Facebook has a viable platform for businesses to connect with their customers and create new ones. However, creating an online presence on a social media platform like Facebook can seem daunting to some people. Others may look at already successful brands that have flourishing Facebook pages and think, “Is there any way I can possibly do that?” Well, the truth is, you can. Engaging fans on Facebook is a lot easier than people think, and it all starts with a few things you may have already thought of.

• Interact with your fans: No one likes a boring page that never posts activity and rarely responds to the fans connected with it. Put in extra effort show fans that the page is alive and well. This doesn’t mean you have to respond to each and every comment or like, but it does mean that every once in a while a response from the moderator will help people believe that there’s a live person behind there somewhere. You can also interact with your fans by asking questions in text form or through the poll application on Facebook. Always remember as well to initiate contact by asking fans to like the page or subscribe to it. Many people’s lives are busy and they won’t remember to do this unless you make them aware of it.
• Make your page as personable as possible: People on the internet are bombarded by all kinds of generic, computer-generated interactions to the point that they can build up a defense mechanism. Make sure your Facebook page is the opposite! Do everything you can to show the human side of your brand to your customers. This can be done by using visuals whenever possible, spotlighting your employees, or even discussing current events. Studies have shown that a significantly larger number of people respond to a picture or even a simple emoticon than just text. Keeping up with holidays and even tragedies will let people know it isn’t just some robot behind your company’s Facebook page.
• Lastly, be aware of your audience: You never want to feel out of touch with your subscribers. Do as much research as you can to find out what types of people are connecting with your page. What are their other interests? What is most likely to attract their attention? Knowing important bits of information like these can greatly impact your consumer conversion rate. It’s also important to learn the best times to post material as well as how often you post. If no one’s online to interact with your post, what good does it do? Many people can be turned off by too much posting, or feeling like you’re ‘taking over their timeline.’ Don’t forget to switch up the types of things you post, as you want to keep your fans guessing.

Engaging your fans on Facebook doesn’t have to be a grudging task that you look to avoid. With enough research, preparation, and motivation it can become one of the most exciting extensions of your brand! As technology continues to advance and social media gains more of a foothold on business endeavors, putting more effort into a project like this can prove greatly beneficial.

With simple tools like these, before you know it you will find yourself in the same position as that successful business you looked up to in the beginning!

By Candy Lowe