Unlike High School, building a large fan-base for your Facebook page isn’t just about getting people to LIKE you. It’s really about getting people to DO SOMETHING you want them to do:
1. Visit Your Website
2. Watch Your Broadcast
3. Share Your Links
So why then do so many news stations insist on committing what I would call the #1 Facebook Marketing Mistake?
Here are a few examples:
Fox8 (above) has more than 50,000 fans. But this post resulted in zero clicks through to their website by fans wanting more information about the Mariners game.
WCVB (above) has almost 30,000 fans. And at least 44 of them were interested in this crash. The picture is great, but none of these 44 people could click to WCVB’s website for more information.
And perhaps worst of all, WJXT (above) teases appearances by two political candidates. At least 49 of their 17,000 fans were interested enough to interact with this post, yet none of them were able to click-through to WJXT’s website for more election coverage… WHY? Because WJXT didn’t include a link in this post. Same with WCVB and Fox8. By leaving out this crucial marketing point, stations handicap their Facebook efforts. They take away the most effective call to action they have: “Visit Our Website!”
Facebook is great for many things. Brand-building is certainly one of them. But capitalizing on social media doesn’t mean you have to turn your Facebook Fan Page into a giant advertisement. It just means you have to stop missing opportunities to make a positive impact on the station’s bottom line. I recently wrote about NPR’s Facebook Do’s and Don’ts and highlighted a survey done by NPR of their Facebook fans. It found that 84% of NPR Fans click the links posted by NPR on Facebook and that NPR receives anywhere from 1.5 to 2 million pageviews per month directly from links they post on Facebook. But guess what…if NPR didn’t post links, they wouldn’t get clicked. By including links, you’re giving your social media efforts a chance to be a positive investment – rather than just a social experiment.
How to Get Great Story Ideas from Facebook | Social Media Strategy for the Journalism Business by Kim Wilson
April 18, 2011 at 4:11 pm
[...] A good follow-up is worth its weight in gold but it’s not always easy to decide what stories are worth a second look. And while it may be anecdotal, a quick glance down your Facebook Wall will reveal what stories your Fans are most passionate about. Take a look at this post on WESH2’s wall. They usually receive an average of 20-25 comments and likes. Yet, this story received nearly300. Obviously a hot-button issue, and likely worth a follow-up. The only problem? The committed what I call the #1 marketing mistake on Facebook! [...]