Managing a FaceBook page, and dealing with friendly sarcasm?

BouwsT · December 2014

Hey guys, just a short one. I manage my family business and run the social media (mainly a FB presence). I post as the business on the business' page, but every one in a while one of my dip-shit friends has something sarcastic / irrelevant to comment on, I think because they're trying to be funny or that I'll somehow get a kick out of it. My question is, as stupid as the comments are, do the page interactions actually help reach or do you think I should say something to them?

THEPAIN73 · December 2014

Get new friends or tell them to stop it.

If they are doing something that is intentionally hurtful then they need to be told to quit doing it.

They also may not view it as hurtful, if that's the case, explain it.

If it continues, block them from the page (if you can do that) or unfriend them.

BouwsT · December 2014

THEPAIN73 wrote: »

Get new friends or tell them to stop it.

If they are doing something that is intentionally hurtful then they need to be told to quit doing it.

They also may not view it as hurtful, if that's the case, explain it.

If it continues, block them from the page (if you can do that) or unfriend them.

I certainly don't want to unfriend them, I can handle the quips when it's on my personal stuff (hey, I give it out too!) but I just don't like it when it's my family business. Don't get me wrong, these aren't hurting my feels... They just aren't professional. I want to interact with customers there, and put forward my best possible image. But when I have people commenting about NOTHING, and generally just trying to be goofy at the business' expense, I feel like I should say something.

I guess I'm just wondering if it would be hurting the business image, or could it be seen as a positive if the business is interacting with goofy hecklers? What does the general populace think? And does anyone have a grasp on Facebook metrics? If this increases exposure appreciably, then maybe some interaction is still better than none...

Just trying to be reasonable about it.

see317 · December 2014

I'd think it's best to keep your personal facebook and the business facebook as separate as possible.
If your friends post on the business page, deal with them as the business not as yourself. Use your personal page to interact with friends, but they shouldn't be shitting up the business page.

As for how this affects business image, it depends a lot on the business.
For example, ThinkGeek or Vat19 get a lot of leeway in dealing with hecklers or sarcastic comments by hurling good natured abuse right back. If I'm shopping for zombie head slippers or DeathStar icemolds or something, I appreciate that they get that this isn't a serious business they're in.
Now,if I'm looking to buy a car and the dealership's facebook page is a wall of abuse, cat memes and random youtubery, good natured or not, I'm going elsewhere.

Inquisitor77 · December 2014

Easiest thing to do is just delete the comment and tell them privately that they can shit all over your personal page all they want but to leave the business stuff alone. If they keep it up just block them from the professional page. It really shouldn't be that hard to understand that you don't screw with someone's business.

JebusUD · December 2014

Right, I mean, this is a separate business account correct? Post as the account. Act as the business. Ask whichever of your friends is being dumb, in real life, to quit it. Remember that you don't need to respond to every comment, and that any business with a certain amount of online presence is going to get nutty comments every once in a while.

BouwsT · December 2014

Okay, I appreciate the feedback. That's kind of how I feel, because I am acting as the business, posting as the business, and I'm not there to joke with my high school buddies about a stupid pun in our name, or some other equally banal B.S.

see317 wrote: »

As for how this affects business image, it depends a lot on the business.
For example, ThinkGeek or Vat19 get a lot of leeway in dealing with hecklers or sarcastic comments by hurling good natured abuse right back. If I'm shopping for zombie head slippers or DeathStar icemolds or something, I appreciate that they get that this isn't a serious business they're in.
Now,if I'm looking to buy a car and the dealership's facebook page is a wall of abuse, cat memes and random youtubery, good natured or not, I'm going elsewhere.

^This makes so much sense to me, and was exactly what I was hoping to hear. We run an automotive repair garage, so internet jokes and dumb crap don't belong on our page. Thank you see317.

If anybody wishes to throw their two cents in, I'll take it but I will be talking to anyone who does this in the future. I really appreciate the perspective guys, thanks.

MichaelLC · December 2014

Pretty much agree with the above.
You should not feel bad at all about blocking/deleting stupid stuff on your business page and telling them to knock it off in person or in email. Just send a very simple and clear message that this is your business and it's got to be just for that.
I guess just try not to make it seem like a challenge to them to be more "funny"; make it clear they need to stop.

Figgy · December 2014

As for the benefits of the engagement from their behavior, a drop in bucket filled with holes. Facebook has changed and continues to change their algorythms to flush business page content to both appease regular users and encourage boosting/ads.

Veevee · December 2014

BouwsT wrote: »

This makes so much sense to me, and was exactly what I was hoping to hear. We run an automotive repair garage, so internet jokes and dumb crap don't belong on our page. Thank you see317.

Automotive humor would be acceptable though, as long as it follows the image of the business you'd like to portray. As a customer, I view a business's social network presence as an inside look into the office atmosphere and I'm more likely to shop at a place I believe I'd like to work at.

CelestialBadger · December 2014

It's like if you were working in the family shop and one of your goofy friends was always coming around and trying to hang out and joke as normal while you are trying to serve customers. You'd kick them out after a while, or else the shop would get a bad reputation as just being a hangout and not caring about customers.

Tell your friends that it's not personal but either they stop posting on your work page or you block them. If they don't get the message, block them.

BouwsT · December 2014

Veevee wrote: »

BouwsT wrote: »

This makes so much sense to me, and was exactly what I was hoping to hear. We run an automotive repair garage, so internet jokes and dumb crap don't belong on our page. Thank you see317.

Automotive humor would be acceptable though, as long as it follows the image of the business you'd like to portray. As a customer, I view a business's social network presence as an inside look into the office atmosphere and I'm more likely to shop at a place I believe I'd like to work at.

Oh, for sure. It's not automotive related, which would be something I could work with. I fully agree with the office atmosphere thing though, and I've always tried to be super professional. That's something that a lot of businesses struggle with, and I think it's important in this day and age. A lot of people have a lot of options when it comes to spending their money. I want them to feel like they are paying for service, not paying some clowns.

Figgy wrote: »

As for the benefits of the engagement from their behavior, a drop in bucket filled with holes. Facebook has changed and continues to change their algorythms to flush business page content to both appease regular users and encourage boosting/ads.

Okay, this is the only other thing I was concerned about so if it's not that big of a deal then my resolve is steeled.

Again, thanks everyone. The perspective has been hugely helpful.

Penny Arcade

Quick Links

Managing a FaceBook page, and dealing with friendly sarcasm?

Posts