How to Avoid Being a Facebook Spammer

spam n. Unsolicited e-mail, often of a commercial nature, sent indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists, individuals, or newsgroups; junk e-mail.

My definition of spam is advertising to people without them asking for it or expecting it; it doesn’t have to be an email. To me junk mail in my post box is spam. Unfortunately, there is a lot of advertising from direct marketers on Facebook. Not everybody cares.

Yes, advertising your party plan business on Facebook to all your friends is spam.

“Anticipated, personal and relevant advertising always does better than unsolicited junk.” ~Seth Godin, What Every Good Marketer Knows

Now boasting over half a billion users, Facebook is an amazing phenomenon. And the users are active. According to the COO of Facebook, fully half of the users log in every day. Those are numbers that can’t be ignored. For my business, I knew had to be a part of it, but I wanted to do it right. I wanted Facebook to be a conduit to my friends and family, AND I wanted it to be a conduit to my clients. The people who buy my products. The people who let me into their homes.

So here it is: the right way to promote your party plan business on Facebook.

Create a Facebook account

You probably already have an account for you. It’s the one you set up when you started Facebook. It’s the one that your friends and family look at. It’s the one old classmates will find. It’s the one where you might write a status update like these:

• Jeez my kids are cute. Here they are in their Halloween outfits (with images).
• I went to a great class reunion last night. It was fantastic to catch up with everyone after (gasp) 30 years!
• Yippee! It’s beer-thirty! TGIF!

Create a Facebook Page

This is a page where you would make status updates like this:

• I’ve just gotten advance notice about our Christmas specials and I can’t wait to share them with you!
• Last night my host got $400 in free products. Wow!
• Hot tip: You can get more life out of your [insert product name here] if you do this: [insert tip here]!
• Special Facebook Fan Offer: refer a new host to me before Christmas and get a $25 voucher for free products.

A Facebook Page can only be created by authorised users. Since you own your party plan business, you can authorise yourself to create a Facebook Page.

1. Go to be bottom of any page on Facebook and click the Advertising link.
2. Click on the link to Facebook Page in the “Deepen your relationships” section
3. If you’re an intuitive type, just click the green “Create a Page” button and follow the instructions. If you’re a “measure twice, cut once” type, then read the Overview, Prepare, Step by Step, and Find new fans tabs first.
4. Select Official Page for a Local Business (I suggest the Consumer Product or Professional Service categories, but you might have a better option)
5. Name the Page. Important: Do NOT use the name of the company you work with. You are not authorised to use that name. This is the name of YOUR business. Facebook also won’t let you name it something completely generic. For example, you cannot be “Gift Wrapping,” but you can be “Jill the Gift Wrapping Specialist.”
6. Click the Like Button at the top – this will make the link show up on your personal profile. (You might want to wait until you’ve set up the rest of the Page before you hit the Like button.)
7. Add an image – I think this should be a picture of you. Don’t use copyrighted material from your company unless you are authorised to do so.
8. Provide information as you see fit. Again, be aware of what you are allowed to say and what you aren’t.

Then you can use the links under your picture to add the page to your favourites and suggest the page to specific friends and family members. Don’t send that invitation to everybody all at once. Don’t use spam to get them to like your page. Use a personalised message. Tell them WHY you think they’d “Like” that page. What’s in it for them? The more tailored your invitation, the better. Take your time.

How to engage people on your Facebook Page

1. Treat it like an information resource for your customers. Give away tips on how to get the most value from your products. Share information about specials and promotions. Give incentives (reasons) for people to spread the word about your Page to others. Make your page interesting.
2. Use it to promote the business opportunity – but do so sparingly. You don’t want to alienate your fans by selling then the business everyday. Keep your focus on customer service, quality products, and important tips, and you’ll keep your audience engaged.
3. This is your business. Make your posts appealing, easy, fun, and exciting.

How to promote your Facebook page

1. Talk about your Facebook Page at your demonstrations. Let people know that by “liking” the page they will get instant access to specials and promotions, and exclusive tips, hints, and ideas for how to use their products.
2. Promote your Facebook Page to your clients. I send an email to every new client with some important information about their order. I always include a link to my Facebook Page in that email and I encourage them to “Like” that Page. I let them know that by “liking” the page they will get instant access to specials and promotions, and exclusive tips, hints, and ideas for how to use their products.
3. Encourage people who love your services to write on your Facebook Page. Testimonials are really powerful.
4. Respond to people who write on your page. Thank them for their comment or question. Answer their question so others can see the response. Engage with them.

What not to do

1. Don’t stalk your customers on Facebook. Let them link to your Facebook Page if they want to. Invite them, don’t force them.
2. Don’t mix business with pleasure. If you become (real life) friends with your clients, and if you have interests in each others lives outside of your business, perhaps it will be appropriate for you to be their Facebook friend. But most of your clients are just that… clients.
3. Don’t use copyrighted images or words on your Facebook Page. Make it all original material from you. People will respond better to your words.
4. Don’t be unprofessional. Swearing, complaining, whining, begging, and lying are bad for business. Don’t talk about others. Share your opinion. Don’t steal other consultant’s clients.
5. Don’t let Facebook replace the phone for customer problems. If you find a customer problem through a Facebook interaction, take charge of the problem and resolve it off of Facebook.
6. Don’t expect your page to have hundreds or thousands of Active Users overnight. Promote your Page consistently and let the number of Active Users grow over time.
7. Don’t do the paid advertising. Word of mouth growth is what you’re looking for here. Most party plan businesses will have pretty strict rules on internet advertising, so if you do decide to pay for ads, make sure that you are within the rules of your company.

I hope this article helps clear some of the spam out of your life. Keep it all anticipated, personal and relevant and you’ll have happy friends AND fans.