Mitchell Wagner
So you decided to take the plunge into social media marketing. You set up a Facebook page, blog and/or Twitter account. You posted staff photos, wrote riveting blog entries and tweeted some exciting company news. But some time has passed and you don’t have the “Likes” and followers you were expecting. And the only comments you seem to get on your blog are caught by its spam filter. It’s time to face the facts and cut social media out of your marketing plan…or is it?
The fact is, a company’s Facebook and Twitter pages are visible to everyone, whether or not they have an account. They cannot comment or “Like” your page without an
account but they can still read your posts and look at photos. So just because no one is saying anything doesn’t mean no one is looking. One way you can put yourself at ease with your company Facebook page is to make sure you set up yourself as a page admin using your primary email account. You will receive weekly reports on the number of visitors to your page, “Likes”, comments, etc. This isn’t necessarily an exact number, but it gives you a general idea of your page’s appeal.
Unless you require a subscription (which we don’t recommend) a blog is also visible to the general public and can be viewed and read by anyone without you identifying or approving him or her. Again, research proves that even if you’re not receiving comments, people are still reading your entries. In fact, statistics show that only 1 out of every 100 people will comment on a blog post. Consider yourself. How often are you inclined to post a comment on a blog or Facebook page? Granted, a lack of comments can be frustrating — especially when you honestly seek feedback and two-way communication. But, remember the main purpose is generally to introduce ideas or concepts and, comments or not, you are still achieving that objective. To give yourself a little positive reinforcement, consider using Google Analytics to track visits. This will provide further evidence of the blogs appeal.
However, if you are concerned that a lack of direction is preventing the comments, reassess your objectives and develop a stronger focus. Remember the main key to success with any social media presence is simply to keep up a fairly consistent post schedule with relevant information your target audience can find useful. If readers know you will be posting quality information on a consistent basis, checking your page will become part of their daily/weekly routine — and if they really find your information to be interesting and useful, they might even tell their friends. Finally, with any social media outlet, don’t be afraid to have a little fun! This can be a chance to break away from “traditional” or “corporate” messages and show your team’s personalities.
Keep in mind, anything having to do with social media can and will be ever-changing. (Facebook is always messing with something.) But virtually all top 10, 20 or 30 “Ways to Get Comments on Your Blog“ articles will offer the same tip: Ask some questions. Basically, just give readers a reason to want to comment. And on that note…
If your company has dabbled in social media, what has been the outcome? Are you getting the comments/fans you were hoping for? Are you having difficulty selling or justifying it to upper management? Did you set up a strategy first or are you using it merely as a way to get your name out there in one more place?
