Q: I created a Facebook page for our business. But now it’s just sitting there with hardly any fans. What should I do?
First of all, congratulations! With over a billion users (that’s one of out every seven people on the planet who has a Facebook account) be assured that you are in the right place to promote yourself.
And let me assure you a Facebook page can work for you. For example, an insurance agent told me that he was able to write numerous new policies by posting questions on his Facebook page such as, “If my tree falls down and hits my neighbor’s house, am I responsible for the damage?” He involved his fans in the conversation and then showed that he was an expert on the topic of insurance to his community. (Notice he did not use his Facebook page to shout: “Call me today for a free insurance quote!”)
Advice from the Experts
Here are some of the best tips and tricks I have found on how to grow the fan base for your Facebook page from six other social media experts.
Our first expert, Ching Ya, of Socialmediaexaminer.com, suggests these three ideas:
1. Take the Initiative: Request Help from Friends
It’s difficult to start a Facebook page with no engagement whatsoever. Why not send messages to your friends and clients who are supportive of your business? Ask them to help out in some discussions, reward them with publicity, or return the favor. Ask them to use Facebook’s Suggest feature to “suggest” that their friends like your page. When the request comes from these community thought leaders, it’s a lot harder for others to decline to hit that “like” button.
2. Use Tagging
One of the most popular features on Facebook is tagging, which gives you the ability to identify and reference people in photos, videos and notes. Friends you tag in your status updates will receive a notification and a Wall post linking them to your post.
3. Participate Outside Your Page
Use Facebook Directory and Facebook Search to locate other Facebook pages in your niche. Look for public discussions based on search terms related to your business.
Our second expert, Laura Rubinstein, of the Social Media Marketing Strategist, suggests two ideas:
1. Hold a Contest
Jupiter Research reported in 2001 that 49 percent of consumers enter an online sweepstakes at least once a month. Sponsoring a contest will do two things for you: first, you will easily be able to determine which of your fans want to interact with you, and, secondly, once they do, they will be more open to future marketing messages from you.
To get ideas on how other companies have incorporated contests and social media, please Google an article by David Spark entitled “10 Creative Contests Powered by Social Media.”
2. Promote a Charity
This benefits you, your fans, and the charity. It’s a triple win! Let everyone know that for every x number of fans who join, you are going to donate x dollars to a certain charity.
Rob Dickens of Memeburn:
1. Suggest to Friends
Just below your Facebook page picture you’ll find a link that says “Suggest to Friends”. This allows you to invite all of your friends on Facebook.
2. Promote Your Facebook Page
If you send out a newsletter, be sure you include a link to your Facebook page. Have a Facebook badge on your Website.
3. E-mail Signatures
Just imagine how much exposure your page will get if the link to your Facebook page is included in every single e-mail sent from your business!
Ruth White-Cabell, Strategic Campaigns Manager at Cisco says:
1. Create Exclusive Content
Ask yourself what valuable, relevant content you can provide to your fans on Facebook that they can’t get anywhere else. By offering exclusive content on Facebook, you immediately give users a reason to join. It also provides a powerful motivator to share your page with their own networks.
2. Ask Questions and Take Polls and Surveys
You want people to interact with you on Facebook. To drive engagement, be genuinely curious and ask questions. (Remember the success of the insurance agent?) To get even broader feedback, use regular polls and surveys within your Facebook page.
3. Respond to Comments
Encourage interaction by being interactive. Make sure you are responding to comments from your fans.
4. Share Content from Others
It’s not just about you and your business. It’s important to share content – videos, photos, blog posts, articles and links from others as well.
5. Don’t be Afraid to Experiment
There is no cookie-cutter approach to success with social media. Being actively engaged is a key part of success on Facebook.
Mari Smith, co-author of Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day:
Invite Your E–mail and Ezine Subscribers
Send out an invitation to your subscribers via e-mail (several times, over time) letting them know about your Facebook page and encouraging them to join. Provide them with a description of the page and, rather than just asking them to “like our page,” tell them exactly what’s in it for them when they do.
Finally, our sixth expert, Cindy Ratzlaff of the International Social Media Association, asks:
Did you know that video postings on Facebook are chosen more often to appear in the “Top News” stream of your fans and therefore have a better chance of being seen by their friends?
Post short video messages with business tips that your fans can share with their friends. Keep these messages under one minute and include only solid advice or tips that your fans will be thrilled to share with their friends.
People love videos! In fact, YouTube is now the second largest search engine in the world behind Google. And if you want your video to be noticed, make sure that you don’t have someone from your business in a headshot going blah-blah-blah in corporate speak. If you want to have your video stand out, make it witty, off-beat, or intensely personal.
Four Keys to Facebook Success
Let’s conclude with these four key steps to build, grow and manage your Facebook page:
1. Develop a Strategy
Why do most of the millions Facebook pages fail? Because creating one was a reactive, rather than a proactive, event. Many businesses create Facebook pages simply because it seems like everyone else is. (48% of all small businesses now have a Facebook page.) What do you want to accomplish with your page? As an example of an effective strategy for a Facebook page, the Buffalo, New York CPA firm of Freed, Maxick & Battaglia determined that it wanted to “humanize employees, showcase community involvement, and position the company as a thought leader” with their Facebook page. Once you develop a strategy for your business, it will make your efforts on your Facebook page a whole lot easier.
2. Create Great Content
Your Facebook page is not the place to recycle your self-serving commercials and press releases. Develop fabulous exclusive content (especially captivating videos and photos) that will make it easy for your fans to “like” your page, and to keep them coming back for more. The main reason people unsubscribe from blogs is because the blog holder doesn’t update the blog often enough with quality, consistent posts. Make sure that the content on your Facebook page is always fresh.
3. Promote Your Page
With a Facebook page, it is more than “build it and they will come.” Include your Facebook page URL on all of your marketing materials.
4. Track Your Successes by Using Facebook Insights
Want to see what’s working and not working on your Facebook page? Use this free analytics tool from Facebook to give you information that will show you, so you can refine your efforts along the way.
The effective use of social media in general and Facebook in particular requires us to shift our thinking. Using traditional marketing including your Website, you would simply “shout out” to your customers and your prospects. Now with Facebook you have the ability to actually engage with your fans, to have two-way communication with them. You can now find out how they really feel about your products and services, allowing you to deliver what they truly need. And once you do, you will be surprised how your fans will actually help you spread the word about your business to their friends. In the end, you’ll be able to deliver better results for your business, your customers and yourself. And isn’t that what it’s all about?