13 Ways to Demonstrate Authenticity on Facebook
How many times have you heard a marketer or social media manager tell you to “be authentic” on social media platforms. We’ve all heard it a billion times, but what does that really mean for business owners? After all, your authentic, genuine self may ocassionally want to yell “Stop asking questions and just buy my stuff!” That doesn’t mean you should say it on Facebook. A few months back, Chris Brogan wrote a wonderful post entitled, “I Am Not Authentic,” where he explained that the goal shouldn’t be authenticity, it should be clarity and helpfulness. It’s a wonderfully honest post that defines what customers really want when they say they want authenticity. The truth is that the general “be authentic” mantra, as touted by many marketers, is only valuable advice if you know HOW to be clear and helpful in a way that matters to your clients and/or potential clients. Here are just a few ways to demonstrate authenticity clarity and helpfulness on Facebook. The Tips You’ve Probably Heard Before Fill out your complete profile. Provide as much information as you can on your profile, including multiple ways to contact you – website, email, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Don’t be salesy. Post interesting content because it is interesting to your fan base, not because you’re trying to sell them something. Post regularly. With the new Facebook layout, it is increasingly important to post frequently. Not every ten minutes, but at least 1-4 times per day. Consistency is key here. Don’t post a lot and then fall off the map. Respond to every comment within 24 hours. EVERY comment. Write in your real voice. You speak in a certain style in person, and that personality should carry over to your status messages and comments. People don’t want to read press releases – they want to hear from YOU. Don’t be so stuffy. Use humor and links to quirky things to draw your fans in and show them your true spirit. Use multimedia. Text is great, but photos and videos can really show who you are in a way fans can relate to. Get creative and have fun! Ask questions. There is no greater way to show interest in your fans’ lives/businesses than by asking them questions and then commenting on their responses. Ideas to Get You Thinking Let yourself be vulnerable. You don’t always have all the answers (even within your specialized niche), and it is ok to say “I don’t know” or ask for help. Confusion and frustration are common human emotions, and putting your uncertain self out there now & then isn’t a bad thing. Finding the answers WITH your fans, and sharing those discoveries together can actually help strengthen your fan relationships. Promote the cause. I’m not talking about Liking fans’ business pages here or giving them “thanks for liking us” shout-outs (although those are very nice things to do). I’m talking about genuinely promoting the companies, clients and missions that are important to you AND your potential clients. If a client is having an event, promote their event on your page, talk about it on your personal profile and post event photos on YOUR page. Even if you’re an accountant, if you believe strongly in animal rights, promote the organizations that support your personal beliefs. Yes, you may turn some potential fans off, but you’ll gain so much more in the relationships you’ll develop. Share the truth, but don’t share everything. You decide how much of your real life you want to share on Facebook. And if you share it, be honest about it. But authenticity does not mean your life is or should be an open book. You can and should be authentic and still have boundaries. And it’s perfectly acceptable to come out and say, “I don’t feel comfortable talking about that aspect of my personal life on Facebook.” Tell secrets. If you want your fans to truly buy into the authenticity of your page, it would’t hurt to give them a behind-the-scenes look at how you do whatever it is you do. That kind of transparency goes a long way in gaining loyal customers. It’s not all flowers & sunshine. Overall, you want to keep your social media messages positive. But life isn’t always full of rainbows and chirping birds and unicorns. Real life, real business is tough. And sometimes you are having a bad day. Or genuinely do not like a product. Or disagree with a comment. It’s ok, in my opinion, to go ahead and say it. Say it with grace and in a non-offending, no-threatening way, of course, but say it! Stop saying you’re real, genuine, transparent or authentic. If you really are, people will know it. This post turned out longer than I anticipated, but I think it is important to get beyond the ‘Be authentic’ and provide real tips. What do you think? Do you do something on Facebook that really shows who you are? Please leave a comment below and share!
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