George Odenyo Litunya's

Thought Leadership
Tips to Boost Your Facebook Page Performance
Tips to Boost Your Facebook Page Performance


10 Step Plan to Boost Your Facebook Page Performance


Why are you not getting the traction you hoped you would by now? Yet, new and exciting marketing channels are here. In fact, they are up and running in your business? To find out why I encourage you to read on.

Before we dive in, I have an exercise for you. Stop reading this and visit your facebook page. What do you see? Any likes. Shares? Any encouraging metric to keep you going? If your answer is yes, keep doing what you are doing. If it's no, let's put a smile on your face too.

This post will point out what you need to do, to fix all these. Ready? Good.

1. Publish regularly
Have a plan (content strategy) to post on your site on a regular basis and in a frequency most comfortable to you. Don't overdo it. 

2. Be human
If you go in only to make sales, stop. Do something else. Make every post, appeal to the people who are waiting to like and share your content. Make them the focus and not you or your business.


‘Facebook pages fail when the posts focus on products instead of people.’ Says Kathi Kruse

3. Use the three-stage content approach
What are they? Entertain, educate and excite. Do not focus on educating and neglect the other two. Blend all three to get the best mix of content, which will eventually remove your facebook page from the gutters.

4. Be Authentic
Kathi Kruse, ‘People are looking for authentic brands—brands that communicate exactly who they are and what impact they want to have in their customers' lives.’

5. Understand your target audience
Go in and zoom in. The idea of mass marketing is losing its grip. Today, we go for specifics. Through a process of creating persona’s, you develop a picture of whom you consider your ideal target audience. If you have done this already, good for you. If not, try it out.

6. Conduct regular facebook page audits
Take time to review your page. Isolating what is working from what isn’t working. Then proceed to think about how to raise non-performing tactics and strengthen performing tactics.

‘A social media conversion review can help your page achieve your goals faster.’ Kathi Kruse.

7. Be Quick to Respond to Messages& Comments (Feedback)
How do you feel when you text someone and they a) reply after 2 days or b) never reply? It hurts. This is exactly how your fans are feeling. On this point, the golden rule applies. Treat others, as you would like to be treated.

This is key: Facebook is a communication channel, just like email and the telephone. Customer service via social media is hugely important, but if you do not have a process to monitor, listen, and respond to messages, you are dead in the water.

8. Define your goals
Are you a ship without a rudder? A traveller whose response to, ‘where are you going sir?’ is ‘I am just going.’ Write down what you want your facebook page to achieve when it has all been said and done. These goals lie in these three categories: attract, engage, and convert. From these, then you can specify the exact goal you wish to attain.

9. Launch facebook ads
Users thought facebook is free. In an article published by Ogilvy@social: Facebook Zero: Considering Life after the Demise of Organic Reach. it talks about the demise of the organic reach. Implying that in the near future getting organic likes would be an uphill task. Thus calling upon brands to start setting marketing budgets (facebook ads) going forward.

10. Monitor and evaluate performance (Analytics)
‘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. Analysing results helps you deliver a better experience for fans, make better decisions on your content, and determine whether you've reached your goals.’ says Kathi Kruse.

A version of this article first appeared on the Kruse Control website.
                                      




It is always good to find someone with first-hand knowledge, to shed light on a given topic. And to also diversify my content, I sought the input of my colleagues in the field of Digital Marketing.

I tracked down Ricky Acheza, a digital marketing expert with 5 years’ experience working with local and international brands. He is the man responsible for building Internitup to be the largest higher education page on Facebook in East and Central Africa with a 25% organic engagement rate (Socialbakers, July 2014). Currently, he manages social media for Dudutech in Kenya and Rainforest Foods in the UK.

In short, Ricky knows how things work. Let us see what he has to say.

Actuate Digital (AD): Hello and thank you very much for taking the time to provide us with this interview Ricky. We will jump right in.


AD: What is your perception of Social Media in organizations in as far as its contribution to communication, marketing and or PR?

