5 Rookie Facebook Mistakes No Facility Manager Should Still Be Making
Optimizing Facebook or any social media for your office building is a constant learning process. Starting your page often takes a bit of trial and error at the beginning to learn what your viewers like best. But remember, no body gets it perfect right off the bat! Here are some lessons I have learned, hopefully you can use them to make your office Facebook page even better.
1). Posting Too Much Content
Facebook has recently limited your posts’ reach, and posting more and more content is not going to reach more people. You must select quality content for your viewers to encourage engagement, which will lead to more views. Try a how-to on getting your facility ready for fall, or how to hire an assistant FM. Information that your viewers find entertaining or can learn from is always a smart choice.
The ideal Facebook post should have about 150 characters, which isn’t much more than Twitter’s limit of 140. Our client, Rice University, shows how to do it right:
2). Not Posting Enough Content
Then there’s the opposite end of the spectrum. You spend all of that time perfecting your page, only to abandon it weeks later. To viewers who stumble across your page, this looks somewhat careless on your part, and most people don’t want to do business with a careless company. If you decide that Facebook is worth the investment, make sure it’s long-term, and that you have a few hours per week to attend to it.
3). Ignoring Comments or Questions on Your Page
Oh no! This is one of the worst things you could do. You wouldn’t ignore a customer who was unhappy with the maintenance of their lawn would you? Be sure to check in with your page periodically to respond to any comments, questions or even concerns. This is your chance to show that your facilities management team is great with customer service, and others who aren’t even involved with your conversation will take notice. Also feel free to ask questions to spark engagement. Some examples could be asking students of their favorite spot on their campus or your fans what is a FM problem they need help with. Work on being the go-to guy and when they do need a FM company, guess who will come to mind. If you want to see posts you may have missed, check the far left side of your page under “posts”.
Here is an example of one of our clients, The Home Depot, handling a negative comment on their page the right way. They responded within 24 hours and provided a solution that could be resolved outside of social media. Great job!
4). Posting Only Links or Text
Social is visual, so give your followers something to look at! Whether it’s the newest flowers on the campus lawn or even just your team member’s birthday celebration, everyone wants to feel like they’re connecting with YOU not just your brand. If you have a company website, by all means promote it. Just be sure it’s woven into more lighthearted posts as well.
Here is one of our clients, Under Armour, who recently posted an image without an attached link. Their purpose wasn’t to drive traffic, but to join in on conversation relevant to their industry, and to current events. The image really makes the post pop!
5). Not Scheduling Posts Ahead of Time
At iOffice, we use HubSpot to schedule all of our social media in advance, that way we never miss a day of posts even during vacations or sick days. We’re very happy with them, but for a company that only uses social, there are other free resources out there that you can use. One of the most popular is Hootsuite. Look around for a few to see which one meets your needs.
You’re already ahead of the pack if you’re in FM and active on social. Bypass these rookie mistakes, and your efforts will improve your company’s brand awareness and your online reputation.
