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. What we all need to be careful of is the dreaded Facebook Timeout. Don’t get yourself in a pickle and read about these 5 ways to avoid Facebook jail as a direct seller!
Mistake #1
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 has helped me organize my posts ahead of time and allowed 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 and if you time the posts between 3-5 minutes apart, you are guaranteed to avoid Facebook jail.
Mistake #2
Sharing Others 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! Some images on Google have been flagged as spam. Posting an image that has been marked will land you in a Facebook timeout. So what’s a girl to do to avoid this?
Create your own content of course! It may seem daunting and difficult to start but, I assure you. Keep it simple, follow some simple graphics tips and your customers will appreciate your personal approach to your posts!
Mistake #3
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) Want to know a little secret? Facebook hates mass tagging and so do most Facebook users.
Use tagging conservatively, if at all. And 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. You’ll be glad you did!
Mistake #4
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. It will only take one of your Facebook friends to flag you as spam and you’ll be placed in a 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 come back here for the last tip!
Mistake #5
Sending Mass Private Messages
We may find this more when we are working with hostesses of our 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!
Key Point
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. It can be done! 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! Tell me your Facebook Jail stories in the comments! And follow me HERE for a FREE 37-day trial of CinchShare!
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Thanks, Kristy. These are great tips. Facebook is definitely a platform we want to use wisely.
Thanks, Amy! Facebook is where most of our relationships flourish. Especially in direct sales. It’s important to stay on Facebook’s good side!
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.
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! 🙂