RA: With many people now on social media, and more joining every day, it is slowly becoming the easiest way for organisations and clients to interact. The near-instantaneous nature means that both parties get to send information and receive feedback faster than ever before.

AD: When using social media to push your organizational goals, in as far as communication, marketing or PR is concerned, what new 3 things have you learnt to date?

RA: They are:
  • The number of followers does not matter, leads matter.
  • In case of a crisis, transparency is key
  • Teen talk is not for all brands

AD: What are the key secrets to a successful social media strategy?
  • A good social media strategy should define the target customer and define a tone to address them
  •  It should have the relevant KPIs clearly outlined.
  • The purpose should be clearly defined. Be it brand awareness, lead generation etc.

AD: From your experience, do you think Kenyan C-Suite executives are warming up to the whole digital communications trends (social media)? Why?

RA: I think they are. I have come across companies that have existed in brick and mortar for decades but whose managers are trying to bring them online and social media. On a personal level, most of them have accounts on social media platforms giving an indication that they recognise it as a worthy medium to reach out to people.

AD: Tell us how you manage to execute your social media functions?
I use a lot of tools but my biggest three are a content calendar, Hootsuite and Google Alerts

Ricky’s Bio:

He is a Kenyan digital marketer with close to 5 years’ experience working with local and international brands. Having built Internitup to be the largest higher education page on Facebook in East and Central Africa with a 25% organic engagement rate (Socialbakers, July 2014), he now manages social media for Dudutech in Kenya and Rainforest Foods in the UK.



Social Media Strategy
Jumpstarting Your Social Media Strategy

3 Tips To Jumpstart Your Social Media Strategy

42% of marketers say Facebook is critical or important to their business. - State of Inbound Marketing, 2012

It has been 6 months, with no results. Now, what?

Are you asking yourself this question, right about now? Find comfort knowing that you are not alone. We started well. As is the most important thing to do. Tweaking, however, is something we continuously do. For any strategy must lend itself to tweaking.

Many times, after we have launched our ‘air-tight’ strategies, we sit back and deploy tactic after tactic. With the hopes that when we wake up the next morning, we will be a step closer to our set objective.

More often than not, this is usually the case. But for you reading this, I have a feeling that things did not pan out as planned. It has been 6 months, but still, you have not given your client that 6,000 page likes you promised. Or, increased website traffic by 57% according to your statistics. Now, what? Well, read on.

Like any other good car, whose battery dies out when you least expect. You do not go on buying a new battery instantly. Unless of course, it is time. Otherwise, get your jumper cables and flag down oncoming vehicles. Do what is needed: jumpstart your strategy. Resuscitate it for another 6 months and be on the lookout.

According to Social Media Examiner: 83% of marketers indicate that social media is important for their business. Knowing this, you cannot afford not to jumpstart your strategy.

Here is how you go about it.

1. Do Your Research
This is where you need to spend the bulk of your time. Mostly, look at where you were. Where you are and where you needed to be, Better yet, where you need to be (objectives).

‘Look for communities, influencers, and discussions that relate to your brand, products, competitors, and industry. Look into how you could potentially target key audiences through different media. Do not just limit yourself to Facebook pages/groups and Twitter users. Look into bloggers in your industry (or outside your industry) that have an audience you want to reach.’ Andrew Krebs-Smith

The more you delve into research your will find gems hidden in online forums. These are all potential areas to generate content, seed content, find ambassadors, and get online placements. 

Look into your competitors, and industry at large: what is happening and what have they been doing that you aren’t. Answering these questions is a step closer to refining your strategy to achieve the set objective.

2. First, Build Relationships
Most of the times, we get it wrong. We set up social media page and handles with the sole intention of selling, selling…stop it. You might have pegged the whole strategy on selling your services and products. Adapting the grandiose mentality. Caring less, about the most important person in that fragile relationship-your target audience.

If this is you, revise that agenda. Go in, but do so with the idea that you will first before all else invest time and resources in building relationships. Reach out to other influencers; build relationships before asking them to use their digital properties to push your agenda going forward.

