In today’s social media culture, if your business doesn’t have a Facebook page, you’ll hear you are leaving money on the table. Why? Because like it or not, most people are on Facebook. And, while they’re on there, they are looking for the products and services they need.
But it’s not enough to have a Facebook page, you need to increase the number of people (interested in what you offer) that engage with your content. That’s how they’ll get to know you and come to trust you.
Here are 10 tips I believe will help you increase the engagement on your Facebook page.
Post Great Content. Sounds obvious. Great content starts with sharing information your clients and prospects find valuable. There is so much noise today and information trying to get our attention. If you want people to follow you and engage with you, be relevant. Know who you are trying to attract and speak to them.
Write a Professional Bio. This is your space to let clients and potential clients learn about your business. Share you mission, outline your product or service, and whatever information is relevant for your audience to understand you and how your business might interest them. Don’t make it any longer than needed – remember people scan, they don’t read.
Use Hashtags. There is debate about the value of using hashtags on Facebook. I go with those that give Facebook hashtags the thumbs up. Some guidelines follow. Use only 2 hashtags per post. Research shows that more than this is worse than none at all. Also, unlike Twitter, put your hashtags at the end of the post.
Place a Widget on Your Blog. There are several widgets you can put on your website and/or blog to drive traffic to your Facebook Page. For those interested, here is a link to some suggestions – http://goo.gl/6Dcdee. However, at a minimum, be sure you have a widget on your Blog that links to your Facebook page. Depending upon your website/blog platform, you may need your web developer to assist you with this.
Engage with Others. Having a Facebook Page is not the goal. You want your target clients to see you as someone with a solution to their challenge (or goal). This requires engagement and relationship building. Be sure that besides posting great content, you are also asking questions. And, when people comment on your posts, thank them and respond.
Make your Content Shareable. Most of us only share content we find valuable and that we think our followers will find enjoyable. So, besides creating content that is relevant, focus on making your content positive and maybe even entertaining. And, don’t be discouraged. Sharing content is to some extent about relationship. People may like your content initially and after seeing you are a trusted resource, share.
Reshare other people’s content. Givers Give! This is a quote from one of my networking partners and it’s true. When those in your network post content that relates to your audience, share it. And, I suggest go one step further. Make a relevant comment about the post. It adds value to what is shared.
Reach out to influencers. This one might take more time that many small businesses feel they can take. I share it because if you can take the time to connect with an influencer in your industry, it can have a powerful impact on your business. All industries and fields have social media influencers, this post from AdEspresso gives tips and tactics.
Stay active. Hubspot research suggests that businesses that spend 30 minutes a day on social media are 3.5 times more likely to increase their search ranking than those that don’t. Use your feeds to find shareable content, ask questions, and keep conversations going. Set aside time every day . Set an alarm on your phone to let you know when the time is up, then unplug and engage with your followers.
Follow other users. Social media is just that – social. Following other users (or Liking Company Pages) gives you the opportunity to comment and interact with other followers. It’s all about connection and engagement. The more you share and engage, the more you will expand your reach. And for a business, reach is right up there with your top goals.
As a small business owner, I understand the ‘too much to do, too little time’ challenge. But, as a marketing professional, I also understand the value of social media. Need help? Contact me by phone or email, I help clients set up their Facebook Pages and LinkedIn pages AND create content regularly so they can ‘stay active’ even when they’re too busy to manage it themselves.