I've been getting a number of questions about Facebook pages and how to engage and grow your fan base. And there are a number of great articles that saying that average number of fans who will engage in your page's posts (like or comment) is only 3 - 7.5%. 1 However, I've seen that number higher and can share some of my secrets.
I help manage the Door County facebook page and can tell you that they have a whopping 65% engagement! How do we do that? We talk to our fans like they're friends.
Ask Your Fans to Join In
It sounds simple, but it's important to make the types of posts that bring up the level of engagement and in the process fans. Act like they are your friends. Ask for them to join in! How was their day? Share a photo, story, or tip. Then repackage and repost.
For example, this past week on the Door County page we didn't just post that the colors are changing and a link to the Color Report. We started a "Fall in Door County" photo album with a couple of photos and invited fans to add pictures — giving them a piece of Door County while they're away.
We did a similar post in August with Sunrise and Sunsets and had a 2.43% level of feedback with 582 likes across the pictures (at the end of August) and over 60 fans submitted photos — and of course, the numbers are still growing.
Answer Your Fans Questions
It seems like a no-brainer, but you need to check your page and respond to those who have engaged with you.
Are they asking questions?
Answer to the best of your ability or put them in touch with someone or place that might know. This not only helps one particular fan, but also the others reading the post who might have the same question. And also leads people to know you as a resource and knowledge base.
Are they posting pictures or links?
Tell them what you think about their post. Was it and informative article? Say what thoughts resonated with you. Or was it a beautiful photo? Give them an inside secret to another location nearby that is similarly spectacular.
Share Insights & Ask Your Fans to Share
Have you reached a milestone? Whether it's your millionth customer or 1,000 fans. Post a "Thank You" and ask for others to share the great experiences your giving you them. Give your fans a reason to boast about them knowing about you first!
Make a Game Plan
You know that you're not supposed to be too sale oriented online and just blather on about your next latest deal. But what do you post then? It's time to make a game plan.
- Write a list of topics that you like to hit on. It might be the weather, scenic photos of your area, packing & travel tips, etc. If you can't come up with ideas, start looking around your industry or other successful companies and see what others are doing, and then keep a inspiration list. Be sure put your own spin on things though. Remember to put your business cap on and be what YOUR brand is instead of your competition.
- Then pick 2-3 days where you're going to make your posts. You can look at your insights to see what days people really interact with you, or find potential days you'd like to ramp up more. You can choose time specific types of posts with certain days like a (Tuesday Tip) for example, or you can just make it random. The key is to make the commitment to post and stick to it.
- To make things easier and use your time effectively, set up a program like HootSuite (which is free) and spend time once a week programming in your posts. They'll go out when you tell them to, and you won't have to think about it every day. It's a great way to keep your commitment without having to keep it at the forefront of your mind.
- Don't be the only admin. Just like in your regular job, you can't run your business by yourself. Bring in your trusted associates or employees to help, or hire a company to help. Just remember that you all have to speak from the voice of your brand and business which is why a game plan is so important.
- Don't forget to check back in once a day on your actual Facebook Page so you can respond to questions or comments. It doesn't have to be lengthy, but try to plan for at least 15 minutes a few hours after your post goes out or at the end of the day.
Sometimes it's all about timing. Think about your product or service and when people use you. If you're a restaurant, post a great picture of your feature at 4pm when everyone's thinking "what's for dinner tonight?" If you are a plumber, it's the midnight call that you get most often, so time your posts after dinner. You're company's name might be the last one they've seen that night and come first to their mind when they're in need.
Everything has a schedule, and if you study your customers enough, you can figure out when they're wanting your service.
Give-Aways & Gimmicks
I'm sure I'll have a few detractors, but I'm not a fan of give-aways — unless you normally do that as part of your marketing strategy.
You have to be true to your brand and the strategy you have in place for marketing your business. If you are constantly giving away your product, why would anyone want to buy it? They'll just wait for the next deal to come around. Or worse, they'll think that your product or service isn't worth your regular price since you have to give it away.
Another reason gimmicks don't work is because they don't always bring in your true target market. People might join your page solely for the give-away and never engage again. This brings your engagement levels down and doesn't get you quality leads for your business.
The only person you're making truly happy is the customer who wins your contest. Everyone else could potentially feel like it was a waste of their time to comment or post and that will make them less likely to engage again. Plus, that bad taste in the mouth might be the last feeling you've left your "friend" with about your brand when they might be needing your services. Be a good friend and try leave a positive message that's fun and easy to share.
Wrap Up
I hope this post gave you a few ideas to try or made you think of even more. Let me know what's worked for you and share your knowledge. I look forward to hearing from you!
Morgan Mann is owner of 1 Design Source, a marketing and advertising firm located in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (in the popular tourist destination of Door County). She has worked with large and small companies helping them reach their customers and increase their effectiveness. Join her facebook page to get more helpful insights and tips at Facebook.com/1DesignSource.
Resources
1 A Study of Fan Engagement on Facebook Pages: http://visibli.com/reports/fbstudy
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment