Facebook Page Review: Munchkin Photos

Munchkin Photos

As part of my Free Facebook Page Review promotion over at the 500 Social Media Marketing Tips Facebook Page, I selected Munchkin Photos, a photography studio by husband and wife team Andrew and Jo based in Warrington, England, as the third and final free review. Here's my analysis of his current Facebook Page - the things that are done well, along with tips and recommendations for how I think it could be improved.

Page Name and URL

Munchkin Photos has got his Page name and URL spot on. The name is nice and short so that it appears optimally both on web and mobile devices and its vanity URL (https://www.facebook.com/MunchkinPhotos) mirrors the page name too, making it easy and memorable when communicating it in person and on marketing material. 

Cover Photo

Munchkin Photos has used a collage of a wide selection of its customers for its Facebook cover photo. While I am generally a fan of this approach, I feel this example is a bit too crowded.

Cover photos are a prime space for brands to communicate who they are and what they do to viewers, and I think Munchkin Photos could do this more powerfully with a focus on just a collage of just a few photos in its cover image, or (my preference) just a single photo at a time. As well as a more lucid brand message, this would also allow them to tag the cover photos to feature different customers on a regular basis - encouraging likes and shares that will promote the business - as well as leaving space to feature details about promotions, offers, etc.

Profile Photo

Munchkin Photos' profile photo is currently used to highlight one of the business' latest offering - 3D photos. As this photo will represent the company around Facebook and beyond, my preference is for it to be a square image of a company's logo. A more effective way to promote the 3D photos would be using the cover photo, as described above. Whatever profile photo is used, I encourage my clients to add a description featuring a few lines about the company, a URL, and a call to action.

Here is a quick mock-up of how I feel the cover photo and profile photo for Munchkin Photos could be used more effectively - preferably without a little girl's neck being severed by the profile pic! If a single image is used, it could be tastefully annotated with the family name and/or price of the shoot as a nice, big advert.

About Section 

On the whole, Munchkin Photos has done a great job with its About section. It features a map with contact details, Mission, and a Description detailing information about the company and the products it offers. As well as a reminder to make sure the About section is filled out 100% (or as close to as possible), I have just one more suggestion here: I would be tempted to move the product information to its own section, just to make for slightly easier reading.  

Custom Tabs

At present, Munchkin Photos does not make use of any custom tabs or apps. Not only can custom tabs help enhance the branding of your Facebook Page, but can also be used to house more information about the company, what they do, and any offers they have running.

As Andrew is the only photographer, I think a custom tab to let customers get to know him would be a really great idea - a nice portrait pic and welcome message or even a short video to show off his personality, which is so important for a photographer, and to a customer who might be nervous or shy of what to expect, or being in front of camera.

Another tab could feature information about pricing and gift certificates. And, as families in particular may want to visit the studio for several photo shoots over the years, creating a tab with a sign-up form to an e-mail list could be really beneficial. With the e-mails Munchkin Photos gathers, they can send details of offers and promotions, and perhaps even a gentle reminder to families about visiting the studio for an updated group photo! 

Types of Posts and Frequency

Munchkin Photos posts status updates regularly, and they're short and snappy on the whole too, which is fantastic. However, there's one crucial detail missing... photos! Unless the status update is a video or a link, I always recommend adding a photo as they draw people's attention in news feeds and receive considerably more engagement. And working in such a happy and dynamic space, Munchkin Photos has a perfect opportunity to show off to current and potential customers what goes on. Examples might include photos of the studio being prepared for the day's events, shots of Andrew snapping happy families (with their permission, of course), the odd post of products such as frames and canvases, and Andrew's tools of the trade - especially for the 3D photo effect.

And of course, the Page's timeline and Photos section could feature regular albums of snaps of happy customers to show off the company's work to potential customers. A quick look at the Photos section shows that no new albums have been added since 2011! As a potential customer checking the studio out, that's like walking past a clothes store still advertising its Spring/Summer ranges from a few years ago... eek!

Basic Competitor Analysis

As you might imagine, there are plenty of photographers vying for attention in the same market as Munchkin Photos. These are just a few in the local area, and a very basic look at how their Facebook Page's operate. 

Digital Image Photography: Decent cover photo, but infrequent, boring, and "moany" updates.

