Last week I did a post on how to create and develop a Facebook page for your business but it didn’t even begin to scrape the walls of how you can really leverage this social networking tool to your advantage. There are some really clever tips and tricks that you can use to build your network on Facebook and get your pages noticed by the right people.
By now you’ve probably got the hang of updating your Facebook page regularly. A neat trick is to combine your Twitter contacts with your Facebook updates. Not by linking the two, but by taking questions asked by your customers on Twitter and answering them on your FB page.
For example, if someone asks a question about a particular service, you can then write a detailed blog post, add in links to additional sources and information, and then tweet the link to your Facebook page. This will drive readers to your page and make them feel as if you really care about their issues and/or concerns.
If you run a company blog, then this is a great way to cross-promote your business across all three platforms.
Initially your Facebook page will be a little lonely; it can take quite some time to build up a loyal following. There are several ways you can actively build this base yourself – uploading contacts from your email, using features from Facebook like Find Friends, and including mutual contacts from your friends’ lists.
This process also works in reverse. By offering your clients and colleagues some Suggest Friends options, you can help them to build their connections while also building a relationship with them. Share information, share ideas and then ask them to guest post on your site.
The phenomenon of the Guest Post has been around for the longest time but has emerged as a powerful tool in the blogosphere and in social networking. By asking the right contacts to post information, ideas and thoughts on your blog and Facebook pages, you are getting their fans to find you while boosting each others’ profiles. It’s a win-win.
Now you might find that people are starting to trickle on over to your Facebook pages so your next task is to keep them there. Heavy marketing spiel, excessive self-promotion, or anything that constantly sells to the reader will have people soon lose interest.
The trick is to make your content relevant, interesting and insightful, while still putting your company’s services at the front of people’s minds. It’s a bit of a (excuse the cliché) balancing act. Still, with practice you’ll soon manage it just fine.
And you should include competitions and promotions that match the desires of your target market. Many of the really successful business implementations on Facebook ask their readers what they would like to see or win or get, and then they give it to them. The more interactive and fun, the better. For example, if you sell tyres you can ask your fans to submit photographs of their car tyres and a motivation for why they need new tyres, and the best submission will win a new set of tyres.
Of course, don’t forget to promote your promotions across all your social media!
Hopefully these tips will help you get into the Facebook swing of things as much as they helped me. There is so much you can do with this platform and the only limitations are your imagination (and the Facebook terms of service).