How to Improve Your Facebook Engagement

If your business jumped on the bandwagon and created a Facebook page to engage with customers and potential clients, kudos to you. It seems most every business or individual interested in connecting with customers and friends has joined Facebook. However, it’s important to have a plan in place to improve engagement with your followers and would-be followers. Here are ways to attract, retain and engage Facebook fans and use this social media outlet to your best advantage.

Draw Them in and Keep Them Engaged

Your goal is to build your Facebook community quickly and easily so you can engage with people. When in this phase of development, it helps to know your audience and to utilize little-known methods like the Facebook Graph Search, which provides a treasure trove of information about your fans. You can learn about fans’ interests, identify potential business partnerships and use information to improve your contests.

Also, be sure to have a Like button on your company’s website so interested people can become fans with ease. Those who visit your website are already interested in your company, so make it easy to become Facebook fans.

To keep people engaged, be sure to post great content. It helps to post something different every day and, in essence, become a community hub and fount of information. Also, make sure to read comment posts and respond to questions. Engaging followers helps build community.

Make Your Point

When it comes to Facebook posts and status updates, be sure to keep things short and to-the-point. You’re more likely to see more engagement if you keep posts at less than 80 characters. You’ll also want to make it easy for followers to take action on your post. For example, “CLICK HERE if you want to learn more about our company’s newest product!” This post is short and sweet, and encourages readers to engage.

For example, the holistic recovery center 12 Keys Rehab  engages their fans the RIGHT way:

They have over 10,000 likes and all of their posts receive traction. Their “#MotivationalMonday” post utilized a hashtag trend on Facebook, which demonstrates that even a recovery center can be hip with social! Also, their infographic is really cool! I’ve seen tech startup companies that aren’t as social media savvy as this recovery center.

Carefully consider using images with your post. Studies show that using images won’t necessarily get you a broader reach, but they do tend to get greater engagement. Any images you use should be clear and simple.

Another great way to promote your business through Facebook is through contests. Facebook has relaxed guidelines on contests, so third-party apps are no longer needed. It’s easier to simply ask people to like your page for a chance to win a prize. If you put time and energy into creating a well-designed contest, you can easily turn those fans into leads.

Be sure to collect names and emails when running a contest, and your efforts are likely to pay off.

Engaging Game Ideas

Games are a great way to engage with Facebook fans and a great way to attract new followers. Here are some fun and easy ways to hold fun and easy contests.

Try a guessing game. Fill a glass jar with any object – perhaps marbles if your company makes toys or truffles if you’re a bakery – and have followers guess the amount. It’s best to offer a small prize to the winner. Be sure to specify what happens in the event of a tie.

Games that build relationships and encourage sharing are ideal for Facebook. Ask your followers what movie, book, or song best defines their life or business, and have them explain why. An interactive game like this helps fans forge closer relationships with each other and bolsters community.

Another fun way to engage followers is through a story of their own creation. Begin the game with an opening sentence, such as “One day, Evan found a door in the office he never knew was there before.” Have fans supply the next sentence in the story, and see what happens next! You can share the story as it evolves through a follow-up status update to keep readers involved.

When it comes to games, be sure rules are clearly stated and any images used are engaging.

Encourage Sales

Ideally, all of this Facebook engagement and interaction will lead to sales. Engaging with potential clients is one of the best ways you can connect with your audience and encourage them to take action. Better determine your audience’s needs by asking them questions about your products or services.

The connections you make and the information you gather will make it easier to transform Facebook fans into satisfied customers.

 

Written by Jesse Aaron. Jesse is a professional blogger with a passion for homebrewing.