In the world of social media, there are countless expert opinions, industry analyses, and social media “guru” tips that are designed to gain you more traction and brand awareness from your Facebook site. Let’s face it, having a Facebook page is almost as standard as having a website these days. For some industries this makes sense, and for others, it doesn’t. However, companies that take the time to create and manage their Facebook pages properly find that the rewards that are realized in terms of brand awareness, promotional ability, and traffic generation are typically worth the time and money spent on social media marketing.
As a business, it’s up to you to engage with your audience on social media. It’s one thing to constantly post specials, promotions, or other sales-related posts, but it’s another thing entirely to elicit responses and engagement from your users. The more responses or engagement you receive on a particular post, the wider your reach will be in the world of Facebook. This will translate into higher brand awareness and can also result in more traffic and potential leads to your website.
How to Engage on Facebook
Post Industry-appropriate Pictures
While it can depend on your industry and your buyer personas, posting an industry-appropriate picture along with a status update will always elicit a higher amount of responses or engagement than with just a written post. Pictures catch users eyes as they scroll through their news feeds, keeping them interested for a longer period of time, as opposed to just reading copy. This is especially true for restaurants, retail, and educational companies.
Ask Questions or Use Polls
Your users want to be heard. Give them a chance to voice their opinion by asking questions. Engagement is contingent on how interested the user is in your post, therefore, ask interesting questions! Here are some examples of types of questions:
- Specific: Ask about their favorites
- Yes or No: Keeps it simple
- Timely: Aligns with a current event or date
- Edgy: Ask a question on a topic that people are passionate about
- True or False: Also keeps it simple
- Direct: "Do you love or hate [blank]..."
- Preference: "Do you like [blank] or [blank] better?"
- Fun: "Would you rather..."
- Event-related: "Are you attending....?"
- Asks about an experience
- Humanistic: Creates a sense of relatability
- Request tips: People love giving their opinions
- Mad libs: Encourages creative responses
Providing Tips and Tricks
Offering helpful advice is another great way to get users to engage with your page. Remember that engagement doesn’t always mean a comment. It can also mean a liking or sharing of the status update. Although sharing works best in terms of reach, liking a status update will also boost your reach as it will show up in the news feeds of that individuals friends, showing that they liked your post.
Fill in the Blanks or Photo Captions
Similar to asking a question, asking users to fill in the blanks or to caption certain photos is a fun way for them to engage with your page. They may not necessarily care who is posting the content when responding; the main idea is that they’re engaging with your page and you are getting exposure. Do keep in mind though that you still want it to remain industry-appropriate. Don't go posting things about celebrities and such unless it is appropriate for your industry.
Give Away Free Stuff
This is a winner. People like free stuff, no matter what it is. Don’t believe me? Watch what some people will do for the XXL t-shirt they’ll never wear being shot out of a canon at a hockey game. Get your users to like, share, and comment for a chance to win gift cards, shirts, and more!
With a great Facebook page, comes great responsibility. Remember that everything you post is a direct reflection of your company and your brand. Monitor user activity and be sure to stay on top of any negative or inappropriate comments. This is especially important when asking a question or using the fill in the blank tactic. Users have been known to get (sometimes a little too) creative, so be careful what you post. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start engaging!
