With thousands upon thousands of companies trying to leverage their Facebook pages, many are coming up short with their loyal fans. Despite efforts of putting out fresh content, their pages have become idle, a phantom, a ghost, a memory of better times past.

So why have pages that have seen tremendous success at the beginning of their young, adolescent Facebook life, suddenly fall off the face of the Earth?

The biggest reason companies become idle on Facebook is because they cannot figure out how to execute one of the most important pieces of a Facebook marketing strategy – Engaging fans!

Here are some tips how your company can engage with your fans and further the success of your Facebook page.

Get Creative

Let me reiterate the first sentence of this blog post, there are thousands upon thousands of companies trying to leverage their Facebook page to improve their business as a whole. No matter what industry your company falls into, there are bound to be competitors on Facebook.

In order to get noticed and obtain more fans, you must make your company profile page stand out. There are hundreds of things that you can do to help your company “break through the clutter” and get recognized. Some simple suggestions include a large, unique profile picture, a custom welcome page, video sections, contests, promotions, giveaways, celebrity endorsers, and the list goes on.

In other words, put in the effort make a creative and unique Facebook page and fans will notice.

Example:

Red Bull has identified the interests of their target audience and created a Facebook page that caters to these interests. Their welcome page includes videos, songs, a Twitter feed, and a World Tour calendar.

Ask Questions, Get Opinions

Facebook users are flooded with information each and every time they login to their account. Their newsfeeds are overflowing with news and updates from their friends, family, and other companies they may follow. Although releasing fresh content is very important, it’s not the only activity that is needed on your company Facebook page.

Ask the fans questions that let them express their opinion. It’s no secret; people love to voice their opinions. The good news for you is that once they voice their opinion, it is shared with all of their friends on Facebook.  

If you are a cola company, ask questions such as, “Which cola flavor of “Insert Company Name” is your favorite?” or “When do you enjoy an ice cold “Insert Product Name Here”. When fans respond to these questions, this activity is posted on their wall, which gives your company more reach.

One organization that has done a phenomenal job of actively engaging fans is Major League Baseball. They have created a Polls and Quizzes section that lets fans vote on their favorite plays, moments, shirts, hair styles, etc.

Example:

Use Promotions to Engage

Give your fans a reason to engage on your Facebook page. Promotions don’t have to be big, extravagant ordeals such as giving away a brand new car. Offering small, simple prizes can be just as effective. One great way of implementing this idea is by offering incentives to fans who comment on your wall posts. When you ask for their opinion, have a small giveaway for those who reply.

Remember, when a fan responds to one of your posts, this activity is posted to their profile for all of their friends to see. Your company is gaining reach and visibility by actively engaging with your fans.

Example:

You are a snowboard manufacturer and you want to find out which snowboard of yours is the most popular. You can make a post on your wall that says:

“Hey fans, what will be your snowboard of choice going in to this season? Comment below and on Wednesday we will choose one fan at random who will win a $50 gift certificate to our online store.”

Keep it Up

With these basic ideas, you can begin to engage your Fans on your Facebook company page and keep them coming back for more.

It’s important to think about whom your target audience is, what their interests are, and what they would like to see. Once you have a grasp on this information, you can continue to generate quality material that not only promotes engagement, it helps strengthen your overall Facebook marketing campaign.

Tune in next week for Facebook Marketing Part 2!