Facebook has become a busy arena of late. Lots of businesses are actively using Facebook to promote offers and increase their fan bases by paying for particular ads and pages to be boosted,  in the quest to successfully market their business through Facebook. Facebook changes means that less content is being seen by fan so we have to place more content more regularly in order to have a reasonable chance of being seen.  My feed is a hub of information that I use for myself and for my clients so I like a lot of pages. In my feed I see a lot of 'like' requests, some grab my attention, some certainly do not. 

But why should anyone like your page?  What is it that you are offering or providing a new fan that they simply must  click that like button?  Asking them to like your page without detail or a reason to is no longer enough to excite a new fan into action.  If someone said to you buy my magazine?  What would an immediate response be?  Mine would be 'why?'  What kind of magazine is it?  Will it appeal to me, do I want to read it?  Will it have enough interesting content for me to buy it continuously?  OK, Facebook is free [unless you are paying to boost posts and ads] but similar questions apply.

Is your page active?  Is there plenty of content to read and engage with?  Are you posting once a day, once a week, once a month?  I get a 'feel'  of who is posting regularly and who is not, and this morning before typing this post, I took a stroll through my likes on my business page and noticed that some pages have no consistency to posting  content and there were a couple of pages that have not posted anything since Christmas.  Now I am not suggesting for one minute that my own page is perfect,  but I do try to place content and tips that are meaningful at least a few times during the week and encourage interaction.  I also contribute these tips and links into private Facebook groups too.

Please remember, the validity of your Facebook page should not be driven by the number of likes that you have but by the quality of the relationship that you have with the people who have taken time out to be entertained, educated and at some point in their future may just want to buy from you.  

Want more likes?

• Like buttons on your website and blog
  
• Facebook page link on your email signature
  
• Facebook link on your newsletter
  
• Is your page engaging, busy and have good content?  
  
• Are you using a mix of good pictures and text?
  
• Are you asking questions and encouraging interaction?
  
• Offer incentives on your Facebook page to your current fans. Ask them to share
  
• Offer exclusive products/services to attract new likes - WARNING - this may mean you pay!
  
• Are you using your other social media platforms to drive traffic to your Facebook page - particularly if you are promoting an offer?
  

Yours Socially,
Micala 

The art of good customer care series continues with a look at the Chambre d'hôtes / Gîte industry.  For many, enjoying a relaxing stay somewhere is, and quite rightly so, a  customer prerogative.  We want our stay to be comfortable, enjoyable and our whims and fancies catered for. How many of us stop and consider the hard work, issues and concerns that a proprietor may encounter  in order to deliver an experience for us?

There are thousands of excellent Chambre d'hôtes  and Gîtes  operating in France, so standing out from the crowd is of upmost importance.   Nestled in the Charente-Limousin is an establishment that does exactly that.

Penny Hitchings from Manoir La Betoulle shares with us her experience of keeping her customers happy.

How do you provide a good customer service experience?

• Attention to detail from first contact – with comprehensive information about what we offer, prices, discount schemes, links to outside activities/services etc.
  
• After confirmation more local information for them to read prior to arrival, restaurant reservation service, organise outside activities, tennis coach, bike hire, art classes etc, as well as directions & information on the estate.
• Warm, friendly welcome in guests language (if possible) with introductions, point out restaurant information, enquire what time they would like breakfast (if required), tourist info, pool security, WiFi code etc.
• Spotlessly clean always with quality linen, towels, well equipped bathrooms & gites.  B&B suites cleaned daily.
• High quality breakfast – different every morning, so each day is a surprise.
• On-site, so always available, attentive, BUT also discreet.
• Discretion regarding guests behaviour (particularly weddings).
• Discretion regarding final payments – always invoiced, left in room with sprig of lavender & wait for guest to offer payment.
• On departure hope they enjoyed their stay, mention visitors book, Trip Advisor & discount schemes for returning guests.  Happy to book B&Bs for next stage of journey, print out boarding passes etc.
• Grounds & pool well maintained by my husband – pool chemistry always spot-on.
• Always aware of what is on locally, new attractions, restaurants etc.
  

What sets you apart from other B&B/Gite owners in the area/region?
All the above…

• WOW factor – large house, large rooms, large grounds, spacious terraces.
  
• Largest privately owned swimming pool in region.
  
• Tennis court with coaching available.
  
• Giant chess & other outside games.
  
• Generous buffet style breakfast – different every morning …. (longest stay was 21 days – never same combination twice).
  
• For B&B guests certain amount of self catering available – guest kitchenette with free tea & coffee facilities, shared fridge & microwave.
  
• All B&B suites have access to vast covered terrace with outdoor seating & hammocks.
  
• Breakfast option for gite guests – either hamper or in B&B for which we charge extra.
  
• Generous welcome pack with extra ‘treats’ for regular guests.
  
• Space – everything well spread out – gites have lots of outside space with grounds & woodland.
  
• Great for wildlife etc.
  
• Peace & quiet – our LOGO is Escape, Relax, Unwind

It dawned on me last week that I have been self employed for 2 years!  How time flies.  Many solo business owners will agree, it can be pretty lonely when it's just you. You are quite often juggling lots of 'business' balls from one end of the month to the other.  

I have been very fortunate in that I have worked alongside a UK based Communications and PR company supporting their clients social media accounts.  It has been interesting to see just how clients view social media.  The journey with some has been fantastic, seeing their businesses develop and factoring social media campaigns into that journey.  Their business is my business and you cannot help but get involved with the highs and lows.

I also have a bank  of my own clients in the UK and here in France, and will be working on some plans for 2014 to help small businesses across France think more strategically about how they promote themselves online and offline.   Having spent a lot of time across a myriad of social media platforms, you inevitably gain a level of 'intelligence' across the social sphere and something that I see across one platform may well be of use to a client on another.

So how does one celebrate being in business when it's just you?  You lunch with ladies!!   Seventy of them in fact.  Thanks to the  private Facebook group called LIFT - Ladies in France Together, which helps and supports 2000 ladies who are living in France.  Online chat is varied and many online friendships are formed.  Taking this one step further,  LIFT lunches are regularly organised across France, so when one is organised locally to you, it makes sense to down tools put on a bit of lippy and get to lunch!

Last Friday, 7th February I took the opportunity of dining at Domaine de Chatenay in Cognac and enjoyed some excellent French cuisine and did what all ladies are good at doing online and off is a jolly good chat with some lovely ladies from: Maison Bussière, Le Tilleul Gites, AbFab Property Services, and  Franglais Deliveries.

In addition to some nice dining from time to time, chocolate and bubbles are firm favourites on my 'treats for solo business owner' list and as it is my wedding anniversary this week, I shall look forward to receiving those from my husband!

Are you a solo business owner?  How do you celebrate milestones?