A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (WSBDC), part of WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.
By Debbie Gorski, Wyoming Entrepreneur Social Media Community Manager
“I want to set up a Facebook page for my business, but I don’t know what I would write about every day.” Vickie, Glenrock.
Many businesses set up a Facebook page or a Twitter account and then ask, “What do I write about?” It can be intimidating at first, but with a little time and brainstorming you will come up with many ideas to write about. As time goes on, it will become easier as well.
A few ideas to get started:
-- Provide education about the product or service.
-- Share industry information such as trends, new technology, resources, etc.
-- Post upcoming events, classes, workshops and discounts, sales and contests.
-- Announce successes such as awards, certifications, and newspaper or magazine reviews.
-- Highlight or spotlight previous customers.
-- Post photos and videos whenever possible. It is even better if the business creates its own videos.
-- Announce when the business will attend trade shows, festivals or volunteer efforts or causes.
-- Integrate fun information by showing personality, humor and a human side.
-- Post something unique or creative every week. Give readers a reason to check the business’s page every week.
A few important guidelines to follow are listed below:
-- Post on a regular basis, write quality content, and keep it short. One of the worst things to do is set up an account and then abandon it. The Facebook page helps build relationships on social media sites that translate into customer service.
-- Quality content is subjective and means something different to every person, but in this case it means to provide meaningful content. While writing, imagine what information the reader will take away and use.
-- Keep posts between 80-100 characters. People want short snippets of information. Blog posts can provide lots of information with longer posts. Add a link to the blog for readers who want more information.
-- Instead of writing, give the same information in a video format. Keep the length of the video short -- around two minutes or less. Do not make the video-making process harder than it needs to be. Keep it simple and have fun.
You can also get assistance with your business questions, encouragement and support from the WyomingEntrepreneur network at www.wyen.biz or call 1-800-348-5184.
The WSBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922.
