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Using Facebook for marketing...Why do people do this?

by JoshuaZamora
37 replies
There are many people who have been using Facebook in the completely wrong way.

Earlier this week I was in a Facebook Group that I'm a part of and a brand new member who no one really knew decided to post his affiliate link on the group wall. Mind you this is a brand new member who has contributed no value to the group and has not built any relationship with other members in the group.

So I decided to put together a few tips below to help those thinking about using Facebook for marketing.

-Facebook is a SOCIAL newtorking site not a SPAM YOUR SALES LINK site. I have seen this over and over again and I'm sure you have too. The crazy part is these people think that actually works. Build up your friends list and then repost the same affiliate link 10 times a day. Allow me to be the one to tell you if you can't see the obvious here THIS DOES NOT WORK!

-Facebook is for building relationships! No one joins facebook with the intent of buying something. Show people you truly care and your not just after their money. BE SOCIAL that's why the site was built!

Once you build rapport with your friends and build some kind of trust then and only then would I recommend posting a link to a sales page. But even then I personally would not post a link direct to a sales page on facebook. I would post a link to my blog where I wrote a review about what I'm promoting and provide them with true value in the blog post.

Facebook can be a powerful tool for all internet marketers if used correctly.

Don't be a facebook spammer use it for what it was made for to make friends and build relationships!

What are your best facebook tips to help those that are confused?
#facebook #facebook for marketing #facebook marketing tips #how to use facebook #marketingwhy #people
  • Profile picture of the author Mo Goulet
    Originally Posted by JoshuaZamora View Post


    -Facebook is for building relationships!

    What are your best facebook tips to help those that are confused?

    Build "Fan Pages"....

    Don't use your facebook profile account for anything other than what it is designed for "Friends"....Build fan pages if you want to make an income from facebook.

    It's that simple...
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    • Profile picture of the author paulie888
      Originally Posted by proapc View Post

      Build "Fan Pages"....

      Don't use your facebook profile account for anything other than what it is designed for "Friends"....Build fan pages if you want to make an income from facebook.

      It's that simple...
      I don't understand why to this day, people and even some businesses don't seem to get this.

      There are inherent limitations on personal pages in Facebook, and they're simply not in the best interests of someone who wants to build a business presence on Facebook.

      Perhaps some people are still a little intimidated by having to use FBML, and want to take the lazy way out?
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  • Profile picture of the author Wealthyclark
    I never knew that there was a such thing as a spam your link site.
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    • Profile picture of the author JoshuaZamora
      Originally Posted by Wealthyclark View Post

      I never knew that there was a such thing as a spam your link site.
      LOL tell me about it...do a quick search for a group on facebook...most are glorified bulletin boards with everyone having the "magic bullet"
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      • Profile picture of the author inlecture
        I apologize in advance if this was already touched on in this thread (quickly scanned over)

        The main reason someone would be posting about their site on facebook really breaks down to Word of mouth... Too many people focus ONLY on online marketing but forget about the physical aspect of someone actually being interested in buying.

        A good example of Word of mouth social networks making a BIG difference can be seen with the recent election where i live (Calgary, AB) a COMPLETE underdog won because unlike his competition, he utilized the insane potential behind word of mouth and social networks.
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    • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
      Originally Posted by Wealthyclark View Post

      I never knew that there was a such thing as a spam your link site.
      From what I've seen, that would be "Twitter."
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  • Profile picture of the author SageSound
    If the person who set up the group hasn't restricted who can post to their wall, then you really have no right to complain about the content that's posted there. If you don't like some of the content, then contact the group's admin and suggest they restrict posts.

    That said, how many bazillion ebooks are there that tell people to DO THIS EXACT THING?

    It's no different than door-to-door sales people who ignore signs that say, "No Soliciting". Sometimes it works (on both sides)!
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  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    There is a very special section for marketers on Facebook, its call ADS! I like some one a month ago who is an internet marketer, and instantly my wall was full of nothing but his marketing links.

    Very poor bearing if you ask me.
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  • Profile picture of the author Always-A-Warrior
    Yes I've seen many local restaurants using FB as a way to market their menu by building a relationship with their customers and offering discounts on some entree's, by showing a picture of their specials and simply engaging in conversations on FB. Let me tell you that calling a restaurant and asking them what their special of the day is, is definitely not my idea of a good meal but visually seeing it on FB "live" is as mouth-watering as it comes.

    And there's a lot of restaurants out there not using this type of advertising so may be you can make some money with helping them succeed to bring in more customers as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author blackjacker
    Many people who first started off in Facebook has the perception that Facebook is simply a channel to reach out to people. That mentality can kill a whole business - and I'm not using a hyperbolic.

    Facebook is for you to build relationships. The thing about Facebook is you don't need to take 30 days to build a relationship. If you know the know-hows, it can be instant, in a split second.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bannaz
      Originally Posted by Chris Kent View Post

      I know you're selling a book in your sig but please share a few tips that will help us build these relationships within "a split second"?
      I guess the split second would mean simply adding or accepting a friend request. That relationship is built within a split second.