Julie Marie Photography: Large fan base (over 4,000 likes) and overall, a well-run Page with semi-regular updates and lots of engagement with customers.  Good competition here!

Clarity Images: Nice cover, profile pic, and About section, but very infrequent posting schedule. Most photo posts that are there are without any written context, or solely promotional. 

Conclusion

All in all, I believe Munchkin Photos has the makings to foster a really effective Facebook presence in several ways, especially as it differentiates itself from the competition with a child-friendly focus:

• Posting customer snaps and encouraging them to tag, like, and share to spread the word. This can be done in person on marketing material and just before they leave the studio. People (especially parents, love  to share photos and show off to their friends on Facebook!)
• Tweaking the cover photo and profile image to show off the brand and its offerings in a more impacting manner.
• Building custom tabs to enhance branding of the Page and to tell people about the business and its offers.
• Continued regular posting schedule, but including images!

For more information about Munchkin Photos, visit http://www.munchkin-photos.com.

Want A Facebook Page Review? 

If you'd like me to help you with your Facebook Page, and want a customised review similar to the one above, check out the Facebook Page Review Service section of my website for full details and to purchase for a launch price of only $49

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Facebook Page Review: Glastonbury Drums

Glastonbury Drums

As part of my Free Facebook Page Review promotion over at the 500 Social Media Marketing Tips Facebook Page, I selected Glastonbury Drums as the second of three free reviews. Kyle Cullen offers drum lessons in Somerset, England, as well as online lessons via Skype. Here's my analysis of his current Facebook Page, along with tips and recommendations for how I think it could be improved. 

Page Name and URL

Kyle has got his Page name and URL spot on. He is the only result to appear in a search for 'drum lessons glastonbury', thanks to the name of his page, his vanity URL (http://www.facebook.com/GlastonburyDrums) and also having filled in his location information. Sweet!

Cover Photo
Kyle's Facebook cover photo is 881 x 326 pixels; the recommended size is 850 x 351. While optimising the cover photo size in this instance doesn't make a hugedifference to the way it displays on Facebook, sticking to the recommended dimensions does mean that you know exactly how it will display when it is uploaded, and also enables the use of a template to build the cover photo precisely around the position of the profile photo, which overlaps it in the bottom left-hand corner.

Design-wise, Kyle's cover photo isn't as engaging as it could be; I feel it's a bit dark and gloomy for something exciting as drum lessons, and the text makes it too busy to make a real impact.  Facebook's "no more than 20% text on the cover photo" rule is exceeded. A call to action asking people to like the page is sometimes a good idea, but the message 'to stay up to date' is vague, and I feel that if people want to 'like' a page, they will do so without prompting. My personal opinion is that cover photo design should have a "less is more" approach, with details such as e-mail address and telephone numbers - or any great amount of text - saved for the About section.

Profile Photo
As Kyle is the figurehead of his company, I feel that his profile photo should be used as an opportunity to connect with his audience, both on his Facebook Page and across the site in comments sections and posts. One of the best ways to do to this is to choose a head-and-shoulders photo. Kyle's current profile photo shows who he is and what he does, but he's too small and too far away for us to get a good look without clicking on the image to see it in full.   

Here is a mock-up of a potential new look for Glastonbury Drums' Facebook cover photo and profile photo. The design is bright and simple, and more fully reflects the fun that people will have learning to play drums with the company. The big image of a drum kit instantly communicate what the page is all about, and we've got the company logo (now black instead of white) above a clear snippet of text to let users know what Kyle offers - "One-to-one lessons in Somerset or online via Skype). The profile photo is a close-up of a happy and smiley Kyle, which beams warmth and instantly connects with potential customers. As per Facebook recommendations, it's also a square that fits the profile perfectly. I used my Facebook Cover Photo Template to line up and design everything as nicely as possible.

About Section

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There are a lot of great details on Glastonbury Drums' About page - most notably, a working map with phone, e-mail, and company website, which help people find the business easily, and also optimise the Page for Facebook mobile users, allowing them to Check In and leave Recommendations. Here are some suggestions for what I would change: 

• I would amend the synopsis of the page slightly, to mirror the cover photo, telling users that drum lessons are offered one-on-one in Glastonbury, or online via Skype.
• I would suggest using the Description section as a way to more fully introduce people to Kyle and Glastonbury Drums, similar to the About Me page on the Glastonbury Drums website, but would leave out any links to your books for the Product section.  You could also include some basic pricing information here.
• I would include some detail about the types of drum lessons offered, and the pricing. 
• Don't forget to include all relevant information in Contact Info section.  Fill out as much of the about section as possible for SEO purposes.

