How To Make Money On Facebook: A Cyber Monday Re-cap

As a Social Media coach and consultant, I get asked this question the most: “How do I make money using Social Media?”  (Well, that question and the other most popular one, “What do I post about? Does anyone really care that I’m eating a friggin’ sandwich for lunch?”

I always answer the same way: YES! You can definitely make money on social media.

One of my clients made $20,000 because of the way we strategically set up her accounts and profile.  It CAN be done, with the right strategy in line.

With another year of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday behind us, it’s becoming more and more clear the power of using these tools online to increase sales.

This article from AllFacebook states that Facebook reported a 240% increase in traffic to Internet retailers on Cyber Monday, with some retailers like Harry and David reaching an astounding 11,425% increase in traffic to its website via Facebook.  Do some quick math in your head and you’ll see the dollar signs add up.

But these retailers weren’t just lucky.  There were several things they had to do to make this happen.  STRATEGY, folks, is the name of the game.  This is a blog about Social Media Marketing, not about the friggin’ sandwich you ate for lunch. Unless you’re a restaurant or something. Or a Pinterest or Instagram addict. #guilty

Retailer’s Success Strategy:

1.  They were ready.

They knew ahead of time that the world would be shopping on these dates, so they planned accordingly.

2.  They put all the pieces together.

Harry and David did a great job of running a Facebook Offer – one of the different paid advertising options for Facebook Pages.  This offer ran during the specific promotion time and offered 50% Off select gifts and up to 20% off your entire order.  They paid to have this Offer run in the newsfeeds of their fans.

They also synced the connection of “claiming the offer” on Facebook with directing people to their website to actually make the purchase.  Over 56,000 people claimed this Offer on Facebook.  Brilliant! Cha-ching!

3.  They leveraged their online relationships.

One of the biggest mistakes businesses can make online is to expect that just because people have “Liked” the Page, that they’re ready to buy.  First of all, you must understand Facebook’s tricky EdgeRank Algorithm to know how or why fans are (or aren’t) seeing your posts.  But that’s a whole other blog post.  Secondly, you have to ENGAGE with your audience.  Your fans will NOT respond if your posts don’t take into account a proper engagement strategy.  These  retailers who were successful have mastered a great content strategy and engagement plan for their audience.  That helps. A LOT.

All in all, if you want to make money using Social Media you definitely can.  Just keep these three tips in mind as you go out to strike your gold online.

Don’t Burn Your Pancakes! A 3-Step Formula to Social Media Success

This morning I made pancakes for breakfast and it was one of the most challenging, frustrating situations.  And I even had the pre-packaged box mix.  I know that sounds pathetic and shouldn’t be too difficult, especially considering that I’m a pretty good chef, but it took me three attempts to finally get something decent on the plate.  The frustration reminded me of what people say about learning how to use Social Media Marketing the right way.

I was half frustrated and half amused, so what do I do in times like that? Take pictures. (Hello, Instagram!) I also realized there was quite a parallel here to show people how to use Social Media for business.  Let me explain…

Epic Fail #1: Use The Wrong Tools.

I was in a hurry, so I pulled out a bigger pan than I normally use for pancakes so I could make two at once.  I stirred the mix together in a bowl and poured batter for two pancakes into the silver pan.

It was about the time to flip them so I grabbed a spatula and OMG….these babies were stuck to the bottom of the pan.  The LAST thing they’d do was flip over. DANG it! I didn’t reach for a non-stick pan and had forgotten to spray some PAM cooking spray to the bottom.  Here’s my result:

Sticky situation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just like in Social Media, you have to use the right tools.  You can’t expect great results if you pull out the wrong pan and jump head first into unknown territory.  It just won’t work and you’ll end up spending more time scraping off your first attempt and cleaning two dishes later instead of just one easy, non-stick pan.  Have a plan and a rockin’ strategy.  Know which websites and apps will help you do your job better and more effectively reach your specific target market.  There are tons of great time-saving tools like HootSuite and Buffer to help you maximize your efforts.

Epic Fail #2: Don’t Pay Attention.

So I grab the smaller, yet oh-so-pankcake-flipping-friendly non-stick skillet, and went at it again.  This time with batter just enough for one pancake.  I was on track.  The right tool.

As I waited for the bubbles to appear on the top of the pancake letting me know to flip it over, I grabbed my new phone that was sitting right there on the counter.  I only had my new wonderful smartphone (blog coming soon) for 24 hours, so naturally I can hardly put it down.  I’m loving it and so I start downloading new apps, checking my emails, replying to some text messages…you know, the usual morning routine.

Several minutes passed and before I knew it, my nose smelled something funny.  I turn my attention to the stove.  SERIOUSLY?! I burnt the pancake.  Not like a little brown, but extra dark and crispy.  Gross!

Black is the new brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Social Media, if you don’t pay close attention to your activities and efforts online you’ll burn your stuff.  You’ll waste time and have to re-do it.  You have to throw it away and try again.  Luckily, things like Facebook Analytics can give you real-time updates on what’s happening with your Facebook Page.  It blows my mind how much information marketers are given about who is on Facebook.  All you have to do is pay attention.

For instance, look at that last group of new “Likes” that just came into your Page.  Go to their individual profiles.  Research who they are and analyze the content on their Timeline to get to know your customer base better.  What do they “like?” What do they share? Are they a brand evangelist for other companies like yours? Also, download the Page manager app and keep in close contact with people engaging with you and/or your brand online.  Respond.  Don’t let the pancake sit there unattended.  After all, you were the one who put it in the pan to get it ready to eat, right?

Epic Fail #3: Give Up Too Soon.

So now I’m down to my third attempt and for half a second I thought about giving up and just grabbing a yogurt from the fridge.  But no, I was determined to make a flippin’ pancake (no pun intended, kinda).  Plus, my ego was in check here.  Who can’t make pancakes from a box mix?! Seriously.

Ok, I have the right tools.  I’m going to pay attention.  I’m not giving up.

Perfection.  Breakfast is served.

Third time’s the charm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom line – success in making pancakes is a lot like having success in social media marketing.  I’ve coached thousands of people in business over the years to help them understand how to use social media for their marketing efforts.  Here’s a never-fail formula:

1.   Use the right tools.
Educate yourself on what’s working and what’s not.  Find the most popular and more effective tools to get the job done.  This will make your life much easier.

2.  Pay attention.
I’m a big believer in research.  Watch what’s happening.  Do your homework and then tweak your strategy according to what you see.

3.  Don’t give up!
Rome wasn’t built in a day and your social media marketing empires certainly won’t be, either.  The ones who are successful are willing to invest the time and energy into doing it in a way that yields results.  Stay in the game and you’ll be eating for a long time.