I’ve collected my top 13 tips for successfully managing your brand’s Facebook presence. Yesterday, in part I of my post, I detailed my first six tips. Today I’ll share the rest.
7. Be curious: Ask questions
There are two types of questions that accomplish three things. The first is fan engagement questions. They can be open ended, fill in the blank, would you rather, trivia, etc. In short, they engage your fans. Then there are actual Facebook Questions, a feature that every Page has. You have the ability to ask a question and provide only certain answers for your fans to choose from, giving you the opportunity to really hone in on how they feel about a particular topic. You can also let them add their own answers if you’d like.
What does this accomplish? Essentially, free research, insight into your fan base and a gauge of your fans’ feelings.
8. Connect to content
This is another important way to add value. Drive them to one of your Facebook Page’s content pages (through the navigational links on the left side of your Page, under your profile pic) or to your website for more information. Offer an article they might be interested in—especially one that includes a positive callout for your brand. Tell them your brand is on Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, etc. Show them your latest commercial or demo video. You know the content your brand creates—connect your fans to it.
9. Be timely
Specifically, be aware of:
- Days you post: find out what days your fans are on most. Some research shows Thursdays are the best days.
- Time of day you post: in the morning? At lunch? At night? Test it out over the course of a few months, you’ll start to see a pattern. And remember it varies for every brand.
- Current events: holidays, Superbowl, seasons, 9/11, back to school, Daylight Saving Time, Britney Spears, etc. Get inspiration from the news. Or even retail stores and the seasonal items they’re selling—it’s not always about fall, winter, spring and summer.
10. Call your fans to action
You want them to do something, tell them. “Like” this post. “Share” this photo. “Tell us in the comments below.”
11. Learn to “like”
Be a fan yourself. Check out what other brands are doing/offering through their Facebook posts by “liking” them. From your competitors to brands you personally support it’s never bad to see what else is out there and what other brands are trying.
12. Engage, engage, engage
A lot of fans comment on a post? Thank them for it. Someone asks a question on your wall? Answer it. By “liking” your brand, fans see you as credible—an authority on both your product and the category it’s in. If your product is food, they’ll want recipes and nutritional information. If you’re in beauty they’ll ask for tips, tricks and regimen recommendations. Include a recommendation for one of your products in your response, though that isn’t always necessary.
13. Acquire an Edge(Rank)
Facebook EdgeRank: This is the algorithm you care about most—or maybe second most. It’s what determines which posts show up in users’ newsfeeds and is composed of Affinity (the more often you interact, the higher your affinity), Weight (importance of a piece of content) and Time (the newer the better).
To increase your affinity score with your fans, get them to interact using all of the above.
Weight has no hard or fast rule but it’s generally accepted that photos and videos have the highest weight (a reason why you see lots of product shots attached to posts), followed by attaching a link and then text-only.
Time is what it is. Using certain words may be helpful (though no one really knows for sure) in upping your “Time” score. Some examples: limited, today, only and now.
Remember, the only way to truly figure out what works is by testing things out and analyzing what you see. Why did one post get more interaction than another? Was it the topic? Was it the type of post? You will start to see patterns. Go with what works.
And lastly, do not forget that Facebook is not a medium in which you create it and they will come. Run Facebook media and include call outs to your Facebook page in as many places as possible: email newsletters, brand site, TV commercials, print ads, etc.
Good luck!
