, it’s worth it. Even if you only start out on one platform, focus on making that site awesome.

  1. Make sure your profile picture is exactly the right size and format, and be sure your name (whether it be your personal profile or company page) makes sense and is easily paired with your company or office building website. You want to make it as easy as possible for visitors to know they’ve found the right page.
  2. If you’re on Twitter, customize your color settings to match your building’s interior or your company colors. To do this go to Profile Settings —> Design —> Theme Color.
  3. For your personal LinkedIn page, make sure your profile image is clear, square, and professional. You don’t have to take a headshot, but make sure it’s current and appropriate.
  4. On a Facebook company page cover image, consider uploading a photo of your building – and possibly change the images with the changing seasons. If your office is located somewhere with snow and fall leaves, it is a nice way to stay consistent but avoid being stagnant.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kaitlan Whitteberry

Kaitlan Whitteberry is a Magna Cum Laude graduate from the University of Missouri's journalism program, and currently focuses on iOFFICE press releases, software updates and related news.

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