photo credit: Oversocialized
With over 400 500 million active users, Facebook has become a useful marketing tool for freelancers, small businesses and large organizations.
A question that often arises, however, is:
“Now that I have a Facebook Page, what do I do with it?”
The secret to a successful Page is to actively engage your fan base. Ask them questions, upload content, reply to their comments.
Another question that inevitably comes up is:
“Where will I find the time to do this?”
…especially after updating a website/blog/twitterfeed/etc…
It does take time. But you will win followers, create buzz and meet fans where they are already congregating – 400 million strong – on Facebook.
The reason Facebook is a powerful marketing platform is because people are already there. And they are spending a lot of time there. According to this Mashable post, people average almost 6 hours per month on Facebook. The Facebook statistics page shows that half of all active users log on each day.
People hang out on Facebook the way they would at a neighborhood block party or backyard barbecue. They’re talking to their friends and looking at photos of people’s kids.
Most people don’t go to Facebook to hang out with a company or a brand. They will “Like” a brand or organization if they find the Facebook published content entertaining. But this Razorfish study found that the main reason people “Like” a brand is for access to exclusive deals and offers.
Don’t disappoint.
Find a way to honor fans’ support by giving a Facebook-fan-only coupon. One of my favorite Facebook-fan deals is the whispered word of the day offer by
Sprinkles Cupcakes:
You don’t have to be a fan of the page to participate, but it’s a simple concept that drives traffic to their Facebook Page every day.
Make it Fun
Another way to encourage engagement is to create an application or game within Facebook. The office supply company Staples features an I Shred U app on their Facebook page that shreds Facebook photos. If you’ve been tagged in a photo that you don’t like, just send it through the virtual shredder with a personalized message to your friend who tagged you.
Stay tuned for more Facebook posts, especially Facebook Contests and the rules surrounding them.
I’m currently working on a Facebook Contest Class. If you’d like to receive a message when the class is launched, sign up on the What’s Cookin page.
