Facebook marketing has the potential to radically transform your business.

It can connect you to prospective clients at little to no cost and generate exposure like no other marketing medium.

Effectively managing a Facebook business page can accelerate traditional marketing efforts by offering an intimate platform where you can better interact, engage and understand your customers.

Whether you are considering Facebook marketing for your business or simply interested in expanding your current page, avoiding common Facebook mistakes can save you from  hours of frustration and moments of sheer panic when things go drastically wrong.

Facebook Mistakes Killing Your Page

• Not Responding to Comments

Similar to blogging, social media platforms are a community. In order to grow and build a branded presence, you must stay involved.

A major mistake many Facebook admins make is to let comments, likes and shares to go unacknowledged.

No one appreciates their well thought out comment falling on deaf ears. A simple click of the ‘LIKE’ button on their comment can go a long way in building trust and encouraging future interaction. Let your fans know that you are paying attention and not there to simply broadcast a message.

• Not Using an Effective Cover Photo

The Facebook cover photo is an opportunity to immediately grab the attention of a potential fan. Think of it as the cover to your magazine. It should speak directly to your fans needs and wants while quickly relaying why they should LIKE your page.

Create an appealing cover that allows your fans to immediately connect with the look, feel and mission of your brand. An excellent example of a Facebook cover photo is the  GoodPop All-Natural Frozen Pops page. Who wouldn’t want to eat one of these delicious looking all-natural Popsicles?

• Taking Your Anger Out on the Page

Lose your temper or patience once with a fan or blast someone on your wall and even the most revered page won’t be able to save your image.  Your fans have come to expect a certain tone and style of communication from you. If you allow one offensive comment to move you to anger, the repercussions to your misguided response can be devastating.

This isn’t to say that you can’t express frustration or unhappiness about something affecting your business or industry. However, this type of status update should only be used as a way to help your fans gain a better understanding into how and why it affects them. It should never feel like venting.  Your ranting might appeal to some, but not for long.  Think about those people that frequently explode or spend their days whining about how unfair life is.  How does it make you feel?

Always be mindful of your tone and voice. Ensure that you keep it true to the image that has been created both by your brand and page.  One wrong move could result in a significant loss of trust, and eventually fans.

• Bad-Mouthing Your Competition

It’s one thing to share your success stories with your fans; it’s another to rub it in the face of your competition.  For example, let’s say you bring home the Top Producer award within your company. It’s exciting news to share with your fans and something they will undoubtedly enjoy celebrating along with you.  Where you cross the line is to degrade your competition.

No one likes a braggart. Reducing someone else in the eyes of others only to raise yourself up leaves you looking shallow and self-absorbed.  Not exactly the image anyone wants to portray.

• Not Taking the Time to Build Relationships

Having a page and forgetting to “work the room” is a huge mistake made by many Facebook Fan Page Admins.  If you find yourself scheduling your daily post and then moving on to the rest of your day, you are missing an enormous opportunity to build awareness and reciprocity.

Once you post, take the time to make the rounds and like and comment on other Facebook pages with content relevant to your fan base. This creates strategic relationships and heightens awareness about your brand and page. However, you must be very careful with this strategy. The point is not to spam or promote, but rather to add insightful and meaningful dialogue to the conversation.

The saying, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” definitely applies here.

• Not Monitoring Your Facebook Insights

A big mistake many marketers make is not consistently monitoring analytics and analyzing the effectiveness of their message.

Facebook insights provide a detailed analysis of each post including reach, number of engaged users and the virality of your post. Important information needed when creating a strategy behind your daily posts.

Taking the time to understand what your fans are looking for and when your best time to post might be can save you time and money.

The bottom line is this: Building a presence on Facebook will not mysteriously happen if you haven’t committed to “showing up” in a positive way on a daily basis. Begin today by taking a proactive stance in branding your business by offering relevant content that is consistent with your mission and message.

What are the biggest mistakes you see businesses make on Facebook?