What's On Your Mind? Why Updating Your Business Facebook Page Is So Important

We all have that friend on Facebook that seems to spend every waking moment online updating their status. Every five seconds their profile picture pops up with some mundane information about their life. Or what about that person who asked you to be their “friend” and you haven't seen a post on their page in months? Personal Facebook pages are hit or miss, but when it comes to your company's page, there's a delicate balance. A balance you need to be very aware of.

If you can't remember the last time you updated your business page on Facebook, or even worse, have an outdated status online, you need to start paying more attention to the account, or risk losing customers and losing credibility in the world of social media.

It may seem like a simple plan: update your page regularly. But you'd be surprised how many businesses are still setting up Facebook pages without a strategic plan to follow up. If your business has a page and no plan, your reputation could be at stake.

If you're feeling a little lost, here are some tips:

Make your posts engaging. People want to interact. Give them the opportunity.

Answer questions. People are looking more and more to social media as “customer service.”

Don't let them down. Be responsive and be honest.

Posts should be unique. Make people take notice of what you have to offer.

And, most importantly, make your page fun to read.

Facebook is a great business tool if you use it correctly. While showing a return on your social media investment is still in its infancy, it's clear that the more you get your company's name out to the public, the better it is for your business.

Now that we've shared a little of our wisdom, it's time to tell everyone “What's On Our Mind.”

See you on Facebook.

The Key To Succeeding in the Communications Business Is..... Communication!

The key to succeeding in the communications business is communication. Your initial response to this is probably.. duh! But it's surprising just how many people who work in the communications field don't communicate with one another. It's a recipe for disaster and it happens all the time.

It's not enough for everyone on your PR or marketing team to know about the projects they are working on individually. Everyone should be briefed on all clients. It doesn't have to take hours. Emails can be shared and quick conversations can relay info. Try it until you become a well-oiled communicating machine.

Say for example a client calls looking for the “lead” person on their account. The lead person happens to be out sick and no one else on the team knows how to help the person on the phone. What happens now?

If you simply tell the client you can't help them, it leaves them feeling left out in the cold. And remember, your client is your customer. Your client just had a bad experience and that experience could leave a bad taste in their mouth — especially if it happens more than once to them. While it probably won't mean a loss of business in the immediate future, don't think for a second that when the next fiscal year or budget comes around that past experiences like the above example don't weigh in on their decisions.

Now take that same situation again. Only this time, everyone on your team has been briefed about the client's latest developments and any possible issues that may arise. The client calls, gets the needed answers and remains happy as a clam.

It doesn't seem like much, but just a few minutes each morning to brief everyone on what's happening is a huge step in making all your clients feel as if each is the most important client you have. Because, in reality, they all should be.