How to stay out of Facebook Jail while building your small business

Being in Direct Sales, social media can be a fantastic tool for growing my business. It can also be a great hindrance, specifically when it comes to Facebook and the every changing algorithm game. 

What is an algorithm you ask? Well, in simple terms, it is an equation Facebook uses to determine what information you are most likely to enjoy seeing or reading. It uses different factors, like who you tend to interact with or posts you tend to "like" to bump up similar posts in your feed when you log on.

It also works to keep things like spam and posts from businesses bumped down in importance in your feed. Did you catch that? Businesses.

The intent of this algorithm isn't all bad. Facebook wants to keep the purpose of it's platform centered around meaningful interactions and relationships and less junk. We all are happy for less junk, right? But it does mean that when you choose to build your small business using this platform, you'll need to play by their rules to be successful.

When you don't play by the rules, your customers, friends and family won't see the posts you're working hard to share and, in the worst cases, you can end up in Facebook jail for a period of time. 

So here we are, with some tips on how to not only stay out of Facebook jail, but create content that builds those meaningful interactions that keep your posts front and center in your customer's feed.

Let's dive in!

1. Create unique posts.

  Don’t be a copy and paste Patsy. If you like how a fellow consultant has written a post, use it like an outline for your own instead of copying and pasting it word for word.  If the post doesn’t sound like how you would talk or like other posts you make, your customers will see right through it and it will feel inauthentic. Your customers want your words. Not the words of someone else. You also don't want to accidentally minimize the original poster's content. If you have mutual friends who see the same post content, you don't just create a disconnect for your post, but also for theirs. 

  Being a C/P Patsy also raises a red flag for Facebook as being spam. If they see multiple people sharing the exact same thing, they’ll bump it down in importance in the feed which causes fewer people to see what you’re sharing. Keeping your posts unique and personal to you creates a deeper connection with your potential customer base. 

2. Share your own pictures (instead of using google or borrowing them from someone else)

   We know this isn’t always possible, so this isn't a hard, fast rule, but when you can create your own pictures, do it!  Snap a picture of how you're using the products in your home, car or out and about. If you go to an event where displays of product are set up, snap your own pics to use in your social media posting. You might even slap a "watermark" with your website on it to help it stay yours.

   If you would like to use pictures someone else is sharing, private message them and ask if it’s okay for you to borrow and use. DO NOT ask in the comments on the post the person made. It is distracting to customers and can mess up their flow. We want to respect each other's businesses, right? 

(Note: If you are a part of my Scentsy team, any images I share in the Kickin’ Wicks Commons group or on the Collective are for you use, so you don’t have to ask me to use them. 😉)

3. Show them YOU!

  When you do share your own pics, get yourself in them! Whether it’s your face, your kids, your pets, or whatever, people will slow their scroll if they see something personal to you. Think about your own scrolling habits. If you were flipping along and saw a picture of a dog, you may glance a second and keep on moving. But, if you saw a picture of your friend and her dog, you'll stop and see what it's about. Faces bring connection to a person/family, not just a sales post.

 Yes, post them even if you’re looking a hot mess. People relate to you for a reason. Show them how you’re using Scentsy. This also keeps your post unique and its way less likely to be tagged as any kind of spam by the FB algorithm because others won’t be using them as their own and it will keep your info posts where your customers get to see them. Now, this doesn't give you permission to be unprofessional, so don't go all crazy, but real life is okay.

4. Don’t get crazy playing tag.

   Facebook HATES mass tagging. It is the quickest way to red flag your post as spam. Not only that, but rarely do people pay attention to something they've been tagged in with 100 other people. It automatically feels like they're "just a number" instead of someone important.

 Instead, private message the people you want to be sure see your post. Not only does it protect you from FB jail, but it is also more personal and makes sure they won't miss it. If you do want to tag, just pick a few people. 

5. Speaking of private messages...

   Finally, don’t sit down and send 100 private messages in one sitting by copying and pasting the same message to everyone. This is another "Do not pass go, do not collect $200" thing to do. Any message or post or photo sent to multiple people at the same time can easily land you in a Facebook timeout.
Avoid Facebook jail and only send messages to a handful of friends and remember to space out your messages. Again, Facebook is after meaningful connection, so create it. 

We hope this helps you make the most of Facebook as a platform for your business. Remember not to put all of your eggs in Facebook’s basket. Use other forms of social media and connection or you’ll be putting your business in a box it will never grow out of. -Amanda