Facebook and Competitors

[Francesca0278]

Hi

Just wanting to get everyone's thoughts on this to see if I am being a bit paranoid and over-protective....

I have a Facebook page for my salon which is designed to keep my clients up to date with current promotions and also generate new business. Its the business page that I have which people 'Like' rather than request friendship.

My issue is that there are a number of salons on there (which I can tell from clicking on their profiles) basically just sitting back and getting my updates. One of them even reeled off a list of treatments coming soon and it was all the treatments I offer.

What's everyone's thoughts on this? Am I justified in deleting them or is that a bit over the top??

 

[pink flower]

Hi, have you thought about changing it to a business group? I have a group and you can privacy set them so that only people you add can see the content or that people can request to join but you say yes or no. You just add everyone who you want in the group.
I do think the pages are better advertising though for new clients as they are seen by alot more people. I wouldnt bother deleting rivals because they will still be able to go on the page and see everything even if they havent 'liked' it. Pages are open to everyone which is a good and bad thing i guess.
I wouldnt worry really, im never interested in what competitors are doing, just that im doing everything how i should be and keeping my clients happy take it as a compliment that they feel the need to nosey on what your doing and be proud of your ideas xx

 

[EMMA AT ELITE]

Oh dear!
This seems to be an occuring thing with facebook pages, I guess you could delete them if you like, as long as your clients arent their "likers" too none of your clients will see this.
However if someone wants to find out something, they will! You could delete them, then they could get a friend to like your page & BINGO they have axcess to all you info again
Could it just be that you are both doing the same new treatments?
At the moment, shellac, minx, rockstar, vajazzles, swarovski crystal pedicures are all very popular & newish treatments which most salon are offering now

If someone has not clicked on "like" on your page can they still see you info or do they have to be a "liker" first before they can read everything?
x:hug:x
I really want to create a page but am in two minds & have lots of questions first :lol:

 

[pink flower]

Yeah if you have a page anyone thats on fb can see everything on it, they have virtually no privacy settings. The only difference is that if theyve 'liked' it, anything thats posted will appear on their news feed, but if you delete them or they havent 'liked' it it wont and they would have to find the page and check whats been put on it. But they'l still see it all the same xx

 

[chocolatepickle]

To be honest I dont think its worth the worry.
You are going to always have competitors and if you are going to advertise promotions they are bound to come across them regardless.
The important thing is to give your clients a service worth returning for, just do the best you can to give them the best you can.

If competitors see your promotions and undercut you, you may lose a few people but you may not, your competitors will still have to work harder for their money.
If they are just doing the same promotions as you at the same prices then its probably not going to affect you.
Plenty of salons run perfectly well in close proximity to one another.

I dont think you should feel the need to hide anything from anyone, it just makes you more stressed which will not be good for your business.

I add competitors, I put work their way when I'm unable to do it and I would much rather have a good, amicable relationship with them and be in a position to ask for or offer help then to feel threatened by them.

There is plenty of clients to go around if you offer what they want. :hug:

 

[Blue Rose]

I agree with what some of the others have said - it's not worth stressing over.

So they can see your page, by the same token, no doubt you can also see theirs!

Even if you deleted them as likers, they'd still be able to access your page & read what's going on.

If you change it to a group & set it to private, you've no chance (or very little anyway) of getting new clients from it, which isn't that the whole point of facebook - to generate new business.

I think that perhaps you need to spend less time stressing about other business & just concentrate on your own. I know that's easier said than done as I sometimes get the same problem in my own town.

I post something on my page, a few days later, something similar crops up on theirs. We have mutual likers, but I know that I do my posts 1st, as will the likers.

When I 1st started doing my auctions, a week or so later, a very close by competitor started doing the same. Now though, if I introduce something a bit different, I put a comment along the lines that they read it here 1st.

But that's just me, I'm kind of getting used to my page ideas being used as inspiration for other therapists, :lol:

 

[EMMA AT ELITE]

Yeah if you have a page anyone thats on fb can see everything on it, they have virtually no privacy settings. The only difference is that if theyve 'liked' it, anything thats posted will appear on their news feed, but if you delete them or they havent 'liked' it it wont and they would have to find the page and check whats been put on it. But they'l still see it all the same xx

Thanks for clearing that up x:hug:x

One other question - How comes some pages have reviews, disscussions etc & some dont? Can you choose what you would like to have or does it come up automatically? x

 

[pink flower]

No problem with the discussions/reviews etc, when i read up on it it said its something to do with what category you put your page in and theyl automatically give you applications relevant to that category. But you can add extra applications if you want them.
If you go on fb, click on the 'help' thing then click on 'pages for business' theres loads of info to help you make a page. I think they are good for advertising so its worth doing xx :hug:

 

[EMMA AT ELITE]

Oh I see, thank you x:hug:x