Image via CrunchBase

Everyone knows Facebook can be a powerful marketing tool. It allows you to connect with a broad audience, provides a venue to interact with customers, and can give your company a personal feel. However, to be effective, Facebook must be used correctly. There are a number of mistakes that some companies make that turn off potential customers.

1. Posting Too Often

Of course it is a good idea to post frequently. It keeps customers engaged and coming back for important information. However, there is also a point where it becomes too much. If you are posting five times a day, people are going to get annoyed and stop following you. Many people recommend no more than once a day.

2. Not Posting Enough

On the other hand, you don’t want to be completely silent on Facebook either. People need a reason to follow you. If you haven’t posted in weeks, people will think you are irrelevant or that there’s no reason to follow you. Be consistent.

3. Uncreative Content

People will only like your page if they think it has something valuable to offer. There are so many people on Facebook that you need something to set you apart from everyone else. Post creative content, even if it doesn’t seem to have a direct connection to the product or service your company sells.

4. Unresponsive to Fans

One of the best elements of Facebook is the opportunity to engage with fans of your page. If people ask questions or give compliments, they will be offended if you don’t respond. The more you engage customers the more they will be willing to purchase your services.

5. Arguing With Customers

While it is important to engage with customers, always keep it positive. Never get into arguments about a product, even if a person is wrong. There are people that will intentionally try to get a negative reaction out of you. Simply apologize when people complain and stay out of fights.

6. Posting the Same Topic Over and Over

People need variety. If you just post about the same thing every time, people will get bored and stop following you. Try to add variety to your posts. Not everything has to be directly about the product you sell. Try to engage customers in interesting conversations about a wide variety of topics.

7. Not Having a Plan

You simply will not be successful if you don’t start out with a strategy. This is essential for any type of marketing campaign. Understand what type of audience you want to target and how you will reach them.

8. Focusing Too Much on Numbers

Some companies feel that the ultimate goal of a Facebook page is to get as many followers as possible. This isn’t necessarily true. A greater focus should be based on the actual content of the page and how it is impacting viewers.

9. Ignoring the Analytics Feature

Some people don’t look at or don’t even realize Facebook gives you analytics about your page. Looking at these stats will tell you how many people are viewing your page and what types of posts are working.

10. Not Having a Cover Photo

This is free advertising space. Facebook is frequently coming out with new profile features, so pay attention to them. Pictures are the first thing people will pay attention to. Keep them updated and visually appealing.

About the Author: Lindsey Patterson is a freelance writer who specializes in the latest social and technology trends, specifically involving the use of social media. She is currently a consultant for Vivint. Follow them on Twitter here.

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Guest Post Published By Thomas Ballantyne

Happy New Year From Blog Pest Control

So it is farewell to 2012, and Blog Pest Control would like to express our gratitude for another remarkable year. We’d like to thank you the reader for your valuable support, comments, social media shares, and feedback throughout the past year.

This upcoming year, Blog Pest Control will continue to be your go-to source for all things pest control. We will continue to bring you informative news on different pests, pest treatments, and pest related breaking news stories from around the country. You can also turn to us for advice on running your pest control business; including informative pest control Q&A posts. Lets keep this platform alive for many years to come.

Bulwark Exterminating and Blog Pest Control would like seize this opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year 2013. May the coming year bring prosperity, joy, and happiness to all of you. We’re looking forward to your continued support through 2013 and beyond.

Happy New Year!

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Anthony Ball

General rule of thumb,
if they mention you and/or your company,
then you deserve a link.

My boss was interviewed by a big magazine that published both off and online. He gave some great info and insight into running an exterminator business. What he forgot to do was ask for a link. While this should happen naturally from writers/editors, it doesn’t. Perhaps I live in a dream world that would deem that linking to your source as ethical. Maybe I am alone in thinking that writers should know to link out. Perhaps someday, but for now on my boss has been advised to proceed as follows.

ASK FOR THE LINK BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

It’s really very simple boss, when they quote you they need to do the following:

“Adam Seever, CEO of Bulwark Exterminating, says…”

If it’s an exclusive interview of you then they should conclude with an about section or begin with an introduction were they can build up more of your expertise. You can get a few more links in if it’s an exclusive interview.

“Today we are interviewing Adam Seever, CEO of Bulwark Exterminating, who has used database technology to create www.ScorpionReport.org”

In the past I would have pushed for an anchor text link for targeted keywords like pest control , and if I author a guest post for someone then I typically do drop in such a link, but today Google wants to see more of your branded keyword linking to you over heavy anchor text links. You can still accomplish this in an interview if you reference something you have written elsewhere online… “In my recent article on ant control I showed how statistical evaluation of treatments..”

You can also have them drop in easy links under a bio that lead to Find Bulwark on twitter, Follow Bulwark on Facebook: http://facebook.com/bulwarkpestcontrol Read Bulwark’s Blog …

These are just a few thoughts on how to get valid links through interviewing or blogging. But don’t over do your linking. If you submit an article to me as a guest blog post with as many self promoting links as what are in this article then I’d reject your article submission. I think 1-2 selfish links per article is permissible. More links are acceptable if they are not self serving. So if you want to load up a few more links then link to your friends.

Image via Wikipedia

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Want to guest post? Then contact me: @Thos003

A Promoted Tweet on Pest Control term by an electrical company?

“Technology has to be invented or adopted.”  – Jared Diamond

Okay so this a cool quote and all, but why?

Why would GE want to promote this tweet on the pest control stream? Where is the connection? Did someone just do some keyword research and find pest control related to technology?  Are exterminators a large consumer of light bulbs? Sorry, just not getting it.  Pest Control Technology… Hmmm…. I mean there is a pest control technology magazine. And I often feel that Bulwark Exterminating is becoming more of a technology company than a residential pest control service… but still not getting the full picture here.

I guess the plus side to this is that I am blogging about this simply out of awe. But does it make me more inclined to buy from the promoter of said tweet?

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Social media platforms are constantly put in head to head comparisons. So when Mat Siltala from Dream Systems Media did a post about his scorpion sting on all 3 social media platforms simultaneously, the intuitive nature of Mat kicked in. Between Facebook, Google+, and twitter, which platform would be most responsive to a post about scorpion stings? What would be your guess? The results may surprise you a bit.

Google+ Count

Have Matt in circles (2158) – That is a fairly good audience. Google+ is fresh. It’s the new upbeat social hang out. One could speculate that it has more real users… or not. But Google didn’t take the cake for Mat’s scorpion sting post.

Twitter Count

3,618 Followers – That is a healthy twitter following. Mat Siltala has been a very busy busy body on twitter. His follower to follow ratio is fantastic. He puts out a steady stream of useful content. And he laughs out loud some funny infographics. But can twitter compete with the socialness of facebook?

Facebook Social Weight

Friends (602) – Clearly Mat is more selective with his Facebook audience. With a count of 602 the facebook audience is a fraction of Mat’s Google+ and Twitter following. But honestly, Facebook seems to be more intimate. Mat’s lower friend count is because Mat is selective about who views his Facebook stream. And in Mat’s case, he shares things that are bit more private. So I naturally believed that Facebook would be the best setting for a conversation about scorpion stings. Regular life happens on facebook.

And the Scorpion Sting Survey Says…

Twitter wins!

So wait… twitter isn’t just about news and high-tech stuff? You can actually have a conversation on twitter about life? Do you want to know what I had for breakfast?

Okay… I will keep the meal tweets to a minimum. But I was shocked that twitter got the bulk of the interaction. Granted, this wasn’t a planned out scientific test so there are a number of variables that alter this example. But even still, a pest control guy can pick up a conversation on twitter about bugs. And if you know how to converse then you can effectively communicate with twitter. If you can communicate then you can market.

What are your thoughts on operation Scorpion Sting?

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I know sad that I must blog my own quotes…

As Shakespeare so put it, “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

Apparently this tweet was liked, as I received some mentions on it. This concept is the summation of a key element in search engine rankings and therefore the core of gaining search engine rankings.

Is Content King?

The search engines want to believe that the best content on the internet will win. They gauge this by links. If you like something then you will share it with others by linking to it. Who hasn’t gotten an email with a link in it to a funny video. Funny is almost always likable. Who doesn’t like things that are funny?… Okay maybe its not best to crack a joke when in a heated argument with a wife. But let’s not get into timing right now. The idea of the search engine tallying up links is to find the sites that are most liked by all. Content should incite people to like you. Content should give people a reason to link to you.

Offline Likability = Online Linkability

To expand this concept one step further, I believe your offline likability is also proportionate to your online link-ability. This is going beyond what the search engine would expect. Search Engine’s believe that people more likely to naturally link to an awesome hotel’s website after having a fantastic weekend of sterling customer service. Hence the best hotel wins. I ..Perhaps. But popularity of lesser hotels may out weigh the likability of awesome less known hotels. I believe we are now taking this one step further. I am more compelled to share articles from individuals that I know and like. I win more links from people I meet and establish a relationship with. Take for instance Dennis G., he’s likable and thus linkable. I am much more likely to link to Ebay after having met Dennis.

