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5 Ways To Avoid Facebook Jail as a Direct Seller

With all of our direct sales business moving more and more online, many of us find a good portion of our communication and sales take place on Facebook.

This is fantastic for those of us looking to work from home and expand our business online.

But be aware of the dreaded Facebook Timeout.

Read these 5 ways to avoid Facebook jail as a direct seller.

Posting Too Much Too Fast

I know you are REALLY excited about that new product line coming out and you just cannot wait for your customers to get the first crack at it!

You may feel inclined to get your finger ready to share the same information in multiple groups and on multiple pages you manage.

Resist this urge!

Let some time pass in between these posts to avoid Facebook jail.

Want to know my personal secret that has helped me to avoid any timeouts on Facebook?

I use a scheduler called CinchShare.

It really helps organize my posts ahead of time and allows me to properly schedule similar posts across different groups and stay in Facebook’s good graces.

Another perk?

If you rely on Facebook parties for some of your direct sales income, you are able to schedule full parties.

If you time the posts between 3-5 minutes apart, you are guaranteed to avoid Facebook jail.

Check out this video to see how easy it is to use:

Sharing The Same Image and Content

As a direct seller, we are all in search of graphics to go along with our most popular posts.

Many just do a simple Google Image search and post that to their timeline.

I have some advice, Don’t Do It!

Images on Google can be flagged as spam.

If you post an image that has been marked will land you in a Facebook timeout. So how do you avoid this?

Create your own content.

It may seem daunting and difficult to start but, you can do this.

Keep it simple, follow some simple graphics tips and your customers will appreciate your personal approach to your posts.

Slow It Down with the Tagging (and Adding)

We’ve all seen these posts. “Hi, friends! You HAVE to try this AMAZING new product!” (followed by tags of 96 people)

Facebook hates mass tagging and so do most Facebook users.

Use tagging conservatively, if at all.

Like tagging, adding users en masse to Facebook Groups is a huge no-no and will land you in Facebook Jail for sure.

Avoid Facebook jail, be considerate with your posts and make sure to personally invite individuals to your groups.

Not Having a Facebook Business Page

You may think as a direct seller that you do not have a need for a Facebook Business Page.

You may conduct all of your direct sales posts on your personal timeline and think this is okay.

Unfortunately, it is not. When someone flags you as spam, you risk being put in Facebook jail.

When you sign up with Facebook, you agree to their Terms Of Service.

One of the main points is that you agree not to use your personal timeline for business.

So go now, set up your Facebook Business Page and don’t forget to add your “Shop Now” button too.

Sending Mass Private Messages

You may find this more when you are working with the hostesses of Facebook parties.

Facebook Messenger makes it easy to send the same message to multiple people, or large groups.

Unfortunately, this is one of the easiest ways to land in Facebook jail.

Any message or post or photo sent to multiple people at the same time can easily land you in a Facebook timeout.

Avoid Facebook jail and only send messages to a handful of friends and remember to space out your messages.

How To Avoid Facebook Jail For Good

One major takeaway for anyone who has been in Facebook Jail is to not put all your eggs in Zuckerberg’s basket.

It is crucial to think outside the box and meet new customers on other platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and in some cases, your own blog.

Here is how I do it

The tactics change, the strategy is different, but I am proof that direct sellers do not have to operate on Facebook alone.

Direct sellers are a unique group of people.

We work hard, we keep pressing forward, and we find ways to expand and grow our business each and every day.

Facebook is an integral part of our business and I hope that by pointing out these 5 common mistakes that you & your direct sales friends will avoid Facebook jail.

Read Next: Social Media Tips for Direct Sellers

 

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Kristy E
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Kristy E
Founder at Forever Sparkly
Kristy is a recognized direct sales expert and founder of Forever Sparkly. Her direct sales advice has been featured on CinchShare, Sassy Suite, and more. She enjoys helping other direct sellers master their social media and blogging strategies. Read More
Kristy E
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December 14, 2016 15 Comments

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Comments

  1. Amy Hagerup says

    December 16, 2016 at 3:17 pm

    Thanks, Kristy. These are great tips. Facebook is definitely a platform we want to use wisely.

    Reply
    • Kristy E says

      December 16, 2016 at 4:13 pm

      Thanks, Amy! Facebook is where most of our relationships flourish. Especially in direct sales. It’s important to stay on Facebook’s good side!

