Facebook Tips for Small Businesses

What would you like to do with Facebook? (Horrible pun intended).

The first step for expanding your network through Facebook is asking yourself: What are my goals? What do I really want to do with more likes?

If your answer is that you need to increase your likes by x%, your favorite Cleveland graphic, logo and web design studio Go Media can help with that. We love a good contest as much as the next person! However, a contest that increases your community by 1000, 3000, or even 100,000 likes may seem awesome in theory, but do you know what’s not awesome? Talking to yourself. And if you have a bazillion likes who don’t contribute to your page in any way, you’re essentially talking to a wall. That’s why we we strongly encourage our clients to create robust Facebook pages with “Active Likes.”

“So, what’s an Active Like?”

We’re so glad you asked.

Active Likes are your key to expanding your meaningful reach on Facebook. It’s these community members who will become brand advocates for your company, sharing their enthusiasm with their own community members. We all have more confidence in referrals from those we trust, so when your Active Likes share your content, they create a domino-effect for gaining valuable, meaningful Active Likes for your page.

So, how do I gain active likes?

Here are 10 great ways >

1. Be personal.
Don’t sell to your community for every post. Yes, highlight your expertise in whatever you do…but show that you are a person too. If you sell, sell, sell, people will stop wanting to listen. You’ll be like that annoying perfume person at the mall, but instead of a scent, you’ll be so busy spraying your words into oblivion that you won’t even realize that no one wants a sample. Don’t tell us that you aren’t guilty of the no-eye-contact-power-walk when walking into that section!

2. Be relevant.
Create or share real content that matters to your community. If you are talking about a koala on National Cat Day to a feline- friendly community (yes, National Cat Day is a thing…mark your calendars for Saturday, October 29th), you probably aren’t providing meaningful content to your community. Which brings us to our next point…

3. Be organized.
Have a plan! Create a social media calendar so that you have smart, meaningful posts in the docket. There are numerous programs that help you stay organized and plan ahead. Hootsuite, TweetDeck, Socialite…the list goes on and on. Of course, plan for some wiggle room as more timely content may arise.

4. Be engaging.
Keep content fresh. Ask questions and seek advice from your Facebook community. The last thing anyone wants is someone preaching at you day-in and day-out. Make sure to have an actual conversation with your community. Listen to what your community is saying and respond accordingly.

5. Be visual.
Copy can be overrated. Keep it short and sweet, and include a visual if possible. You post has to stand out from the crowd, and copy (however clever) may not be enough to do the trick.

6. Be responsive.
Acknowledge any concerns that may arise quickly, and respond effectively to any customer service inquiries as soon as you can. Social media is a very public forum (obviously!) and you want to make sure that everyone knows that your customer experience is top-notch.

7. Be funny.
Show your sense of humor (if you have one). We all love to laugh. If you don’t have a sense of humor, then figure out your persona (see tip #10) and let it shine through.

8. Be generous.
Create meaningful contests that showcase your brand. Ensure that the contest or giveaway highlights who you are and what you do–if it doesn’t tie back to you in some way, it will still be great (who doesn’t love free things?!?) but it won’t do much for you. If you’re partnering with another brand or product, make sure it’s something you really truly believe it. Promote contests via social media, email campaigns, print–whatever you have in your arsenal. Please don’t forget to announce/contact winners and thank everyone for entering.

9. Be smart.
Analyze what’s working and what’s not working–only then will you truly understand what your community’s needs are. Which posts were shared the most? Which ones received the most likes or comments? Does posting at certain times work better for your community? Figure out your trends and adjust accordingly.

[Tweet “”Stay true to your brand, stay true to your values…stay true to you.””]

10. Be…YOU.
This tip is simple, but can be extraordinarily difficult on social media. You need to be your amazing, authentic self (probably a cooler self than you are in reality, but don’t veer too far away from what makes you who you are.) Stay true to your brand, stay true to your values…stay true to you.