We could even Expand this chain to:

 Likable = Linkable = Tweetable = Diggable = Stumbleable = Remarkable = Rankable

As one comment I received stated… “Wow, thanks for that. I have to summarize today why losing links is a big deal, ane explain why they are going to lose their rankings.”

Glad I could help. =)

“So this is good and dandy for individuals but what about businesses. Are we in business to be friends with people?”

If you have not figured out the new online order, YES, YOU NEED TO MAKE FRIENDS.  Granted, being likable does not mean being buddy-buddy. You don’t need to be a BFF. But as a business you do need to serve a purpose and people need to like you doing that service. Disney probably puts it the best:

“Do what you do so well, that the people who see you do it, will want to see you do it again, and will bring others to see you do it.“

Adding a smile to your service helps bring them back for more. Being friendly helps them share your business with their friends. In today’s online world this is amplified over several thousand social connections. Social media works best for those that know how to act socially acceptable and be sociable. I am a pest control guy. My first priority is to get rid of bugs, my second is to make you smile a little longer.

Now go out and be LIKABLE!

This was my first SMAZ event, so I didn’t really know what to expect.  Besides, I work for a pest control company, so how much is really applicable to killing crickets and scorpions, right?  Sure, we posted our “Black Widow vs. 27 Scorpions” video on YouTube last week, but even I understand that’s barely a drop in an enormous ocean.  For me, the SMAZ event was tremendously fascinating and motivating.  Here are the five most interesting ideas on my notepad. (A notepad! I know…ghetto huh? Next year I’ll be the guy next to me yesterday tweeting on the iPad in one hand, and tweeting from a different handle on the iPhone in the other hand.)

1.  96% of Y Generation interacts with social media.  Think about that.  That’s amazing!  The presenter immediately followed that stat up with “that’s more than Boomers watched television.”  Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare.  Didn’t blogging just come out like 6 years ago?!?  That’s an incredible statistic. Social media isn’t just some fad or popular wave.  It’s now a lifestyle.  My 12 and 14 year old nephews both have Facebook accounts.  My wife, both sister-in-laws, sister, brother-in-law and both brothers all have accounts.  As I think about it, other than our family relationship, that’s probably the one feature that we all commonly share.

2. Complete strangers are interested in my life. Take Twitter for example.  Some people follow 5,000 people, and may be followed themselves by 7,000 others.  Obviously your Ashton Kutchers and Paris Hiltons of the world are going to have hundreds of thousands of followers, but even Joe Shmo can build quite a crowd of listeners.  And I haven’t even specified if his tweets are anything of significance or value.  Maybe he’s tweeting what cereal he’s having in the morning.  Jane Nobody, who lives 1,500 miles away, might actually tweet back regarding his bowl of Cinnamon Life (which I had this morning, by the way). Seeing people connect is cool.

3. Keep your social mediums, company website and newsletters separate. This was a great point!  Keep in mind that while many people tend to gravitate towards one particular medium, there are many others that want all of them.  It’s possible, and likely, that one of your customers is also your Twitter follower, Facebook fan, website visitor, newsletter recipient, rewards member, VIP customers and your free walking billboard when they wear your company t-shirt.  Not everything that appears on your website needs to be a tweet or status update.  You also don’t need to re-post all your tweets and updates back into your monthly newsletter.  While there is a time and place to repeat things, your content should vary from one medium to another.  This reminds me of being a kid, and not wanting my food to invade each other on the dinner plate.  It may all be going to the same place, but I’d at least like to enjoy the flavors individually. Broccoli and hot-dogs shouldn’t be blended together.

4. The press release is still alive. I’ll admit, this was my inner-PR degree speaking from the shadows.  It’s fascinating to think how much the press release has changed and evolved in the last 5 years.  Before we had our list of media contacts, email bombed everyone, and followed up a few days later.  While this is still one way of doing it, the online press release has really changed the game in more ways than one.  Services like PRNewswire can get your release looked at by thousands of gatekeepers.  On top of that, it’s already online, which makes it searchable and viewable by potentially millions more.  On top of THAT, it’s great for SEO, given the fact that once it’s reposted it’s given your website a friendly backlink.  It’s like the gift that keeps on giving.

