About Those Facebook Updates . . .
by Sophie BujoldThe following is a guest column.
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about Facebook’s latest updates.
• The news feed is different.
• Page posts don’t seem to reach as many people as they used to.
• And it feels as if there’s a constant push for buying ads to remain visible.
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There’s no denying that things are changing on Facebook and elsewhere in social media, and that the free social media ride is slowly disappearing.
But, there’s no need for agents to to panic – especially if you’ve been using Facebook as part of a bigger strategy, rather than it being the only thing driving your online efforts.
Here are three lessons that travel agents can take away from the recent changes on Facebook, the world’s biggest social network.
# 1. Facebook is a vehicle, not a destination
If your business is using Facebook in lieu of a website, you’re playing a very dangerous game.
It may seem easier, cheaper, and totally logical to do so. In reality, you’re putting your entire business in the hands of Facebook. One change on their part and your whole online presence can lose steam overnight.
A much better approach is to use social media to drive traffic to your website where you can focus on building an email list, generating leads or growing your blog readership.
Your website and your mailing lists are completely in your control, which means that you can keep your business running without breaking a sweat as social networks continue to change.
#2. Diversify your presence
While Facebook may be the biggest player in social media, it is not the only network that can help you reach prospects. As with any good stock portfolio, you want to diversify your efforts to minimize the impact that a change on one network will have.
Choose one or two other networks that fit your ideal client profile and will bring you the most results for your efforts.
Depending on your clients, your goals and your resources, your best options will vary. There is no “bad choice” if it’s supporting your efforts and bringing you results.
#3. Expect change & stick to the ground rules
Change is inevitable. In social media there will be updates, new rules and varying restrictions. There’s aren’t many industries where this isn’t the norm these days.
While the mechanics and ground rules may be changing, the basic principles of social media marketing don’t. These basic ground rules include:
• Focus on value.
• Encourage engagement.
• Be consistent.
Once you master those three things and understand that your delivery needs to be flexible, you can approach each round of changes as an opportunity to up your game rather than a reason to give up.
Not convinced you can still be successful on Facebook these days? Read How Facebook is Helping Travel Pros Sell More Travel.
Travel industry specialist Sophie Bujold is a social media strategist and speaker. Sophie’s passion is helping travel professionals make sense of social media and learn how to use it to achieve greater business success. For more from Sophie, sign up for her weekly email tips. (It’s free.)
