Find Your 1. Update Facebook Friends With Holiday Specials
For local florists, it’s a good idea to keep your Facebook friends updated with your latest specials and promotions, and this is especially important as we near the holidays. Facebook makes it easy to keep your clients up-to-date on everything going on at your shop. By keeping the interest of your followers, you are sure to increase your shops productivity in the upcoming season.
How To Update Facebook Friends
- Status Updates – While on your business page, simply type your promotion in the box where it says “What’s on your mind?” Here you can say things like, “We just got our first shipment of this year’s poinsettias in! Time to get into the Christmas spirit. Buy yours early, before they run out!” It’s a good idea to include some sort of ‘call to action’ in your promotions: “Call Today! Act Now!” and other phrases that give your update a sense of urgency.
- Page Updates – Page updates sends out a little note to all of your friends on Facebook. This is almost like sending a message or email. Updates should be reserved for your most important news. Too many updates can look like spam and could possibly cause people to ‘Unlike’ your page. Updates can be used as your version of monthly newsletters, or just a big announcement for upcoming events and sales.
How to send a Page Update:
Step 1. Click “Edit Page” under the profile picture of your business page. (Note: For business pages only.)
Step 2. This page is where you edit the settings of your business page. On the right side menu, there is a small box called “Promote Your Page.” Here you will want to click “Send an Update.“
Step 3: The next step is easy. Just send your message just like an email. This message will be sent to ALL of the people who like your business page. (Optional: You can narrow this list down by clicking ‘Target This Update” then specifying which state or even city you would like to target with your update.)
2. Upload Holiday Flower Arrangement Pictures
Adding photos of your own, original floral designs is a great way to add a personal touch to your Facebook page. This is especially important for the holidays. If you have any pictures of holiday arrangements from past years, add those too! If you have a big collection of past photos, add them 1-3 at a time, depending on how many you have. In this case, it’s better to add a few photos at a time, over time to keep you on your customers minds.
How To Upload Photos To Facebook
You can simply upload them from your Facebook page’s wall. To post photos to your wall, go to your Facebook Page. Where you see this:
Click the icon for adding photos, (circled above) to open the photo menu here:
Here you have a few options: Upload a Photo, Take a Photo, Create an Album.
- Upload a Photo – Choosing this option to add photos to your Facebook wall and an album called “Facebook Wall” under your photos tab.
- Take a Photo – This will allow to take a photo using the webcam on your computer. (Note: it won’t work without a webcam.)
- Create an Album – With this option, you can create an album for your new photos. Choose broad categories with descriptive titles. (Holiday Designs, Wedding Photos, Everyday Arrangements, etc.)
Adding New Photos To Facebook Photo Albums
First, go to your Facebook business page. Click “Photos” from the tabs across the top. Click on the album you would like to edit. At the top right of your photo album pictures, you will see these buttons:
Simply choose “Add More Photos” to add more of your amazing flower pictures.
3. Conduct Holiday Polls & Surveys
Simply asking interesting questions on your Facebook page wall will encourage interaction. You might ask, “What’s your favorite new Christmas trend? The natural look with hollies and pine cones, or glitz and glittery in fun colors?” This will also give you a good idea of what trends to focus on.
It’s a good idea to keep questions very general. Your question should be open enough anyone can answer quickly. They don’t always have to pertain to flowers either, it could just be a question to get you into the minds of your customers, “Are red & green your colors of choice this season, or are you going for something a little less traditional?”
4. Weekly Holiday Ideas
Share holiday ideas weekly. It could be a quick holiday decorating tip, tips on throwing a holiday party, or just discussing new Christmas trends. To do this, simply update the status of your business Facebook page. Doing this weekly throughout the holiday season will ensure you are the first thing your fans think of when they think about decorating for the holidays.
5. Cultivate New Facebook Friends
Making new friends on Facebook is easier than you think! You just need to get the word out about your shop.
- Offline Freinds – Are you reminding each and every customer you have to follow you on Facebook? You should be. Facebook is your platform for reaching your customers directly. It’s a great, free way to advertise your products, services, promos and specials. Add “Find Us On Facebook” anywhere you list your website URL: print advertising, business cards, enclosure cards, direct mailers, etc. Facebook is the best tool for directing more traffic to your website, but should never replace it.
- Online Friends – ‘Like’ other area businesses on Facebook and add them to your favorite pages. (Just under their business’s profile image, click “Add To My Pages Favorites”) Once you’ve done this, go to their wall and leave a friendly, little message, “Great to see other local shops on Facebook! I added your page to our favorites. Best of luck, @Hometown Flowers“ The “@” is very important.
When you type @ in Facebook, it will prompt a drop drown box. Continue typing your shop’s name after the @ and click when you see your shop’s profile picture. Think of other creative places on Facebook you might could drop a link in like this. This also works on your own personal Facebook profile — share a link to your business page often.
Flower Shop Network hopes these tips help you increase your sales this holiday season!
This post is brought to you by local Sterling, Virginia florists.
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Thanks so much for these easy to understand technical facebook tips!