Using Facebook Fanpage to Engage Your Community

Engagement Is Key to Building Relationships with a Facebook Fanpage

The desire to connect, to share and to converse is a fundamental part of human nature and what most internet business women and mompreneurs do bets.  But if you are a home business professional or WAHM who uses Facebook as a way to distribute your content, blog posts and other rich media, but do not focus on engagement, then your content will spread to less people and organizations that are actively engaged with their audience. If you don’t know how to Import your Twitter Upadates on Facebook and Your Blog then head on over there to get started.

Lets take coffee for example, for most busy working moms, we treat this irresistible beverage like our American Express card (never leave home without it… lol).  But this wonderful caffeinated beverage is more than just a drink.  It involves friendship, good conversation and laughter.  And thanks to big name brands like Starbucks, it has become the reason to gather and commune with your peers at coffee shops, cafes and restaurants all over the world.

Think of your Facebook Fanpage as a social media networking platform to instantly commune and converse with your target market.  Your Fanpage is the business equivalent of your personal profile (note** you can not have a fanpage without having a personal profile).  So, in order to maximize your brand and capture your audience, below are some basic guidelines to help grow your community.

Tips For Improving Content Engagement with your Facebook Fanpage

1. Ask Questions To Your Fans and Respond Promptly.  If you’re simply importing all of your blog posts and assuming that you’ll going to get comments and responses… think again!

2. Don’t Just Respond with a Thank You in Comments. Add additional Information in the comments of a post so that you are constantly keeping your fans “in the know” about anything related to your company’s news and announcements.

3. Give fans ownership and recognition for their participation on the page. Often times we assume that we know what’s best for our target market when in fact, they are the ones who will truly define your brand based on the level of communication you decide to activate.  Some of the best ideas come from the people who use your products and some of the best feedback will come from them.

4. Post varied media including text, photos, and video.  Keeping your content rich with media creates visual stimulation and value in the eyes of  your consumers.  It allows them to connect with you through multiple channels.

5. Have employees and customers help promote engagement by commenting and liking items. It OK and quite possibly a benefit to having your employees spend time commenting and corresponding through your social media networks… especially your Facebook Fanpage.  We often overlook how effective and savvy they are at building relationships with your consumer but this form of customer services extends beyond call centers and annoying surveys.  They get a chance to directly and instantly represent your brand in a way that only social media platforms provide.

6. Be Interesting. It sounds simple but good content makes engagement easier. No one wants to listen to a long-winded, text-book style lecture.  They can go to the library for that.  Let your personality come through and build a relationship with them by understanding that YOU are your brand!  Expensive logos have nothing to do with connecting and developing trust.  This is the key to converting random search engine visitors into loyal, repeat, and active fans.

7. Have offline events to help drive interest and engagement. Although having a social media marketing strategy is vital for any business to be successful online, lets fact the facts, traditional offline marketing and advertising is NOT dead.  If you think that simply targeting your efforts online is enough then you should fire your social media consultant.  What better way than an industry trade show or company event to show both online and offiline marketing.  Have you added your Fanpage address to your business cards yet?  Is your Twitter profile somewhere in your company brochures?

How are you promoting your Facebook Fanpage and how do you promote engagement amongst your fans?

If you haven’t already, be sure to Join The Conversation here and over at Pro Mom Blogger Network Fanpage Today! Ask me anything related to social media marketing and business development… I’ll be sure to respond.