Many peoplethink that advertising on Facebook is easy — all you have to do to be big onthe Internet is to set up a fan page and everything else will come together.The sad thing is, Facebook marketing involves a lot of work. In the same waythat you would build a reader base for your blog, you need to do a lot of “legwork”when you’re marketing on Facebook. 

Now we’re goingto share three advertising myths about Facebook that many companies believe tobe true, but which actually aren’t:

MYTH: If you build a fan page, they willcome.

One of thebiggest myths that companies new to Facebook marketing believe is that oncethey get their fan page up and running, people will naturally flock to it. Onthe contrary. The real—and hard—work in Facebook marketing happens after you build a fan page. 

It’s easy to putup a fan page. You only have to fill in important details such as your company websiteaddress and contact info and upload a photo or a corporate logo. But for a fanpage to gain fans, you need people—Facebook users—to “like” your page. How doyou do that if you don’t let people know about the existence of this Facebookpage? You can gain more fans and followers by advertising your Facebook page.Link your website to your fan page and vice versa. Encourage business employeesto add a link to your Facebook page to their e-mail signatures. Linking yourFacebook page on Twitter and in your blog helps to build awareness, too. Youcan also gain more fans by posting a targeted ad or by suggesting that yourFacebook contacts “like” your fan page.

MYTH: If fans like my brand, they will start adiscussion.

Fans won’t starttalking until there’s something to talk about. How can you get your fanstalking? First you have to initiate the conversation. You can do this byposting status updates, photos, videos, or anything related to your brand. Youcan also ask your fans a question to get them to answer, or you can hold acontest and offer a gift to encourage Facebook fans to be more active in yourfan page. Don’t forget that the advertising of your Facebook contest will help tobring in more participants. 

MYTH: What people say about my brand on Facebookdoesn’t matter.

Manybrick-and-mortar companies, not understanding the power of social media, shrugoff the complaints that they come across on social network sites such asFacebook, dismissing these as just chatter. What these companies fail torealize is that on Facebook, everyone has a voice and that anything posted by aFacebook user will be seen by hundreds of friends. These complainers may not becelebrities and they may not matter to your brand, but their opinion of youwill be seen by hundreds of their friends. What they say will influence theirfriends’ idea about a brand, person, or entity. That in itself is a form of companyadvertising on Facebook — only negative. The lesson? Listen to what your fanshave to say, and do something about it. 

In the same waythat you need to take care of your offline relationships, it’s also importantthat as a brand, you take care of your online relationships with your fans andfollowers. Listen to them. Engage them. Get to know them better. Pick theirminds. You will find that marketing your brand on Facebook will not only expandit online, but you will also pick up ideas that can help you improve yourbusiness.

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