Last month, we discussed the timely death of Facebook Questions. Although it seems none of us were sad to see them go, we all would probably agree that poll questions and surveys still hold an important place in social media marketing. They can be a great way to interact with and learn a little something more about our consumers. But we need to remember that social media surveys are much different than your typical over-the-phone or email surveys.
- Define Your Goal
Although this always seems to be the first step in any marketing plan, it also seems to be a step that is easily forgotten.
What will you, as a marketer, gain from these answers? Are you just asking questions because you have nothing better to say?
Always keep your goal in mind.
- Remember the 3 S’s of Social Media Marketing
Keep your surveys short, sweet and simple. We live in a fast-paced world, meaning it can be difficult to hold someone’s attention for very long. It is not uncommon for consumers to abandon a survey after a short period of time simply because there were just too many questions. Do yourself and your consumers a favor by keeping them short and to the point.
- Keep Your Questions Interesting
It is not an unknown fact that people will not answers questions of which he or she holds no interest. But how can you make sure your topic is one that will interest your consumers?
Observe your fan base. As a page admin, you may not be able to see a 100 percent public profile; however, you do not need to see an entire page to learn what interests any one person on Facebook.
If you have too many fans or not enough time, you can use third party applications such as Likester to learn more about your fans.
- Offer an Incentive
“There is no such thing as a free lunch.”
If you seriously want your consumers to answer any number of questions, you may need to prepare to offer some sort of incentive. It does not have to be a huge prize, but sometimes a onetime discount will do the trick.
Facebook Questions may have disappeared, but that does not mean we, as marketers, need to forget about surveys and poll questions altogether. We do, however; have to continue adapting to the ever-changing environment that is social media.