Hearing Crickets? Quick Tips to Facebook Interaction

Posted by Amber Jordan on 5/21/10   |   Categorized as Facebook Tips,For Sellers

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Provided By: Meganzii on Etsy

I know.  Crazy sleep-deprived Mommy up to her rants again. So, why exactly are your fans not responding to your simple requests on Facebook? Why are you only seeing the “I like” thumbs up now and again on random updates?  Why are others pulling out 19 comments in twenty minutes flat? It all comes back to a virtual bank account. No, not your online bill pay, stick with me. You have to put in so many “deposits” into your fan base before you can make a significant “withdrawal.” Just like any solid relationship if you only take, take, take you and all your “stuff” will be ignored and put out to the curb.
Time for a little more self reflection. I want you to go back through your FB updates, Twits er,  I mean Tweets and blog entries.  What do you see? How many of your updates are for self gain? “Sold! 2 million hand creams!” or “Look! New product posted on Etsy!”  Now…I KNOW Facebook is the best place for you to promote your latest and greatest designs and products. We all love link love bench mark parties. Your fans expect to be kept up to date on your lines.  However, you MUST begin to think of it from your customer’s and fan’s point of view. What exactly are they gaining from your endless look at me or look at who I am link-loving helping updates? I love some of your products and shops but if one more person tells me they “SOLD! Another Bow, Foot Ointment or Snake Oil” I will have no choice but to hide you from my feed. (Note: I haven’t actually done this yet but please stop tempting me). I can guarantee that several of your “fans” or “I like you’s” or whatever they call them these days will hide you or “un-fan or un-like you” if you continue to spam their feed with nonsense.

Back to that bank account. What makes for a quality deposit?  You have heard the saying, “follow your passion.” Well in this case you need to not only follow your passion but start stalking it like there is only one piece of  chocolate left in the world, on some remote mountain, yet to be discovered. *Gasp* OK, that wasn’t fair. I will leave your chocolate alone. Now YOU; however, need to start thinking outside that stinking proverbial box and zero in on your passion and “Raison D’etra” (Reason for living). Sorry, when I get wound up the French starts rolling out. Simply put, what makes you excited? What are you passionate about? What can you share with us? What can you teach me? Your passion can be completely UN-RELATED to your business.

Surprise!  Some of the most successful professional bloggers and corporations out there know this. Example A: StonyField Farms is an Organic yogurt company that we all know and love. Did you know that the CEO Gary Hirshberg was also clueless when he started his pro-biotic venture? He created 5 blogs that varied from the fun daily rants of a Stonyfield Cow to his personal blog about finance and the future of sustainability in America. Guess which blog took off?  His finance blog had nothing to do with yogurt but millions came to rely on him for first-rate information about his opinion on the subject. Gary’s passion for finance and saving was obvious to his fans and effortless to him.

Give your fans and friends a “reason” to check in and follow your updates. I love blogs that range from eco-living to the latest trends in Interior Design. Does this have anything to do with the blog owners Etsy Shop? Nope. However, I love to see what their updates are about. I can’t keep a plant alive. Will someone PLEASE teach me how to have a yellow-tinted green thumb? Or teach me how to tell the Pansies and Roses to stop screaming, “Don’t buy me! Flower Killer!” when I walk by them at the store? They are starting to scare the children. Not asking for perfection…just a starting point. When you “invest” in your own passion, you will find that many others share that same spark. Those sparks are what connect you to your fans and customers. Do whatever you can to fan the flame or chase that chocolate. When you give me quality and invest in that “passion,” I will respond when you ask for help on some random “Sweepstakes” by some crazy Mommy The Marketer chick. I might even jump at the chance to check out your new “Summer Line” and latest “Sale” as well.

Your “Take-a-Way” Tasks for This Week:

1. Consider your Passion. What joy would incorporating your passion into daily life do for you and others?

2. Review your FB updates, blog roll and latest Tweets. What are they telling your potential customers? Why should I invest the few spare moments I have a day to follow you? Are you “in it for you” or are you giving back and sparking my “other” interests?

3. Comment. Help others by leaving your encouragement and praise on their spring products. Oh, and comment on this blog if you wish. Feel free to Tweet or mention it in your own blog. Why? Try it, track it and behold the power of social media. Always consider who all will be reading this post and seeing your comment. One more chance to drive some traffic your way.

* Strange side note: Did you know some guy in Europe has made a living off of “Re-Tweeting” EVERY post of mine.  I consider him my internet twitter stalker. He is either mocking me in Danish or has figured out that he can’t write his own content so he will just use mine. I am okay with it for now…at least I know someone, somewhere is finding my posts and links helpful or the source for their daily laugh.  I’ve also gained some perfectly sane and truly talented fans from his constant stalking twit tantrums so we are all good, crazy Danish tweeting Dude. Peace…and by the way I’ve just moved to a remote farm in Montana so don’t try to find me in Texas. Thanks, enjoy re-tweeting this post and have a great day!

Plan every “update” and “tweet”. Trust me. You don’t want to hear those crickets, even the cute ones that sing you show tunes.