Once you build these relationships (influencers) when you go back to them and ask them to promote your campaign they will be happy to help. It is key to start by building relationships. You can achieve this by sharing valuable information at all times.

3. Create a Content Calendar
Content is what feeds the digital beast. In 2014, the infographics titled Data Never Sleeps 2.0: Facebook users share nearly 2.5 million pieces of content. Twitter users tweet nearly 300,000 times. YouTube users upload 72 hours of new video content. Try to wrap your brain around those figures. 2 years later, you expect this data to increase.

Begging the question: where is your content calendar? Better yet, show me your content strategy and I will show you a brand that is succeeding in the social realm.
Echoing Andrew Krebs-Smith sentiments, ‘There is nothing worse than a Facebook page or Twitter account that is filled entirely with self-promoting updates.’

Andrew Krebs-Smith adds, ‘It is not always easy to come up with awesome, engaging content every day, but tweeting another link to your website is not the answer. That is why it helps to create a weekly or monthly content calendar in advance to help you think strategically about what to post and when being sure to schedule promotional updates at a maximum of one time per week.’

Final Thoughts…

Is marketing and art or a science? Well, Seth Godin advises that we look at it as both an art and science. Because there comes a time when you are all into measuring ROI and other key statistics.

Some other times, you are keen to creatively formulate a stellar campaign. With the goal of driving traffic to your website, like never before. What we should know is, choose between the two hats wisely. Depending on the day, don one of the hats (science or art)  and get to work.

These tips allow for designing a social media strategy that leverages brand assets and social media tools to get your brand in front of the right people and ultimately, grow your business. Which is the ultimate ROI (Look at me wearing my science hat.)







Taking the advice of pioneers, to never stop learning, I came across something and someone who changed my thinking. If you ever find yourself online and or in a library, Google Seth Godin. Devour all that you can find written by him.

In reading his work, I learnt something about circles. Which I would like to share with you.

As we spend time on this earth, among other things, we are all looking to build circles. In fact, where I work, I have colleagues who I consider to be in the inner circle. You know them right? Those you can confide in when management behaves in a not so favourable manner. Well, that was all there was to it. Until, I read Seth’s post, titled 'The Big Drop-Off.'

A concept he explains as the natural state of affairs. ‘The Big Drop-Off is the huge decline that occurs between our enthusiasm and the tepid actions of the first circle.’ says Seth. How do we get here: I thought? Well, it is by marketers, advertisers, business owners, and people trying to quell their attention urge.

In the process of quelling this urge we build the first circle. This circle comprises of followers, friends, customers, subscribers, and everyone ready and willing to hear our pitch. ‘This is the group we (business owners, marketers) talk to about our new products, or new record, our upcoming big sale.’ explains Seth.

It does not stop there, does it? No. From this first circle, we want them to give us their undivided attention. Moreover, to continue being part of the growing list of followers, subscribers, likes, customers and loyal fans.

But, as we immerse ourselves in this circle, we forget the second circle. Which as the post explains, matters immensely. ‘The second circle is the set of people who hear about us from the first circle.’ Adds Seth.

The modus operandi is 'If they like our products and services, enough those in the first circle, they will actually use their time and energy to talk about it. They will tell two or more friends.' Moreover, if you are good, expect the second circle to tell the third circle. However, note this: the second circle comprises of people we do not even know. They are as a result of the first circle.

It is from this second circle that a third circle emerges. This third circle further consists of people we do not know. This is the golden goose that lays the golden egg. Where the awaited results lie. ‘It’s the third circle that makes you a hit, gets you elected, and tips your idea,’ says Seth.

What does this mean: as business owners and consultants (whoever you are) pay attention to the client you have, the first circle. Take your time and give them the best possible service and always tweak your services, ensuring that he gets the very best. From this, you will find them using their energy and time, actually going out of their own way to talk about you to others. From that, a second circle emerges. Then with a little more work, a third circle.

Knowing which circle matters most, you are better placed to deploy resources effectively. Go for the first circle. Do a bang up job and wait for stardom, if you are into that sort of thing. If not, wait for more clients to come knocking your office door.
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