How To Turn Facebook Friends Into Fans And Customers (Guest Post)

Birds on line How To Turn Facebook Friends Into Fans And Customers (Guest Post)

Photo by Linda Tanner, (Starlings at Dusk)

Gunnar Engblom is a friend I’ve had on Twitter for over a year now. He’s a Swedish birdwatcher in Peru who runs a birdwatching tour business. He blogs about bringing birdwatchers together with social media.
__________________________________

Although my Facebook Page has a good number of fans, I have over 2300 friends on my personal Profile that share my love for birdwatching.

These friends have naturally become important to my business. For example, if my Facebook friends – or anyone of their friends – want to travel to Peru, my birdwatching tour business is foremost in their mind because of the personal relationship we’ve created on Facebook.

Facebook allows you to easily create and nurture lasting friendships. But maintaining the same quality of connection becomes difficult, as you get more friends.

Friend >> Fan >> Client

The Facebook profile is a complement to your Facebook page. A Facebook profile with thousands of selected friends within your field of interest (5000 is the top limit) simulates the function of a Facebook group as the content often is about the topic that is valuable for your friends with a common interest. There are some important differences compared to Facebook groups which all create a stronger relationship.

  • You will be seen. Your post can be seen in the live feed of your friends. If they post on your wall, this will be noted on their walls. Even if it is inconspicuous it is still an affirmative message promoting YOU. This is the case also for Pages but NOT for Groups.
  • Two way communication leads to more conversation. You can actively comment and share the stuff that your friends share. You create trust, which leads your friend to become a fan and perhaps a future client.
  • Your profile is nurtured daily. Groups often lack activity.
  • Be yourself. You can be broad and show different facets of your personality. It is easier to get to know people as a person/individual than as a brand.
  • Friends lists. Although you can’t send a message to all your friends at once, but have to make batches of 20 people at the time, you have the option to target to different lists of friend when you post on your wall. Set your friend lists in the Account section.

How to nurture lasting friendships on Facebook

Here are a few tips how to nourish your friends. There is no point in having lots of friends if you don’t make an effort to be there for them.

  • Check your Most Recent Live Feed often (in Home mode) and comment and like posts of your friends. Also make sure to click Edit Options at the bottom of that page to set your number of friends to 5000. If not, only feeds of 250 friends chosen by Facebook will show in Most Recent. You want to see all here.
  • Make a list of the friends that comment and like your posts. They have seen you, and you want to keep on engaging and build a relationship with those that care about you. Add those friends to see more of in the Edit Options section.
  • Use NutshellMail to get daily (or maybe several daily) summaries of your Facebook activity. Here you can select certain lists you want to monitor. With NutshellMail you can get a fast overview your Facebook. Facebook can be a time sink. With Nutshellmail you can turn it off, and come back to it at a certain hour.
  • Always send a birthday wish to your friends and include his/her first name. This means at least once a year you are actively connecting with your friend. It does not have to be elaborate. It does not even have to be on time. The important thing is that it is sent. Nutshellmail also helps you remembering the birthdays.
  • Remember the Social Media mantra. Listen! Engage! Share! Simple rules to live by.

Things to avoid on Facebook

  • Don’t spam the wall of your new friends with self-promotion.
  • Stay away from apps. Don’t send virtual flowers, wine, beer and kisses etc. If you absolutely have to post a picture on someone’s wall for a birthday or Christmas, let if be one of your own pictures.
  • Some people on Facebook, may not want to become friends with you. Respect that!
Even if it is your Facebook Page you principally want to promote on Facebook, if you still don’t have 5000 fans for your page, it is good idea to try to first get 5000 friends to your profile. It is easier to get to know people as a person/individual than as a brand. It makes a lot of sense if you want your company or small business to grow to have all your partners collect Facebook friends, that later can be invited as “fans”. Furthermore, it far easier to engage with friends than fans. So it is as friends you build trust, to later convert your friends as fans.

Please share your thoughts below

Even if it is your Facebook Page you principally want to promote on Facebook, if you still don’t have 5000 fans for your page, it is good idea to try to first get 5000 friends to your profile. It is easier to get to know people as a person/individual than as a brand. It makes a lot of sense if you want your company or small business to grow to have all your partners collect Facebook friends, that later can be invited as “fans”. Furthermore, it far easier to engage with friends than fans. So it is as friends you build trust, to later convert your friends as fans.
Posted June 18, 2010
  • HeidiMassey
    Just stumbled across this post...had NO CLUE about the edit at the bottom of the page being set to 250 people. I knew I didn't see certain people but life is crazy and I just didn't think that much about it. Now I know why. Thank you! That tidbit alone made this post a worthy read!
  • It is a well hidden secret. ;-)
  • Great post! Thanks for sharing. It really always comes down to engaging and offering value, doesn't it?
  • Thanks Bill. It does, but I think Profile is a bit neglected many times with all the possibilities that are given to Pages in terms of customized pages, targeting ads, share/Like buttons etc - or as I am seeing many cases of: the profile is used with the name of a company or organization - which then becomes a poor Page without the Page advantages.
    An example of the power of Profile - if I may extend this strategy. I was going to attend a large bird watching fair in the UK attracting some 20000 birders in August this year, but since we can't get a stand I have started questioning the value of going there only to walk around to see the other businesses and bump into some previous clients. While this certainly is valueble - it is also costly. A deliberate campaign of getting 1000 new British Facebook birder friends, will probably have a much more lasting effect than the 3 day event - in which I at the most can speak to around 200 people individually if I am lucky.
    It is true that not all potential clients among birders in Britain are on Facebook, but at least trying to connect with the ones who are on is a good start. When they finally decide to make a Peru trip..."who they gonna call"?
  • Pamela

    Thanks for the great tips! I'm having trouble implementing this one, though.---->"Also make sure to click Edit Options at the bottom of that page to set your number of friends to 5000."
    I found 'Edit Options' but within that category, I can't find any option to set the number of friends. Am I overlooking something?

  • Pamela, sorry for the delay in replying. Was away over a long weekend here in Peru. --->In "Home" mode (as when you open your Facebook) you find the News Feed. This Feed comes in two versions: A preselected default sample by Facebook called "TOP NEWS" and the possibility to wobble to "Most Recent". You have to select "Most Recent" and then scroll down the page to "Edit Options" and set the number of friends.
    Here you can also select favorite friends you want to show more frequently among Top News by selecting "show more of"...
    Hope this helps.
blog comments powered by Disqus