Guest blog by Laura Bowers
Social Media Coordinator at The Briad Group

With more a billion active users on Facebook, it’s a no-brainer your business should have a presence on the dominant social networking site. But simply throwing up a Facebook page for your company isn’t enough – it’s important to optimize your digital presence to ensure the right leads are driven back to your business. Here are 10 common mistakes small businesses make when it comes to Facebook, as well as how to remedy them.

Mistake 1: Not creating a social media plan. Having an objective or goal for your Facebook page will save time and money, as well as assist with page management. You should determine if brand awareness, customer service, or engagement and interaction will be your page’s focus. Once that is decided, you can tailor your page and page posts to reflect that strategy.

Mistake 2: Not providing enough information. It’s very important to have your profile complete, with accurate and detailed information. For example, if your page is set up as a company, make sure the first few lines of your About section reflect your tagline, description or other important information. If your page is set up as a local business, your hours, address and contact information need to be correct.

Mistake 3: Lacking investment. Simply put, you must spend time on Facebook for it to be successful. It can’t just be another spot for you to auto-post Twitter content or use for personal updates. Engage with fans, find similar businesses or brands to follow and support, and post relevant content. Give fans a reason why they should connect with your page.

Mistake 4: Incorrect grammar, punctuation and information. Your Facebook page is a direct reflection of your brand. Your page administrators must be using correct grammar and punctuation. A few common offenders are over-capitalization, ending every update with a question, and using “I.” Posts should look as if they are coming from your brand, instead of the individual managing the page.

Mistake 5: Not engaging with fans. Scott Stratten, president of UnMarketing, wrote in his book of the same name, “If I offered you a tool 10 years ago that allowed you to do what social media does today, you would have paid $20,000 a month to access it, and today it’s free.” In other words, you have your fans’ attention — what do you want to do with it? Engage, interact, and keep your fans interested and coming back to your page.

Mistake 6: Ignoring complaints. Facebook will continue to be an easy outlet for complaints. They must be handled in an appropriate way, or you risk losing the business of the unsatisfied fan, as well as others who could see the complaint on your page. The general rule is to first address the complaint online and, if needed, move it offline.

Mistake 7: Measuring the wrong insights.While page “Like’s” are a great indicator that you’re getting your page in front of the right fans, the focus should be on Facebook Insights such as “Virality” and “Talking About This.” These metrics will show you fan engagement, which are better at generating the true value of your page.

Mistake 8: Not taking advantage of Facebook’s features. In addition to providing complete and accurate information on your page and paying attention to Insights, it’s beneficial to use the other tools Facebook provides. Create a history of your business using the Milestone feature, located in Offer, Event, + tab on your status bar. Having a correctly sized timeline photo and profile picture will also optimize your Facebook page.

Mistake 9: Breaking Facebook’s rules. This is a big mistake, one that could even result in the loss of your page. When running a promotion, whether it’s well-thought-out plan with a valuable prize, or you’re simply giving away a T-shirt, Facebook features or functions cannot be used, such as “Like”-ing a page or post to win, and the promotion must be run using a third-party app. You can check Facebook’s Promotion Policy for more details.

Mistake 10: Not allowing a budget for Facebook advertising. Having a presence on Facebook is free, but if you want to take full advantage of Facebook, trying out their ads and offers is a great way to reach new fans. Offers are a great way to get fans into your business or online shop. Facebook Ads work well to promote yourself, an event or a new feature of your business.

Know more common mistakes and how to prevent them? Leave them in the comments.

Laura Bowers is the social media coordinator for The Briad Group and handles the social media and content for their T.G.I. Friday’s locations, as well as other brands in their portfolio. To check out the Arizona T.G.I. Friday’s(R) Facebook page, go here: https://www.facebook.com/tgifridays.arizona.