Why organic content is the dog’s doodahs and how to write it!
Budding entrepreneur or small business owner struggling to reach your Facebook audience? Dog-tired of boosting posts to get noticed or simply can’t afford to advertise? It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there in which you must first learn to write organic content like the dog's doodahs if you want to avoid p*ssing your hard-earned money up the Facebook wall.
Did you know there are over 2.13 billion monthly active Facebook users Worldwide? How about the fact that every 60 seconds there are 317,000 status updates, 400 new users, 147,000 photos uploaded and 54.000 shared links (source: Smart Insights)?
There are now more than 60 million businesses with a Facebook Page. And, while Facebook can be a bit of a bitch, there’s no denying it’s a relatively inexpensive way to reach consumers fast. To gain cut through you need to keep it on a tight leash - learn what to say, to whom, when and how.
One reason you might not be getting as much interaction as you used to, is overcrowding. Forget competing for the world-class title of Crufts Best In Show (1 in 22,000) there’s more chance of you winning the national lottery (1 in 14 million).
Another is the tweaks Facebook made to the way it chooses to serve content to users by giving more importance to organic posts. It’s created a psychological fear that unless we advertise we’ll fail to reach our audiences. Takes the biscuit right?
What does this mean for small business owners? It means we have a very short window of opportunity to make our first impression. If we want to be “that doggie in the window” it’s time to ditch the fluff for the strategic stuff. To lower our ad spend we must learn how to create good organic content and use our budgets wisely for each phase of the customer journey.
"Whether we’ve fallen for the oldest trick in the book and bought into something free only to experience the inevitable price hike or not, it’s irrelevant. It’s happening and is affecting our businesses. Facebook has bitten us like a rabid dog and left us foaming at the mouth for more."
Why advertising alone will never be Top Dog:
#1 Shoppers are savvier than ever
FACT: Shoppers are savvier than ever fact. On a whole people are better educated, better informed and most hate being sold to without any previous interaction or relationship with whoever is targeting them. Most people question to good to be true marketing claims and the credibility of those making them.
DOWNSIDE: People are inherently time poor and look for quick solutions to their problems. We’re working harder, longer and travelling further. We’re juggling kids, the gym and our social lives. We want it all. We’re distracted easily – the average attention span is just 8.25 seconds! We like free stuff. 39% of Facebook users have reportedly liked or followed a page just to receive a special offer.
AND? This means is you can chuck all the money you want behind Facebook advertising, but you might not necessarily achieve better results than you would organically. You may see results quicker since you’re reaching more people, but you’re also spending more. And, if you think about it by doing it you’re fighting against what people are using the platform for ‘socialising.’ Facebook has said it themselves, organic is better – harness it and give it to them!
#2 Real is always better than fake
FACT: No one likes a fake! I’ve lost count of the Facebook adverts served to me since I set up No Fluff Communications only to be targeted by seemingly fake, faceless hacks promising to solve my marketing woes and make me millions – I’ve been in the business for 17 years and believe me if it was that easy I’d have done it by now! I want real relationships that add value.
DOWNSIDE: People are inherently time poor and look for quick solutions to their problems. We’re working harder, longer and travelling further. We’re juggling kids, the gym and our social lives. We want it all. We’re distracted easily – the average attention span is just 8.25 seconds! We like free stuff. 39% of Facebook users have reportedly liked or followed a page just to receive a special offer.
AND? People are not machines. Just because I’m researching marketing doesn’t mean I need marketing solutions – be aware of this when you choose to put your faith and money, into the targeted ads machine! People like people (well most of us anyway!), people trust people, people who buy from people remain loyal unless they’re given a reason not to be. Focus on gaining good word of mouth, testimonials and reviews which you can then amplify.
#3 YOU (Small business owners) are savvier than ever
FACT: You’re reading this article which tells me you are! You have a seed of doubt about whether advertising is your only option, or just can’t afford it to be right now and that’s not a bad thing. You believe in what you’re selling – why else would you be doing it? You have a choice - Facebook is not you're only option, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
DOWNSIDE: Yep you’ve guessed it - people are inherently time poor and look for quick solutions to their problems. We’re working harder, longer and travelling further. We’re juggling kids, the gym and our social lives. We want it all. We’re distracted easily – the average attention span is just 8.25 seconds! We like free stuff. 39% of Facebook users have reportedly liked or followed a page just to receive a special offer.
AND? I’m not saying you shouldn’t advertise on Facebook, quite the opposite. I’m saying not to believe the hype that organic is dead and abandon all hope if you can’t afford to advertise right now. If you’re interested in reading more about combining Facebook ads and content for better results, I highly recommend you read the Social Media Examiner article with Facebook ads expert, Keith Krance.
So, before you go “walkies” polish your posts! Get better at understanding and creating good organic content that works for your audience before you consider sticking money behind it. Not sure how to execute awesome content on Facebook? Check out my info-graphic below.
I’d love to know what you think about organic and paid for content and what role it plays in your marketing plans. Please write a comment below or hop on over to my FREE Masterclass Group on Facebook and join the debate!
