Not all Facebook pages are created equal. It’s hard to ignore the opportunities available with Facebook to attract, engage and convert would-be customers. However, building a high-converting Facebook page has been elusive for many dealers. It’s important to know the elements of a successful Facebook page and it’s even more crucial now to recognize the reasons your Facebook page is failing.

If you want your target customers to like your page and follow you, you have to continually reward them with great content and build a community so they want to engage. This means employing a content strategy that works for your store both culturally and operationally.

You also have to incorporate Facebook ads to promote your content, increase clicks to your website and convert fans into customers.

Is achieving consistent engagement and conversions on Facebook a struggle for you? Here’s a list of 10 reasons why your Facebook page may be failing with tips to make it work for you rather than against you.

1. You Don’t Publish Regularly
   Consistency is a cornerstone of Facebook (or any other) marketing. Users need to see your posts in their Newsfeeds for you to stay relevant. There is a battle right now for attention. Posting a few times per week or per month is not going to capture anyone’s attention.
2. Your Page Lacks the Human Touch
   Facebook pages fail because posts focus on products instead of people.

   There’s a complete disconnect from the human side. Content that demonstrates why people choose you seems to be non-existent on many Facebook pages.

   If you approach Facebook with the sole mindset of “making money” you will end up wasting your time. Facebook is first and foremost a social network, not a buying network.

   “In this ever-changing society, the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad campaign. The companies that are lasting are those that are authentic.” – Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks

3. You’re Not Using the 3-Geared Content Approach
   Content marketing (a component to Facebook and all other forms of marketing) is a powerful tool for driving qualified traffic and leads. The challenge lies in producing high-quality, original content on a consistent basis.

   Content must reach all stages of the buying cycle:

   • Crazy as it seems, most people who engage with your page are not immediately in-market {sarcasm}. The inability to engage this type of prospect is where many pages fail.
   • Fans who are either thinking about a purchase or who have friends who are, appreciate answers to their questions.
   • Facebook posts and ads need to offer up something worth their time. Exciting content compels people to click in anticipation.
4. Your Posts Look and Feel Counterfeit
   Every dealership’s brand has a personality – characteristics, features, and traits – that makes it unique.

   “If you approach Facebook with the sole mindset of ‘making money” you will end up wasting your time. Facebook is first and foremost a social network, not a buying network.”

   People are looking for authentic brands – brands that communicate exactly who they are and what impact they want to have in their customers’ lives.

   Publishing benign content that can be found anywhere is the shortest distance to the bottom. This is often obvious when dealers hire outside providers (and sometimes shady vendors) to “do social media” for them. The provider’s branding comes through on your Facebook posts and it looks like someone other than you is doing the work. Not a good look for those who want to engage real people.

   This is the easiest way to get fans to scroll right past your content. Real people are behind your brand so let that shine through in your content.

5. You Don’t Fully Understand Your Target Audience 
   Creating a content strategy without a clear understanding of your audience is like setting sail without navigational tools. You’re out there, you’re taking action, but you’re not working toward a specific goal. Pretty soon, huge amounts of time and money have been spent without any clear return on investment.

   Facebook’s deep data allows companies and marketers to laser-target ideal users. Building target audience profiles improves your Facebook marketing ten-fold.

   • Determining the “buyer personas” of your core audience improves the way you solve problems for your customers.
   • Establishing customer pain points helps create content that’s useful to your prospects (and builds authority with search engines).
   • Useful, high-quality content increases engagement and builds your social presence.
   • Website content (i.e. blog posts) published on Facebook and clicked-through to your site improves search ranking.
6. You Don’t Regularly Conduct a Facebook Page Audit
   Whether your social media marketing is in-house or outsourced, it’s often difficult to know where the gaps are between your current successes and where you need to be. Your inbox is full of tips, tools and hacks to improve Facebook and it’s exhausting.

   There are a host of ways you benefit from an audit or review of your social media. Given today’s accelerated rate of potential failure with Facebook marketing, a social media audit will help your page work harder and achieve goals faster.

7. You’re Ignoring Comments and Messages
   Facebook is a communication channel just like email and the phone. Customer service via social media is a game-changer but if you don’t have a process to monitor, listen and respond to messages, you’re dead in the water.

   Nobody likes the feeling of being ignored. If you’re looking for a competitive advantage, social customer service is the answer.

   • 71% of consumers who experience positive social customer care are likely to recommend the brand to others, compared with just 19% of customers who do not get a response.(Sentiment)
   • Today’s tech-savvy consumers want their online questions to be addressed promptly; 42% expect a response within one hour.(Gigya)
   • 33% of users even prefer to contact brands using social media rather than the telephone.(Nielsen)
   • 83% of respondents in a recent survey said they liked—or even loved—when a company responded to them on social.(Convince and Convert)
8. You Have No Defined Goals
   High-converting Facebook pages have clear, well-defined marketing goals.

   At Kruse Control, we begin with an outline of 3 goals and then build out the specific strategies that help each client achieve them:

   • Likability and relevancy are huge in attracting new and existing customers to your Facebook page. Add value to their lives by delivering awesome content.
   • Many companies fall flat when determining what to do with their fans once they become connected.
   • Attracting the right audience and engaging them lays the groundwork. Drive conversions by providing information and value that helps them finalize their purchase decision.
9. You’re Not Leveraging the Power of Facebook Ads
   Facebook has become one of the most powerful platforms to market and advertise a business. Facebook pages fail because they either aren’t using Facebook ads correctly or they’re not using Facebook ads at all.

   No Facebook page will work without Facebook ads. Why? Because you must pay Facebook in order to reach your target audience and deliver the right content to the right customer and the right time.

   No pay, no play.

10. You’re Not Measuring and Analyzing Your Results
    You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Dealers that don’t review their Facebook results are doomed to repeat their mistakes over and over again.

    Facebook Insights is your best friend. It gives you all the metrics you need to judge how your page is doing. You can see which content got the most organic and paid interaction, what you did right, and what didn’t work so well.

    Analyzing results lets you deliver a better experience for fans, make better decisions on your content and determine if you’ve reached your goals.

Next Steps…

If you’re not getting the results you expect, NOW is the time to take action. Compare your page’s element with these 10 Facebook Fails. Look for ways to improve so you can get more out of social media…and more leads into the store.