How to Improve Your Facebook Presence
Knowing how to improve your Facebook presence can give an edge on your competition. Facebook offers a great marketing opportunity, and it is important that you know how to make the best use of that.
Your Facebook friends offer you a fantastic marketing resource that you should nurture and build. They know and should trust you, and it is just as important to develop that trust as it is to gather new friends. You can achieve both by learning how to improve your Facebook presence. Here are a few suggestions on how to achieve that.
1. Post Frequently
Post at least once a day but no more than five times – even that can be too much for some people. If you post too frequently, you might lose friends because they will either block you or hide your updates. However, to improve your Facebook presence you have to post regularly so 2-3 times daily is about right.
2. It’s Not All Business
Do not make all your posts about business. Post something about yourself: personal information and activities enable your friends to get to know you better, and then they will have more confidence in you and what you have to offer. Tell a joke now and again, but the important thing is not to make it all about business.
3. Keep It Short
Don’t tell long stories, but keep it short – make 100 words your absolute maximum. People will read a short post, but might shy away from text that goes on and on.
4. Request Interaction
Ask for interaction. People like to interact and here are some suggestions:
- Ask them to help you: state a problem you have, or something you don’t understand, and ask for help. People love helping others online – you only have to visit a few forums to learn that. Most of your Fans will jump at the chance of getting involved and getting their name seen on your page.
- Give them a cartoon without the words and ask what’s being said. You will not only get some amusing answers, but people will look forward to the next one. Do this weekly or monthly, but on the same day of each week or month.
- Make a short statement with a blank, such as ‘My favorite song is ________. Ask them to fill it in. Make up something connected to your business, such as ‘I feel the most important SEO feature on my website is ________. People love filling in blanks in this way.
- Ask them about their own online business. Ask them to share a link that they use in their business, or if they have no business, then to share the one link they use the most. You never know what will come up, and not only will people be interested in what others are sharing, but they will keep coming to your page to find out what is being shared next.
5. Follow Up
Make sure that if you get Facebook Fan interaction you follow it up. Thank specific Friends or Fans for their input, and share comments about their participation. People love being thanked, and will be more likely to return to page where they interact and get thanked than to one where they feel just another anonymity. Use a Private Message where appropriate or even email them. Some may respond to being asked to join your business email list, but don’t use your squeeze page as a link in your posts.
6. Link from your Blog to your Facebook Page
Include a link from your blog to your Facebook page: you can improve your Facebook presence significantly by doing this. Try to make it a compelling link, such as “Enter a Free Competition on my Facebook Page Here: +link”. You should also link from your Facebook page to your blog or website. Do this manually, so you can personalize each link or invitation with a message.
7. Link from Other Social Media and Websites
Provide a link from other social media such as Twitter, MySpace and Friendster to your Facebook page, particularly if you have a particularly popular post to link to. Also link from your website, Squidoo lens or any online presence that could relate to your Fan Page.
8. Post at Appropriate Times
You don’t want to post at times when everybody may be asleep. Obviously, if you have a worldwide group of Fans this won’t be possible, but you should know their geographical distribution and arrange to post at between 10 am and 3 pm and again from 8 pm to 1 am their time.
By following these 8 tips you should be able to improve your Facebook presence
By following these 8 tips you should be able to improve your Facebook presence and hence your online business – or any business in fact. The follow up to personal participation by your Friends or Fans is very important, and interlinking between Facebook and all your other online entities will also be effective.
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Brian Verigin, Send Me Friend Request or visit my Fan Page.
