With Social Media being all the rage, I thought this article by Christine Gallagher was a great way to learn how to use Facebook more effectively. Thanks, Christine!
You followed the advice you received and set up a Facebook Page for your business–hooray!
However, if you’re like most business owners, you might be stuck saying “now what?”
Engagement is a key piece of any social media marketing strategy, and Facebook Pages are no exception. The easy part is getting it up and running! Once you do that, you need to continually give people a reason to remain interested and keep coming back.
Here are five simple ways to do that starting today:
1) Ask and you shall receive.
I see far too many Pages where the only thing that seems to be going on is blast after blast of information. While some of your Page’s “Likers” might read everything you post, this does nothing for strengthening the bond between you and your supporters. Show you value their views and input byfrequently asking them questions. Having a hard time deciding between two of something? Ask for others’ opinions. Curious about what service or product you should offer next? Just ask!
People need a reason to interact with you in most cases, so be sure to give them one often.
2) Switch it up.
Facebook is known for being a rich multimedia-sharing site so take advantage of this on your Page. Mixing up posts with photos, links, videos and morewill keep things interesting–and not to mention eye-catching–for your supporters and fans. A tip: think about what stands out for you when you visit a particularly active Page or see content go by in the News Feed.
3) Get out of the box.
It doesn’t have to be all business, all the time. Yes, that’s why people are there on your Page to begin with, but you’ll find some of the most popular and commented-upon posts are those where you’ve shared a personal tidbit, a funny anecdote or a completely business-unrelated news story. Get creative and use these types of posts to let your personality shine through.
4) Stay on top of things.
Be sure to keep tabs on your Page to see when someone has commented on or interacted with it. That way you can respond relatively promptly, which is not only good manners, it’s also telling your supporters that you’re a responsive and involved business owner or brand. This will encourage them to keep coming back for more.
5) Show some gratitude.
Don’t forget to occasionally share the love by letting people know you’re thankful for their support of your Page. This could be a simple comment to them, or maybe something a little more substantial. In fact, it’s smart to make your Page a place where people know they can get exclusive offers from you as your way of saying thanks. The idea is to make people feel special for supporting your business by giving them access to things like coupons or special items or offers that only they receive, just for being a supporter of your Page.
So remember, it’s not enough to set up a Page and then just wait for the flood of comments and interaction to begin. Or, start broadcasting updates that don’t provide any opportunity for others to engage you and then expect people to speak up on their own.
Instead, create a vibrant space with a focus on how your supporters can play an active part in what you share. You’ll soon discover that it’s a lot more fun (and beneficial to your business) that way–and even more importantly, you’ll find yourself with a lot more raving fans!
Christine Gallagher is founder of ShesGotClients.com, a company dedicated to teaching women entrepreneurs all over the world how to use authentic relationship marketing and online strategies to attract raving fans, enroll more clients, and enjoy more income and freedom in their business, all while sharing their gifts and their message in a much bigger way.
Christine created The 6 Simple Steps to Kick Start Your Social Media Success System(TM), a real-world, step-by-step “roadmap” that teaches entrepreneurs how to consistently bring in new clients and customers using the Internet.
Through her coaching and training business, Christine helps entrepreneurs maximize their profits using an integrated social media and online marketing strategy, and teaches them how to stop trading dollars for hours by using online information marketing techniques.
Christine was recently featured as a social media marketing expert in Newsday and in the book Get Scrappy: A Small Business Owner’s Guide to Marketing On Less, as well as profiled as one of “16 Brilliant Business Minds on Twitter” by The Huffington Post. Her blog was also recently chosen as one of the top 50 small business blogs by Konector.com, and her newsletters, products, and online reach now educate and inspire over 19,000 people every month.
Learn more about Christine, her products, programs and courses at ShesGotClients.com
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