Everyone who has a Facebook page is looking to generate interest and engagement. You wouldn’t have one in the first place, if you weren’t trying to bring in some new business, or create a buzz amongst your current clients. We can sit and wait for this to happen, but unfortunately the “build it and they will come” approach doesn’t work to well. However, there are a number of ways you can speed up the process of building an online following for your business.
Remember that it’s not just about getting likes, and shares. It’s about getting the right kind of likes, namely the ones that are more likely to use your services or recommend you to others. But with so many pages vying for their attention, how can you keep them interested, even intrigued, by what’s going on within your business?
Here are a few quick tips that can get you more likes, clicks, and ultimately clients.
Who Are You Talking To?
Did you know that it’s almost twice as easy to sell to an existing customer rather than brand new customers?
Take a look at the people who have already liked your page. By building your understanding of who they are and the types of content they are engaging with, it’s easier to think about the type of content you may want to share in the future. Building advocacy among your existing followers is going to lead to more likes and page views that posting in the hope of attracting a new audience.
Once you have a good understanding of who your audience is, you can set up searches for relevant content and post content aimed at engaging them, or even better produce your own content aimed at them. Although it can be time consuming producing your own content is always better as it drives traffic back to your webpage.
Make Me Laugh!
Every Social Media naysayer we come across will tell us that Facebook is full of people winging about something or other, and sharing pictures of the amazing beans on toast they had for dinner. To be honest, they’re probably right, but 890 million people still use Facebook every day. Most Facebook users will not have set up accounts to keep up with A.N Other Bricklayers, but that’s not to say they aren’t interested in what they have to post.
The biggest pages in the world make good use of humour, and in many cases speak and post like a person rather than a business. They want to enjoy their time on sites like Facebook, and humour can be a powerful tool. Could your business be that bit of light relief that breaks up the beans on toast pictures? Could you posts a humourous meme which brightens up their morning? Think about what makes you laugh. Is it Grumpy Cat, or another internet sensation?
Make yourself memorable, don’t be afraid to experiment. Post it, and see what your followers reaction is. Worst case scenario, nobody engages. Next time, try something else.
People Like to See Things
Images are still one of the most powerful ways to connect with your followers. And remember, it is not just all about the biggest reach, it’s about the quality of the reach. So if you can put an image out there that somebody can really engage with, chances are you can build on that initial engagement. By creating a connection between the follower and your business, they will start to see you as someone they trust.
We like to make use of “Wizard of Oz” moments, throwing back to curtain to show everyone what goes on in the places they don’t usually get to see. Do you run a shop where no customer ever gets past the counter, how about showing them the production area? You’d be surprised how positive the reaction can be, they may even feel privileged.
Ask yourself why Apple always post videos of the production process, it’s not just about being behind the scenes, they are also showing how much work, care and attention goes into each Apple product.
Regularity. Humans are Creatures of Habit
Regular posting is essential to get the best from any Social Media site, the more frequently you can post to Facebook, the more success you will see. However, this should be done with caution, a policy of quality over quantity will always see better returns.
Putting something out there randomly, every couple of weeks on Facebook is never going to work. Find articles that are relevant to your audience and share, share content from other businesses which may offer added value to your customers (remember the word social).This doesn’t mean you need to be posting every hour. It could be once a day, or once every two days. But try to be consistent, find a schedule that works for you, and more importantly, your followers, and stick to it.
Give Me Value
Every day millions, if not billions of posts show up on Facebook. How can you you make yourself and your posts stand out? Sometimes the best way can be to answer questions. When we get asked a question in an email or at a workshop, we answer it, but we keep hold of the question. We think of how we can take this question, and response, and turn it into a post or a blog.
Could this work for you and your business? Give these techniques a try and let us know if you see results. Everybody loves a Social business.