Imitation, they say, is the highest form of flattery. Even higher, is “intelligent imitation.”In this video, I’ll walk through the steps to inventory a company Page on Facebook. For example, once you identify companies that are competitors of yours on Facebook, or companies that you admire for their success at Facebook marketing, it’s time to “reverse engineer” what they’re doing. Let’s get started!
- Watch the Video
- Links and Resources (scroll down below the video)
Watch the Video
Watch ‘How to Audit Companies on Facebook for Ideas‘ on YouTube!
Identifying and Reverse-engineering Companies on Facebook
I’ll assume you’ve watched the video on “how to search Facebook” to identify companies. You’re looking for either a) companies in your niche (competitors) that are doing a good job at Facebook marketing, and/or b) companies that are just generally doing a good job at Facebook marketing (but are not necessarily in your niche). In this example, I’m going to walk through a few companies that I think do a very good job at Facebook marketing, and help you to “see” what they’re doing and to “inventory” what you like / dislike, etc., and make yourself a “todo” list.
- The Super Dentists. The Super Dentists are a dentist office in Chula Vista, California, that does an amazing job with their Facebook marketing. I mean, who thought you could take something as expensive and unpleasant as dentistry and use “fun” social media like Facebook to market it? Well, they knew.
Photo credit: vwynx via Foter.com / CC BY-ND
- Navy Federal Credit Union. What could be more boring than a bank? Well, a credit union! Again, I am incredibly impressed with the marketing by the Navy Federal Credit Union, as they are a financial institution that truly “gets” Facebook.
- Bishop Robert Barron. Now, whether you’re agnostic, an atheist, or a non-Christian, you can still admire Bishop Robert Barron as a Facebook marketer. He’s a “public figure” who leverages new media like Facebook to interact with his fans, potential fans, and even opponents.
As we work through some of the Facebook Pages, above, here are some of the steps to a good inventory –
Conducting a Facebook Inventory
- Structure – do you like how the Page itself is set up, namely –
- Cover Photo
- Profile Picture
- Tabs. Notice, in particular, if they have tabs such as the “Reviews” tab or a “Videos” tab.
- Call to action. Do you like their call to action? Do you want one of your own?
- Posts to Page. Do they allow users to “post to the Page?” If so, why? If not, why not?
- Posts and Posting Strategy – generally fun, fun, fun, fun, “buy our stuff,” fun, fun, fun, fun.
- What types of posts are they posting, and possibly why?
- What types of images or videos are they using, and why?
- Are they posting contests? What types of posts are drawing the most engagement, and why?
- What posts are “fun” and what posts are “marketing?” Generally, this gets to their posting rhythm of fun, fun, fun, fun, “buy my stuff.”
- Interactivity. What are they doing to encourage interactivity, and respond to it?
Implementing Your Own Facebook Page
Once you’re audited a few Facebook Pages with your own marketing team, then decide on your Facebook marketing strategy and begin to implement it systematically. Stick with it! Success isn’t built in a day. Generally speaking, there are two big components: structure, and posting strategy. In terms of structure, outline your cover photo, profile picture, tabs, reviews, etc., and implement in terms of structure. In terms of posting strategy, create a “content marketing” machine with a pipeline of cool stuff to post, and start posting. Remember the 80/20 rule – 80% “fun” and 20% “buy my stuff.”
