While working on Counterintuity’s Facebook page yesterday, I happened upon a page we set up for a client. Sadly, it hasn’t been touched since the day we finished a detailed marketing plan last summer.
This company is far from alone. Though Facebook doesn’t release stats on inactive business (or personal) pages, I come across them daily.
To me, this is akin to training all season for the championship game and then dropping out in the first quarter. Why would you spend all that (insert: time, money, effort, frustration) building a social media network and not use it? Would you build a custom home and not move into it?
Facebook is free. It’s easy. And it tells people more about your business than you may realize. A stale Facebook page says a) you’re no longer in business; b) you’re too busy to care about your fans or c) you don’t keep up with technology trends. All three scenarios are troubling and lead me straight to your competitor(s).
Even if you’re not the cool kid on block-al la Victoria’s Secret PINK, consumers today expect you to be a player. You don’t need a pimped-out Facebook or Twitter page just to stay in the game.
Social media “housekeeping” should take small companies no more than 30 minutes a day, tops. It can be done by anyone with knowledge of your company or products. Toss the excuses. If you don’t have time, your secretary or intern does (and they’re probably young enough to understand the process). Make a commitment now to spending time daily to keep your fans updated and engaged.
After all, if your online pages are slowly rotting away, then so is your reputation.