A friend recently called me to discuss her fan page and said, “Our fan page is sad looking. How can I get more traffic to it and make it more of a fun place?”
Well there are quite a few things you can do!
Before you can start engaging fans, you have to get them there. Once you have a growing number of “Likes” you’ll split your time between growing the fan base and engaging with those already there.
How to Gain More Likes
- Start at the basic level and make sure everyone at your organization knows you have a fan page. Everyone at your company (whether an admin of the page or not) is an evangelist for your fan page. Provide them with a link to the page, and tell them exactly how you’d like them to help promote the page.
- Make sure everyone at your company has a link to your fan page in their email signature. This is easy to do in Outlook, and is a simple way of communicating your page each and every time you email people.
- Add a Facebook icon and link to your website and any other pages you have. Because Facebook’s search feature often fails to produce the desired search results for finding a specific fan page, people will often turn to Google and your website to find a link to your Facebook fan page. Make it as easy as possible for them to find you!
- If you have a waiting room, host events or attend tradeshows, consider having a computer/Internet available so people can instantly “Like” your page while being prompted. If you give out a WiFi password, be sure to invite people to “Like” your fan page.
- Writing guest posts for other websites or blogs is a wonderful opportunity to link to your fan page in your writer’s bio. Share with people what they can expect to get out of liking your page.
- Almost everything you do on Facebook is tracked and potentially seen by others. When you use Facebook as a page and interact with vertical fan pages (those that compliment yours but not in direct competition) such as liking their page, posting helpful information, commenting on their pages, and sharing their information to your own page, it will often attract people who otherwise didn’t know about your page. If you’re a non-profit, check out fan pages of sponsors, donors, and geographical areas. Businesses should connect with dealers, suppliers, parent companies, vendors, chambers, etc.
- Consider a paid Facebook ad that can grow your fan base in a number of ways. Facebook offers many new social sharing options, as well as very specific target marketing. You don’t have to have a large budget to use some paid Facebook ads, as long as you spend time refining the goals of your ad and measuring.
- E-newsletters and email blasts should all link to your Facebook page at the very least, and to amp it up, consider a specific incentive to “Like” your page. If you have new products to premiere or news to announce that always generates interest, encourage people to “Like” your fan page to get the news first. Be consistent and over time, news will spread if people feel the pull toward your page and the excitement builds.
- Get your vanity URL, so it’s easier to tell people the link to your fan page. Rather than a long and general Facebook generated URL, you decide the URL of your fan page. Go to Facebook.com/username and follow the directions there.
- All print materials must have a Facebook icon and address added (Example: Facebook.com/VividImageInc) Since print materials aren’t clickable, people need to know how to find your fan page. Don’t assume they can find you with Facebook’s search bar. It’s notably not very advanced and often returns no results, even when you know the name of the fan page. Print materials include receipts, business cards, brochures, newspaper ads, flyers, direct mailers, etc.
- Some small businesses and organizations have a unique opportunity to find ambassadors who are willing to help you promote your brand or cause. Spend some time identifying who these people may be, how you can approach them, what specifically you’ll ask them to do to help spread the word, and if you will compensate in some way.
- Don’t forget to add a quick message on your voice mail letting callers know that they can find you on Facebook and if applicable, let them know they are welcome to connect with you there.
With a growing number of “Likes” on your fan page, you’ll want to start focusing on engagement. It is always more important to have fewer fans who are more engaged than tons of fans who are not engaged.
