How to Get Leads On Facebook Without Being a “Bride Stalker”

Question: Is it stalking if you contact a bride via facebook?

Is it stalking? Well, that’s going to depend on who you ask.

First, how would you feel if a business contacted you on Facebook and asked you to buy from them?

Most people would be a little irritated, to say the least.  My Jeff goes into a rage whenever someone “spams” his Facebook wall with a promotion for their business.  (I’m usually able to restrain him from tearing them a new one by humiliating them online.  Usually.)

However, I think it can be done without coming off like a “stalker” (or at least not the icky kind) if you use a smart, no sales strategy.

Here’s what you should never do when contacting a bride on Facebook:

• DON’T send the bride a message telling her how awesome your service is, how many awards you have, why she should hire you, etc.

• DON’T post your business info and link on her wall.  That’s wall spam, plain and simple!

• DON’T message her multiple times.

Strategy #1 – Send a Facebook Message.

If you’re going to contact her on Facebook, make her a free, no strings attached, “Congratulations on your engagement!” offer.  This might be a gift certificate for an engagement tea for two, or a free cupcake or something of that nature.

In other words, offer her something she doesn’t have to buy from you to use.

Simply congratulate her, give her a gift and wish her well.  Then don’t message her again.

That’s the only way I’d ever contact a bride on Facebook unless you already know her.  Otherwise, it’s going to work against your business.

Unwelcome attention is not one of those times in life where persistence pays off.  You come across like that needy guy in high school who keeps asking out the same girl, again and again and again, no matter how many times she says no.

The result?  She doesn’t eventually say yes; she files a restraining order.

There are a lot of other marketing strategies that will be far more effective.  For example…

Strategy #2 – Leave Helpful Advice and Suggestions (No Promotions!) On the Facebook Pages of Other Local Wedding Businesses.

A better way to meet brides on Facebook is to leave helpful, non-promotional comments as your business page on the pages and groups where your target brides go.

They get to introduced to you as a cool, helpful person, and if they like what you write they’ll click through to your page and eventually your website.

When you like, share and comment on the pages of other local wedding professionals, you’re also networking and connecting with them.  This strategy will result in leads both directly and indirectly.

Strategy #3 – Facebook Ads.

Facebook ads absolutely work!  The reason most wedding pros end up with bubkiss from a Facebook ad campaign is because their ads suck, they aren’t targeting the right market, or the website brides land on after clicking through drives them away.

For ads to work you must target your market and have a very compelling headline and image that gets the click.  The new Power Editor feature that allows you to place ads in the newsfeed gets you front and center in front of a targeted audiences of brides, right down to the zip code.

My advice: take the high road and use an effective, non-sales strategy to connect with brides on Facebook.  It’s the best way to avoid a reputation as a Cyberstalker.

How do you connect with brides on Facebook?

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