Here's an example of how the Description of the About section could read: 

“I’m Kyle Cullen, a CRB checked and accredited Drumsense tutor and author, based in Glastonbury, Somerset.

I teach a variety of styles and techniques and will have you playing a beat in your first lesson.

I also run a recording studio and rehearsal studio in Glastonbury for more details check out www.chickenshedstudio.co.uk

My students range from complete beginners to experienced musicians.”

• The Products section could be used to feature information about your books, while the Amazon links could be shortened using a customised link at bit.ly, or simply by chopping out the 'fluff' from the full Amazon link, e.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1479161292/ instead of http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paradiddle-Creativity-Kyle-Cullen/dp/1479161292/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366047538&sr=8-1&keywords=paradiddle+creativity

Custom Tabs

Kyle has made a good start with his Facebook Page's custom tabs, but I think there is a really good opportunity to use them more powerfully, both to tell people more about him and advertise his wares. At present, not all of the tabs are branded with custom images, and others do not appear to work at all.

Here is the 'Free Drum Lesson' tab. I really like the idea of asking people to sign up via e-mail to gain access to the lesson, but I don't think the tab is really dynamic or persuasive enough to make people want to subscribe. With a more detailed design, Kyle could explain what the Free Drum Lesson included, and even a video to introduce potential customers to what they will be getting.

Similarly, Kyle could use other custom tabs to tell people about himself, his products and pricing, and also promote his Page and books like I have done for my page in the example above. 

Here's a rough mock-up of how the Page would look with new custom tabs, complete with custom images and custom tab titles. They're all big, bright, and clear, and match the branding of the cover photo too.

Types of Posts and Frequency

Posting a variety of content on a regular basis is so important to keep your fans engaged and give potential new fans the impression that your Page is active with great posts, encouraging them to stick around with a 'Like', some kind of interaction, or even turn into a new lead. 

Kyle's posts are a good mix of free drum lesson content, videos, images, and interesting links, all delivered with good humour and charm. And pleasingly, there's the odd sprinkle of promotional material in there too, but as it should, these are kept to a minimum. Here are a couple of ideas to enhance the Page's posts:

• My main suggestion would be to up the consistency of posting to at least once or twice per day, and perhaps to also include more content specifically about the drum lessons and studio. If they were willing,
• To encourage his current pupils to visit the Page often, he could post photos and multiple choice questions up about drum or music theory. At the end of the week or a month, he could select a winner to receive a little prize.
• Kyle could post photos or short video clips of his pupils. This would give customers a glimpse into his studio setting and seeing other people enjoying his lessons would help convince them to sign up for some too.
• I think a really interesting feature could be 'Before' and 'After' clips to show just how much pupils are able to develop their drumming technique under Kyle's guidance. Kyle could also feature the odd customer testimonial on his Facebook Page, as he has already done on his website.

Basic Competitor Analysis

Big Bang Drum Tuition (https://www.facebook.com/Bigbangdrumtuition)
This company appears to be Glastonbury Drums' closest (and only?) rival in the nearby vicinity. However, their Facebook Page branding is not terrific,  they have an inconsistent posting schedule, no custom tabs, and the About section lacking.

Conclusion

All in all, I believe Glastonbury Drums, with a few changes to its Facebook Page design and content, has a fantastic opportunity to become a hub for would-be drummers in the area, and in terms of a well-run, professional-looking Facebook Page, blow its main competitor out of the water! As I imagine a lot of Kyle's students are young people, they are the perfect audience to encourage to interact with the page, help spread the word, and attract new custom. 

For more information about Kyle and the drum lessons he offers, check out his Facebook Page and website at the following links: 

https://www.facebook.com/GlastonburyDrums
http://www.glastonburydrums.com/

 Want A Facebook Page Review?

If you'd like me to help you with your Facebook Page, and want a customised review similar to the one above, check out the Facebook Page Review Service section of my website for full details and to purchase for a launch price of only $49.