      The next stage would be to build on that relationship.
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    • Profile picture of the author blackjacker
      Originally Posted by Chris Kent View Post

      I know you're selling a book in your sig but please share a few tips that will help us build these relationships within "a split second"?
      Haha alright Chris.

      You have to let everyone on your Facebook page know who you are and what you are doing.

      Computer is a mask, a facade.

      Everyone can talk big behind the computer.

      When you're behind a computer, you can be using a persona to represent yourself and not who you really are.

      Be bold and post your picture + name and provide credentials for who you are, something that people think you can't lie about.

      For example, make a big claim like:
      My name is Jay and I'm 29 year old this year.
      I have worked as Apple's Creative Director for 7 years and gained massive experience in Marketing

      When you mention a huge corporate's name, you will create trust because:

      1. People assume that you're telling the truth because they think you might get into trouble by false claiming to be someone from a huge company

      2. On Facebook, people will know if your account is real or fake. It is easy to have an account of 5,000 friends but no wall updates. It's tough to have a fake account with 1,000 friends who teases you on your wall or ask you how your day was.

      Facebook users are getting clever to spot scams, but a little too clever to sometimes think that a genuine account is a scam.

      You have to differentiate yourself CREATIVELY from the scammy fan pages and stand out like a sore thumb
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    • Profile picture of the author JoshuaZamora
      Originally Posted by Chris Kent View Post

      I know you're selling a book in your sig but please share a few tips that will help us build these relationships within "a split second"?

      One thing I do that barely anyone does is when I receive or accept a Friend request. I take a quick look at their info section and am truly interested in finding something we have in common.

      Then I send them a private message introducing myself and talk a bit about what we have in common.

      If they have a blog or website I take a quick peek and compliment on their site.

      And lastly if they have a fan page I "like" it and let them know i did.

      This goes a long way for me and build an instant relationship just by making giving them a couple compliments...
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      • Profile picture of the author JonAlfredsson
        Originally Posted by JoshuaZamora View Post

        One thing I do that barely anyone does is when I receive or accept a Friend request. I take a quick look at their info section and am truly interested in finding something we have in common.

        Then I send them a private message introducing myself and talk a bit about what we have in common.

        If they have a blog or website I take a quick peek and compliment on their site.

        And lastly if they have a fan page I "like" it and let them know i did.

        This goes a long way for me and build an instant relationship just by making giving them a couple compliments...

        I like your approach here. It's something that can really help build relationship especially when it comes to liking a page. They may not sell all the people liking their page but I think leaving a message will surely leave a good impression among these page owners.
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      • Profile picture of the author Jay Rhome
        Originally Posted by JoshuaZamora View Post

        One thing I do that barely anyone does is when I receive or accept a Friend request. I take a quick look at their info section and am truly interested in finding something we have in common.

        Then I send them a private message introducing myself and talk a bit about what we have in common.

        If they have a blog or website I take a quick peek and compliment on their site.

        And lastly if they have a fan page I "like" it and let them know i did.

        This goes a long way for me and build an instant relationship just by making giving them a couple compliments...
        Seems so obvious right? Yet thanks for reminding me. I'm BRAND NEW at Facebook - amazing isn't it? I'm gonna grow it starting Monday. I'm browsing the WF to get a sense of "etiquette" for a combo personal page + business "fan page".

        I remember in the MySpace age, with my band page, I was the ONLY one who sent messages like that after a friend invite. Seems most people just want to pad their stats, which can be one of the goals, but why not take a few minutes to up it a notch?
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        • Profile picture of the author rashamba
          I prefer to use Facebook to test the vialbility of niches I am considering. There is no better way for me to test out a campaign that focuses on what my niche likes. If there is not enough interest on Facebook, I move on. So in other words Facebook is what I use to test. If it does work i will scale on Facebook and other media as well.
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        • Profile picture of the author Bennette
          HI Joshua,

          I just finished writing a post to people on how I use Facebook and Twitter to build relationships and then I seen your post

          They can read it here if they're interested. http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-strategy.html

          I get tired of people adding me and then in the next sentence saying" you need this product or service" it's like get out of here with that, you don't even know me, but in 1 min your already saying what I need . Can you say delete!
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      • Profile picture of the author Vanessa Reece
        Originally Posted by JoshuaZamora View Post

        One thing I do that barely anyone does is when I receive or accept a Friend request. I take a quick look at their info section and am truly interested in finding something we have in common.

        Then I send them a private message introducing myself and talk a bit about what we have in common.

        If they have a blog or website I take a quick peek and compliment on their site.

        And lastly if they have a fan page I "like" it and let them know i did.

        This goes a long way for me and build an instant relationship just by making giving them a couple compliments...
        This works - and it worked for me when we conversed via facebook.

        There was someone else I joined their page and thanked them for their free ebook I'd downloaded. Not one comment back and I thought well if you can't be bothered to just say, hey thanks it's a poor tale, especially when you're sending bulk messages to your fb friends like we just sat down and had a beer. I mean really. :rolleyes:

        You totally have the right idea Joshua.
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        • Profile picture of the author Bennette
          Originally Posted by ITS-V View Post

          This works - and it worked for me when we conversed via facebook.