~ Amber Jordan


  • http://artistbrendasalzano.blogspot.com/ brenda

    I normally do not read so many words in my mad dash about the net to keep informed and up to date, but your post was relevant and important! great advice and reminders to all of us on Facebook. Our etsy Team, O.C.E.A.N has been on a quest this past two years to learn more about selling, networking and just enjoying the internet. (yes we are all over 40! maybe even 50..shhhhhh)
    Going now to see if my facebook comments are saying something interesting or just mindless chatter of no use to no one…..

    Thanks for the great post!

    PS
    We (our team) just figured out we can have a “group” on facebook. We just started it for our members. Funny, we tried to get a web site for the team but only few used it. Then it hit me, We are all on facebook anyway so why not do our team web site right where we are already! (light bulb moment) ;-)

  • http://www.mommythemarketer.com/ Amber Jordan

    Thanks for sticking with it Brenda. Yes, this post is longer than most and I usually break it up with a few more photos ;). Facebook is a fantastic way to market your business..if done the correct way. Sometimes we all get caught up in what we are selling and forget that our readers may need more to keep them coming back. If you haven’t already, stop by my fan page http://www.facebook.com/MommyMarketer I would love to check out your group’s pages and see what O.C.E.A.N is all about!

  • http://www.etsy.com/shop/emilyorpin Emily Orpin

    GREAT post Amber. I think about the blogs I love and the Facebook fan pages I enjoy (unlike the ones I have hidden from my news stream – yes, I have done that!) and they’re the ones that provide useful information and/or an insight into something beautiful; and they are written with creativity, passion, honesty and often a healthy dose of humour. Their on-line shops are rarely front and centre, but I always take the time to find them and look at their wares, because I get so much from their blogs etc.

  • Rachel Koopmans

    Just what I needed to kick-start my little fb store (which WILL have a website to go with it one day…as soon as I can figure out how to make one!) I am such a dedicated follower and supporter of WAHM businesses online and I just couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong! I’m only just beginning to put things together so this was timely advice – many thanks!

  • http://www.meylah.com Courtney

    Love your sense of humor! We all need a FB kick in the pants from time to time. :) And if people are sharing on FB or Twitter, I like to see what people have bought more than what they are selling. That shows commitment as well as a person’s sense of style.

  • http://sherrylynn-designs.com Sherry Frey

    Thank you so much for your advice (and humor)…I don’t even hear the crickets…HAHA. So…its all about things that will grab people’s interest…well I’ve lived an enormously interesting life, so there are sure some things I can draw from. And yes, I do hope some of my FB friends read your article as well…in fact I may well direct them to it, so I can remove them from my “hide” list…LOL. Many many thanks!!!

  • http://www.theamberdawn.com TheAmberDawn

    Well hey there fellow Amber! Thank you for your insight on this tricky topic! It’s easy to get sidetracked on all these social media sidestreets and forget what it is we are actually doing there. I’m just starting up my own handmade company and I am looking for all the hints I can get to help me clear those first few hurdles. I’m sure there will be enough for me to work on without working against myself and tripping on my own facebook foul-ups. For now I will try to get my name out, and break the “0 Like” curse. ;]

  • http://www.purelynaturalliving.com.au Rebekah

    I found this to be both interesting and rather revealing. I have often wondered how it was all being perceived, ie my Facebook fan page, now I know. I have now of cause become a fan of yours so that I might read more of what your passion is. By the way this was shared by another page I’m a member of (Support a WAHP). Thanks for the advice & I’m sure to be more passionate on my Fan (Like) page, but not just about my business.

  • http://uniquedesignsbymsp.blogspot.com Paula

    This is a great post! We seem to all need a reminder from time to time that it is not about “I”, and you did just that in such a fun way it didn’t feel like a “lesson”. Thank you.

  • cath

    in the excitment you are even loosing your french..it should be ‘Raison d’^etre’

    ;-)

  • http://www.littlewrenpottery.co.uk Victoria

    Great post! I’ve just started a facebook fan page and I haven’t really known what to do with it. Thanks for the tips.

  • http://www.mommythemarketer.com/ Amber Jordan

    Ha, thanks Cath! I’ll be honest..I was typing so quickly I couldn’t find the ^ but thanks for setting me straight ;)

  • http://www.handmadespark.com/blog/what-women-want-on-facebook/ What Women Want on Facebook | Handmade Spark

    [...] Think about your own Facebook fans and how you interact with them. On your Facebook fan page, on the left-hand side, you have a box called “insights” which provides you with statistics on your visitor demographics and interactions. If women like to build relationships, then make sure you aren’t merely posting your latest product for sale on your fan page without ever engaging your fans. To read about Facebook fan engagement, please see Amber’s post Hearing Crickets? Quick Tips to Facebook Interaction. [...]

  • eccentricity1

    Well this was a real "wake up" post for me. I confess I have been quilty of several of the things you cited and I am properly humbled. I am always in such a hurry that I usually don't take the time to read posts through. This one I did (my English teacher is coming back to haunt me). Thanks for the tips and the nudge to do better. I will try to follow your advice.

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