      Reply
  2. Valerie Hayes says

    March 22, 2017 at 3:25 pm

    I’m in the real estate business and the very first thing we were taught to avoid being gigged by Facebook (as well as our own company/industry standards and policies) is to set up your BUSINESS page and NEVER post directly to your personal page anything you are selling. Once you post to your business page, you can then share to your personal, that’s fine. I see so many direct sellers of all kinds of products selling through their personal pages and that’s a giant red flag for Facebook.

    Reply
    • Kristy E says

      March 22, 2017 at 5:25 pm

      Great points Valerie! Seeing direct sales friends get placed in a FB timeout is what prompted me to write the blog post in the beginning. Direct sellers, realtors, Etsy sellers, home bakers, whatever small business you have and if you use Facebook as part of your social media strategy, a Facebook business page is a must. Great reminder for all of us out there! 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. What Not To Do as a Direct Seller: 5 Things to Avoid says:
    March 21, 2017 at 4:27 pm

    […] Facebook Private Messanger is your friend. Use it to invite instead of add. Not only does this help you not to be spammy, it keeps you out of dreaded Facebook Jail. […]

    Reply
  2. How To Engage Your Social Media Followers: Weekly Theme Ideas To Use says:
    March 29, 2017 at 3:48 am

    […] how to grow your Facebook group organically. This is the best way to have an active community and stay on the good side of Facebook as well. […]

    Reply
  3. Create an Unforgettable Hostess Coaching Packet: 3 Must-Have Items to Include says:
    March 30, 2017 at 10:47 pm

    […] Before you gather up your favorite items for your hostess, I encourage you to look back at your last 3 successful Facebook parties. Really take a look at WHY they were so successful. Did the hostess do something special or unique? Did they send personal invites and not just mass invite their entire Facebook friend list? (A surefire way to be put in FB Jail) […]

    Reply
  4. 3 Ways To Grow Your Direct Sales Facebook Group (in under 5 minutes!) says:
    March 30, 2017 at 11:44 pm

    […] interacting is not as effective as 500 members with 250 commenting and engaging. Plus, you want to stay out of Facebook jail! (It really exists and is no […]

    Reply
  5. How to Rock a Direct Sales Facebook Party: 5 Secrets to Success! says:
    March 31, 2017 at 12:48 am

    […] a part of a mass invite and Facebook does not like this either. Do not have your hostess land in Facebook jail! Coach your hostess to send a personal message to those friends and family members who would enjoy […]

    Reply
  6. Graphics For Your Direct Sales Business: How To Use Canva in 5 Simple Steps says:
    March 31, 2017 at 1:15 am

    […] reason to create direct sales graphics in Canva is that you will be sure to steer clear of  Facebook Jail. Trust me, it […]

    Reply
  7. How to Increase Direct Sales Facebook Group Engagement: 3 Lessons To Follow says:
    April 5, 2017 at 5:19 pm

    […] This one is HUGE. We are all in many Facebook groups with our fellow consultants and many times, graphics and scripts are posted for you to use. This may seem okay to do in the short term, but it’s not your voice and your community will pick up on that. Another point, Facebook has a highly sophisticated system of identifying spam. Graphics are highly susceptible to this and can even land you in dreaded Facebook Jail. […]

    Reply
  8. Blog about your Direct Sales Business: 3 Reasons to Start says:
    April 27, 2017 at 10:58 pm

    […] you’ll find a new audience to connect with. 100% of your content is yours. While others are copying and sharing the same posts and graphics from their direct sales back office, you are doing your own thing and getting […]

    Reply
  9. Your Direct Sales Facebook Group Is Dead - 4 Actions To Take Now! says:
    April 28, 2017 at 5:10 pm

    […] facts coupled with the constant changes at Facebook means it is absolutely necessary to think outside the box and look for other ways to connect with […]

    Reply
  10. What Facebook Instant Articles Taught Me About My Direct Sales Business says:
    April 29, 2017 at 4:07 am

    […] don’t mean to outright copy what others are doing, that is a surefire way to land in Facebook jail and it’s wrong to plagiarize someone else’s content and […]

    Reply
  11. How A Microblog Benefits Your Direct Sales Business says:
    June 9, 2017 at 9:09 pm

    […] will also be complying with the rules of Facebook by keeping your personal timeline free of business posts. Remember, sharing from your business page […]

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