          There was someone else I joined their page and thanked them for their free ebook I'd downloaded. Not one comment back and I thought well if you can't be bothered to just say, hey thanks it's a poor tale, especially when you're sending bulk messages to your fb friends like we just sat down and had a beer. I mean really. :rolleyes:

          You totally have the right idea Joshua.
          Your right. So many people miss the opportunity to say your welcome or comment back when someone sends them a post.
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          • Profile picture of the author Devid Farah
            You bring up very good points.

            A lot of people want to integrate into forms and groups, but without putting the work in to become a valuable member. A common theme that you should use when trying to do things such as FaceBook marketing or Forum marketing is that the more value you bring, the more successful you will be.

            So before you start promoting your own projects, you should take some time to contribute and try to become an excepted or respected member of the forum. The more the members of the forum or group respect your opinion, the more likely they will be to click on your signature or check out something that you are offering.

            There is a little used tactic in business that applies to internet marketing also:

            building a relationship first will help you make more sales            .
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  • Profile picture of the author Hexor
    Facebook is a social networking site that allows for developers to contribute applications that interact with Facebook features. GoGrid offers a Facebook Server Image that allows Facebook developers to contribute their applications through GoGrid servers directly to Facebook's development network. And because of that, many people are using it, and because of many people are using it, many opportunities that people will see your ads and it is a sign of advertisement
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  • Profile picture of the author jushuaburnham
    Facebook is only one of the many ways to advertise and promote your business, so it is not practical to just rely your marketing methods only on facebook or else your business will die.
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    Originally Posted by JoshuaZamora View Post

    So I decided to put together a few tips below to help those thinking about using Facebook for marketing.
    I think you'll find to most people on this forum these are not tips, just common sense. You won't last long on a forum like this unless you understand the basics of spam and what is and is not allowed.

    And let's face it, the kind of people you are talking about are not going to be swayed by common sense or ethics. Why do they do it? Because it works and because it makes them money. The same reason we all receive spam email nearly every day of the week. There are enough 'sucker's out there to make it a viable business.

    I don't think you can say it DOESN'T work. It works, probably a lot better than you think. They are just not playing by the same rules you and I do...
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  • Profile picture of the author bgmacaw
    Originally Posted by JoshuaZamora View Post

    -Facebook is for building relationships! No one joins facebook with the intent of buying something. Show people you truly care and your not just after their money. BE SOCIAL that's why the site was built!
    I'm confused.

    Tell me how big corporate Facebook pages are OK and aren't spamming but it's not OK for the little guy to post a link to something they're selling or recommending. :confused: :confused:
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  • Profile picture of the author Bremaine
    I agree with you for sure. I would never use facebook to sell anything. If I do, I might just make another profile or make some fan pages.
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  • Profile picture of the author Social Experts
    You are right OP but haev you ever wondered why there is so much spam on Facebook?

    Because it is really, REALLY easy and massively profitable. I have friends that have made 100k in a month. A sinlge month. You can call bull**** all you want but there are tons out there. I have seen how easy it is first hand but I got out of it and invested my Facebook earnings.

    And I saw a couple posts about Facebook's scammer department etc. But they really can't do anything because all the marketers protect themselves using proxies etc.

    Obviously spamming isn't longterm and we aren't trying to make it longterm. But it really does give you enough money to invest in more long term projects.

    I'm not saying you should or shouldn't do it but yeah. That's my two cents
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    Chill.

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  • Profile picture of the author Searchlabmedia
    I just had one of my clients who owns an auto body shop call me and tell me that he had three customers last month from a facebook fanpage that I built for him.

    This was just some random person who put in Auto body repair in the search bar in Facebook. Could facebook be taking down Google soon?
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  • Profile picture of the author InternetWriter
    Originally Posted by JoshuaZamora View Post


    -Facebook is a SOCIAL newtorking site not a SPAM YOUR SALES LINK site. I have seen this over and over again and I'm sure you have too. The crazy part is these people think that actually works. Build up your friends list and then repost the same affiliate link 10 times a day. Allow me to be the one to tell you if you can't see the obvious here THIS DOES NOT WORK!
    Funny thing is it actually does work, although it takes a lot of links. It DOES work.
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  • Profile picture of the author pethanks
    No question Facebook today is the most popular social networking site. Therefore people also take advantage on it. They used Facebook as a marketing tool.
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  • Profile picture of the author Shaun Lee
    Use Facebook ads to market. It's fast and effective if you know what you're doing.

    -Shaun
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  • Profile picture of the author Drewry_Media
    What I did was create a Facebook fan page, just for my blog, so when I am blogging, only certain ppl can se my blog post with an ad or something in it. Not all Facebook friends are interested in what you're blogging on. And, if I were that guy, I would NOT pos my affiliate link directly to my Facebook wall, and run the risk of having my Facebook account disabled. Fan pages are great for building your business and free traffic, but they can also derail you too, if you don't know what you're doing. Just sayin...
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