Shown by Sheila Kloefkorn of KEO Marketing (Phoenix, AZ)

And 5. Optimize EVERYTHING! I’ve even seen this work in pest control.  Last month we had sales close via the company blog.  We also closed sales via Facebook.  And, my boss even brought in a trackable sale via Twitter.  Whether it’s a Facebook post, a blog entry, a tweet, a video or even a photo, make sure all those items are properly optimized with the appropriate keywords.  Photos might be at the bottom of everyone’s “Need to Optimize” list, but just as important as your blog post.  Do This: Go to SERP, type in the name of your company, hit “search”, then hit the “images” option.  What’s on the first page?  I just did this for my favorite Mexican grill, Costa Vida.  All but two images on the first page belong to the Costa Vida restaurant.  (I’m all about the sweet pork salad. Do yourself a favor this weekend and try it out.)  Simply put, you never know how your next loyal customer is going to find you.  So it’s vitally important to make sure that they actually find you.  Imagine that!

Special thanks to everyone that made the SMAZ event a success.  Breakfast and lunch were great, the speakers were all great and it was fun to meet other locals within the same industry.  I even want to give a shout out to the parking garage guy that let us out of the garage for free.  See you all next year.

Steve Bitter
@stevebitter
Bulwark Exterminating

@Thos003

-

Thomas: Well it’s been a fun month, all kinds of fun things are happening. We’ve got Jerry the Bug Doctor set up for a Blog Pest Control interview today. Despite his title as the Bug Doctor, Jerry isn’t working to make the bugs feel better. No,  Jerry stays busy doing pest control in Ocala. There are a lot of bugs to keep you busy in Florida.

@pestcemetery

Jerry: Busy is an understatement but it beats the alternative…lol

Thomas:So let’s not waste anymore time here…How many years in the bug business?

Jerry: Started pest control in 1984 with Terminix in Baltimore. I worked my way up from residential to commercial tech and then into sales. I eventually made it to commercial sales and National accounts Rep. before changing companies. I’ve worked for 5 other companies as everything from tech to region mgr. before finally striking it out on my own in 1993–technically 91 as a franchisee but ugh what a waste.

Thomas: From 1984 to present… That’s a lot of years! I think in 84 I was probably just starting my first roach collection, my mom didn’t let that last very long. So over 25 years of experience now.  Impressive.  And after big company headaches you moved on to a family pest control operation? So… who wins your heart a family employee or a non-blood?

Jerry: My wife and I have built this business, The Bug Doctor Inc., from zero and although we’re not huge we are a strong force in the area.  She is a Registered nurse whose paycheck got us through the first few years but now she works Bug Doctor full time. She’s my favorite but Kevin is also special. He’s been with me 8 years and has yet to miss even one day. He’s not perfect but he is faithful and I admire him for that.

Thomas: Hard to beat the wife for your heart I guess, so good response. And having loyal employees makes all the difference.  It is wonderful to have employees you can trust your company and name with.  How do you find and keep good exterminators?

Jerry:

Family Owned Pest Control for 17 years

I guess I break  a lot of rules. They say don’t hire people you know because you can’t be their boss. Kevin for example was a customer and friend long before I asked him on board. We played on the same volleyball team for years. I’m not a micro mgr. at all and there are whole weeks that go by that I don’t even see him. Because he’s a friend I just know and trust that he gets the job done. Diane also was (and still is) a customer, she’s worked out real well. I tried two guys in the last year that I did not know and neither lasted very long and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving them to their jobs & firing them was an unpleasant experience.  I want my people to like me and be motivated by that, not out of fear as so many bosses operate.

Thomas: Good employees are important in setting yourself apart. What other areas set you apart?

Jerry: I’d like to think I am the best commercial pest specialist in town and we handle some larger accounts but WDO (as in wood destroying organisms) inspections is something even other pest companies call me for on a regular basis. We service 5 counties in North central Florida and my favorite bug is the termite WDO.

Thomas: Termites are your favorite bug? Very cool.  They are an interesting lot and the damage they cause each year is unbelievable. I like how active you are online.  Seems like it comes pretty easy for you as a social pest control guy.  How is the bug blog life?

Jerry: I’m building www.PestCemetery.com to be a ‘real go to’ resource for pros as well as DIY and also have an entertainment value–we’ll see.. blogging is a long hard road

Thomas: Yes. But a hard road don’t mean it can’t be a fun road…. And just for fun do you have a favorite author or book?

Jerry: My favorite book was ‘Escape to Witch Mountain’ –The movie stunk.

Thomas: Typical. Why ruin a good book? Thanks Jerry.  Glad to have you doing good things for our industry and the overall exterminator image.

Be sure to check out Jerry’s great blog: The Pest Cemetery