6 Ways to Attract and Engage Your Facebook Fans

Like it or not, Facebook has become omnipresent…even offline. So much so in fact, it’s standard to see a “Like us on Facebook” sign wherever you go. With all this competition for your customers’ attention, how can your business set up a Facebook presence, attract fans, and engage with them in a meaningful way? Here are 5 simple tips to help you get started.

Step 1: Choose Your Goal
Why are you setting up a Facebook page at all?  Why should anyone want to “Like” your page and visit it often? What will your “call to action” be? The answers to these questions help shape your goal and dictate how you engage with fans. Provide something on Facebook that’s not available on your website – for example white papers, giveaways, and special promotions.

Step 2: Choose a Great Cover Photo
Think of your Facebook page like your storefront. When potential customers pass by do they want to go into your “store” and look around, or do they just walk by? Your Facebook page should make people want to engage with your company and each other. The key is great imagery. Don’t just use your logo; use something that represents your company vision and mission or even a great picture of your products. Your audience should readily understand they are “Liking” the right company.

Step 3: Use Your Timeline
What will people see when they visit your page? If it’s brand new, they might not see anything. That’s like going into a store and seeing empty shelves. Instead, post at least 20 relevant events in the history of your brand. Not only will you have a nice “storefront” but there are items on your “shelves.”

Step 4: Create a Content Calendar
When people come to your page, they want to see relevant posts. They’ll only come back if they can expect you to offer fresh content such as white papers, customer stories, videos, promotions, contests, or funny photos. Based on your goals (from Step 1) create a calendar of what you’re going to publish and when, ideally several times a day but at least every few days. Keep in mind, just like a store with empty shelves, a page with outdated content doesn’t get repeat visits.

Step 5: Advertise Your Page
We don’t mean that you must buy ads, but you do need to let your community know about your Facebook page and what they can expect to get if they “Like” your company. Embed the “Like” button on your website, on your blog, and as part of your email signature – the more places the better. Your call to action should be different depending on the audience it’s serving.

Step 6: Engage, Engage, Engage
Now that you’ve gotten people to start “Liking” your page it’s time to engage with them. When they write on your wall, write back. When they leave comments, reply. You might set up contests, create polls, and if you can, create a daily tip or question. Engagement doesn’t have to be a multi-million dollar contest – but something that gets people talking with you and with each other.

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.  You need to be persistent and dedicate time to engaging with your fans with content that matters to them. While it might seem that increasing your number of fans is the goal, its engagement that counts most.  Having 150,000 unengaged fans is far worse than having 500 fans who love your content and share it with their networks.

Source Meltwatr Group.