We mentioned in our previous blog post the importance of being on Facebook in order to promote your business. Today we are going to look a little more in depth at how a business should manage its image on Facebook with 10 useful hints.
1) Create a Page not an Account
Businesses, associations and brand names often mistakenly open an account on Facebook, when they should be using the space, which has been specifically designed for them by the developers of Facebook. This can be used to get fans (by users using the like link), although it won’t allow a business to ask for individual friendships and to follow the users activity.
2) Personalize your URL
Do not just chose a good name for your page and forget about the url address! Remember: keep it simple so that you can be easily found by different search engines and easily remembered by people. For example if you have a restaurant called Jack’s, create a url such as www.facebook.com/jacks. Watch out: as once, you have created your url you cannot change it.
3) Make Sure You Put Key Information on Your Page
Who are you? What do you do? Where can you be found? What is your website address? All of this information should be easy to find on your Facebook page.
4) Insert your Profile Image
Your business should have an easily identifiable image or logo. Use it on your page as it will be visible every time your fans read your news items. A logo, which is good fun to click on, will mean fans will share your business updates more easily and continue to follow you on Facebook
5) Create an Attractive Image on Your Cover Page
Your cover image can tell more about your business than your logo. If we go back to the example of the restaurant it would be good to put a photo of popular dishes or, if the location is nice, of the setting at daybreak or sunset. It is a good idea to change your cover image every now and again, as it keeps it alive and up to date.
6) Look After Your Photo Albums
Make sure your photo albums as well as being well organized talk about your business, the work you do and any special events that you have attended or created: it’s really important to look after you image on Facebook as many users limit their use to looking at photos and videos and may never read texts. This is also the reason why Facebook now lets users share links with large images on their wall. Do not forget to also share videos.
7) Organize Your Timeline
Your presence on Facebook can be seen at a glance using your timeline. Your timeline will show when you started your business and any other significant events, which you should make sure are accompanied with attractive images. A nice touch is to enhance specific customers’ comments along your time line.
8) The Secret is to Share
The obvious question is how can I get more followers without investing in publicity? The secret to get a wider public is to continuosly share new, original and interesting items. For example make sure you include news not just about you business but also other links. You could include information about places to visit near your restaurant or the origins of some of your special recipes. Again make sure you use photos, the web is viral and just a simple click by one of your fans will enlarge your public.
9) Don’t Be Repetitive
Be ahead with new and original ideas, otherwise your fans will get tired of you, remember Facebook will put forward to its users pages that they like, so never forget your public.
Having said this it is not necessary to share news every day, just enough to remind your fans of your presence and keep them continually updated. Most Facebook users enjoy being active and getting a chance to post comments on products or ask questions, so create these opportunities and remember to always give feedback.
Even if Facebook is a relatively new medium and is continually changing this does not mean that you can be careless. Plan and think carefully about what you want to communicate to your public in order to get new fans and to keep teh current ones. Remember though, Facebook in itself isn’t a strategy.
Just recently, Facebook has introduced a new challenge to social media managers in that it has reduced the number of fans who will see your new posts on their timeline to about 10% of your total fans. Therefore, it is more important than ever that your posts are effective to attract the attention of your fans and maintain a high level of interest and engagement in your pages. Your creativity is yet again being tested.
10) Organize Competitions
Users love being involved actively, get your fans to answer a quiz or upload their photos onto your page to win a prize. Doing this you will create more interest in your product. Another good idea is to invite your fans to special events or give them exclusive special offers.
Also Remember
- Don’t forget to use the hashtag. Recently Facebook has introduced, like Twitter, the use of the hashtag (#). Do not use more than two hashtags on a post as they can create confusion.
- Always reply to your fans, even if they make a negative comment. Their opinion is important so do not disregard it, this is a great opportunity to create a relationship with them.
- Remember there is not just Facebook: use Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest. These other social networks can be just as important for your business. It is important to plan your presence on the different social networks carefully and to remember that every social network has its own public and different ways of interacting with them, so do not just limit your presence to just sharing the same tweets and news blogs on every network.
- To put the Facebook icon on your web site and all other advertising material.
Avoid to
- Inviting your fans to share and like your page: you may get more likes but it will not increase engagement.
- Tagging your friends or other Facebook users as it may seem intrusive.
- Not replying to posts or replying in a rush. Remember to keep a friendly and personal tone.
If you feel like this may be too much work for you there is no harm in asking for help, we are here for that after all.
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