An Honest Discussion of FB page shortfalls

[QuiltsByPaula]

Let me preface this by saying I'm pretty new to this particular team, and I really haven't looked at any of your pages yet. I don't want anyone here to take this personally ... it's based entirely on my experiences through other teams

That being said, I'm going to be honest ... I don't like most of the Facebook pages I've found on etsy. Oh, I'll "like" them. I understand and appreciate the importance of artists supporting one another. I think it's great that we are able to broaden each other's exposure to the crazy world of FB. But as far as actually enjoying the pages that I've seen ... that's a different story. Normally I'll end up "liking" a page, and then hiding it from my feed a few days later so I don't have to see their posts!

And I'm not saying I'm an expert in world of FB fandom. Truth be told, I'm not really even a fan of my own page. I first created it as a convenient way to show of pic of my latest projects to my friends and family. And it's one of those things I've completely neglected ever since. I still make sure to update it when I have something new to share. But lately I've felt like the pages serves as little more than a recreation of my etsy shop in a different forum ... nothing but pictures of what I have for sale ... it's just more annoying advertising.

I think our pages should be more than that, and I've dedicated this week to making decisive changes to the way I run my page. So with that in mind I've been asking myself the following two questions, and I'd like to hear your feedback as well.

Question #1 - In thinking of the pages that I really DO like ... what is it about them that interests me?

- The answer to that is easy ... the shop pages that I like the most are the ones that aren't about the shops! I want to know about the people behind the products. Yes, I'd like to see pictures of your latest project, and of course it's great to hear about your successes. But if that isn't balanced with a personal touch, it all starts to feel like "marketing" I like to know: what's inspiring you? What are you working on? How are you feeling today? These types of posts help me to connect in a personal way.

Question #2 - What is the biggest mistake I see pages make? In other words, what makes me want to hide their posts?

- The answer to this is a little more complicated, because I have so MANY pet peeves. Here's what I've come up with so far
... don't post in batches. I don't want to sort past 7 different posts at the same time. Pick one interesting thing to tell me, and leave the rest for another time.
... don't post complicated, messy looking links. If it's hard for me to figure out what you want me to see, I'm not going to bother
... don't try to sell me stuff! This might seem completely counter-intuitive. But if I like you then I'm already interested in what you make. If I want to buy something I'll be proactive. I'm not saying we shouldn't promote what we're making ... I'm just saying I don't want to feel like you're only showing me so I'll buy it.

So that's my two cents. Anyone else share my sentiments? What are your DOs and DONT's? How would you answer these two questions? What improvements do you think you could make to your pages?

[Former_Member]

Wow. I like what you're saying. I've been wondering exactly what to do with my facebook page as well. I just started it a week ago and I know how I feel when I get post after post from the same site about essentially nothing. You're giving me a good sense of what to focus on to hopefully stand out and be the fb fan page someone chooses to keep returning to, not the one that gets blocked right away!

[dynamicalley]

I also like what you are saying. I am like you, I "like" a page then hide it so I don't have to scroll through multiple posts a day. I want to keep tabs on what is going on with the page, but too many posts get cluttered up.

I have been thinking of trying to add fun information and facts related to what I am doing. I think a facebook page could work like a blog. Put little how-tos or tips and hints for doing a small project related to your work.

I think posting an idea and asking for input could be a fun way to involve your fans. Make the page a place that is fun and inviting for fans. Give them a reason to check back with your page often.

[Former_Member]

It's all true. I find myself putting the same posts on my personal fb page, my shop's page and my blog. Although my blog does have more interesting content. I am also going to reevaluate the way I have been keeping my page. Thanks for making me think, quiltsbypaula.

[Former_Member]

I am in total agreement with you. One thing I made sure that I would never do when I started my page is to focus on selling. Sure I want sales but I am not willing to bug people to get those sales. I believe that my kind heart and work should speak for itself. I always post new pics of my jewelry on my fb page for everyone to see and give me feedback before I list it for sale here. This also gives my fans the opportunity to tell me that they want it and I can give them a discounted price at that time. I also like to request feedback when I am going to introduce a new item. What do you all think?

[Former_Member]

I too totally agree with you, I sometimes hide posts too.
I often feel as I post mostly wildlife images that I would like to make a little description about the animal or bird I am posting. Little natural history notes but hesitate because I think people would think I should keep it for a blog. I genuinely am interested in my finds and I am not just trying to sell something but want to share my enjoyment of it too.

[QuiltsByPaula]

mjaniceanne - if you're posting pictures you should be able to add a description to each one without much trouble. That gives the benefits of extra information without the hassle of redundant or aggressive posting.

[Former_Member]

Thanks Paula! Love this discussion let's keep it going for a while! You're doing an awesome job!

[KoppelStudio]

Tiffany: I really like your ideas about posting a product - and asking for feedback on new items (or before introducing items in your shop).

I recently joined Facebook - and it bothered me to just do posts on my new products but I thought that was the thing to do. I like your approach better.

[Former_Member]

Thanks so much for this FB Page insight.

I started my page a couple of months ago and I cannot seem to gain many "friends" so it probably has to do with the fact that my page is just plain boring and just about the products in my shop and not what goes on "behind the scenes".

I am glad I joined this team!

[PatBarnes]

Wow!! I totally agree. I keep wondering what am I doing this for. I sometimes feel that it's like playing "Farmville". What are we accomplishing. I should be painting and adding to my shop. I love seeing everyone else's items, but I can see them on etsy.

I try to post other artist's treasuries to support them, but I'm like you, I might find my etsy facebook page more interesting if I actually had a connection to the other artists. We like doing the same thing. Maybe we would enjoy a little more connection

Looking for ways to be supportive, Pat

[QuiltsByPaula]

I thought I'd bump this old post back to the top for the newer team members.

I should probably add to this tirade that I've noticed my favorite pages are consistent! There's one person who posts what makes them happy every morning. I LOOK for their posts because they put a smile on my face. So (copycat that I am) I've started a daily posting of what INSPIRES me - anything that's caught my fancy will do.

[Former_Member]

I appreciate what you all are saying. However, I am saddened to hear so many 'hide' the posts of the pages they have 'liked'. Since the idea is to help support one another, I have not and will not 'hide' any posts from those who have 'liked' my page. And I will always return the favor...if you 'like' me, I will 'like' you.
I have been on Etsy since April of this year. I have had one sale. And that was from one of my friends, who only knew of my shop from my personal fb page. I have paid to showcase my shop; I advertise on Craigslist; I tried to be proactive, as far as, favoriting other items or shops; and, I did a 'give away'. None of it has helped me a bit. I am very discouraged and wonder if this is the place to put so much of my effort. The competition is staggering.
Having said that, as long as I remain on Etsy, I will continue to sincerely support anyone who helps or supports me.
Thanks for the opportunity to share!

[QuiltsByPaula]

@ 3gals ... please don't take this as confrontational, because it's not intended to be. But now I'm curious ... how many other etsy shops have you liked on your personal page? This team has over 500 members, and even if you only liked half of them that's 250 shops vying for your attention on your news feed every day. Do you really read and react with all of their posts? If so, don't you get exhausted looking at shop after shop posting pictures of new products, treasuries they're in, etc?

That's why I primarily like shops from my own shop page nowadays. of course, I'll help someone out if they're pushing to get to 25 likes, but I find it's so much easier if my etsy content isn't mixed in with my personal newsfeed. But that's another post for another day lol!

My argument isn't that we should just ignore each other. Quite the opposite - I'm saying that if people in a group as supportive as this one ARE ignoring each other than there must be a problem! I think that in a saturated facebook market we should be banding together to come up with ideas that will keep us standing out from the mass-marketing crowd!