So you’ve created a Facebook page for a local business. You’ve put your staff photo up as a banner picture, you’ve got your logo in the profile and you’ve sent out requests for potential followers. Congratulations and welcome to the world of social media marketing! Unfortunately, what most people don’t realize is that here’s where the tough work starts.
You’ll realize the honeymoon period ends quickly. Your likes cease to rise and user engagement begins to resemble a desert landscape complete with tumbleweed and all. So what do you do? How do you get your users to engage in your page and come back to you as a resource. Well, it might sound elementary but you’re not posting enough content.
Related Posts:
3 Ways to Use Twitter to Generate Content Ideas
How to Keep the Good Content Ideas Flowing
It’s a simple fact, the best Facebook pages keep users engaged by posting great content. Now I know you’re thinking, I don’t have time to create original engaging content, but Facebook users must realize it doesn’t always have to be original! So the ultimate question is, where do I find this content? That’s where this blog comes in, I’m going show you five simple ways you can find great timely content to engage your users. So lets get started.
1. Use Google for Industry Relevant Resources
Your Facebook followers come to you as a source of expertise in your industry. Don’t be afraid to use industry relevant articles or even other businesses within the same vertical outside your geographical target. One way you can find them is using Google’s News Search feature.
Say you are in the business of home improvement. You can use Google news search to find relevant articles that are extremely timely. Simply use the search feature by typing in “home improvement” and maybe even adding in a geographical location such as “U.S” or “Montreal”, you can get specific as you like. This will give you a variety of fresh content that your audience might enjoy. Simply copy the link and post it to your Facebook wall. Many think of this as stealing content, but that’s not the case at all. In fact you are supporting the link by sharing it, thus strengthening the content in the eyes of Google.
2. Post Photos
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that photos receive some of the highest post engagement on Facebook. This is because they are easily shareable and can go viral quickly. There are many different approaches you can take to posting photos on your Facebook page. One of these is keeping a camera around the office to capture all of those behind the scenes moments. Letting your followers put faces to your team is highly advisable as it humanizes your operation and can let you reveal some of the magic behind your business. Of course I have suggestions for other types content as well. One of these is using a website such as Pinterest. It’s easy to sign up, just create an account and begin to search for images within your industry. Here you can find a variety of different pictures from memes to funny pictures. Remember, humour goes a long way and when people find images funny they are far more likely to share with their friends.
3. Ask Questions
Content doesn’t always have to be intuitive or cutting edge. One simple way to engage your readers is by asking them questions directly by using the status update. Maybe it’s an upcoming long weekend, or you have recently released a couple of new products. Engage your readers by asking a poll question such as “How will you be spending your long weekend?” or “Which product better benefits your day to day lifestyle X or Y?” Using this method to engage your readers is sure to have positive results. Just remember to monitor these questions closely and respond in a timely manner to better secure brand loyalty.
4. Give It Away & Give It Away Now!
Hosting a Facebook contest can be a sure fire way to receive engagement on your posts. Just think of it as an investment in your brand. It doesn’t have to be a new Xbox or a year subscription to your services. Simple things such as gift certificates to restaurants or a spa can yield tremendous results. Simply post a status with your contest details and have followers subscribe. If you would like to use this as an opportunity to grow your fanbase you can also use Facebook advertising, but that’s another blog altogether.
5. Link Your Website
My fifth and final suggestion is to link content directly from your blog or webpage. This is a tricky one as posters need to learn to walk the the line between sharing information and ravenous self promotion. Make sure your page isn’t littered with references to how great you are, but aims to share expertise in your given field can create loyalty and allow readers to look for other sources of your knowledge. Remember, don’t be afraid to self promote, but Facebook isn’t a an infomercial.
I hope these five methods will aid your Facebook startup or established page when curating content. Remember to nourish you readers with great content that is relevant to their lives and your products. Don’t forget humour goes a long way!
on
Cutting and sticking from Google NewsSearch has the drawback of exhausting your perusers. They might have as of now perused the article you post, and choose that the site is not a decent wellspring of data.
on
These are all really informative tips. Engaging your audience is important to connecting with them and establishing loyalty indeed. I believe number 3 and number 4 certainly go a long, long way. Thanks for putting this up.
on
No problem TPhoenix, I hope it helps you procure some great content to throw up on your Facebook page. Thanks for reading!
on
Thanks for the post Tyson! The key is to create great content and be helpful as much as possible. People will see the value and quality tips, so engagement will come naturally. Building network and relationships with people is the core point. Social media is all about that!
I can also recommend Empire Avenue as a great tool to expand your social reach generally, not only with your Facebook page.
on
Thanks for your insight Branko, you’ve nailed it, content and engagement is most definitely the key. Building your community can be invaluable to you down the road. Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment!
on
Thanks nivlac! I’m glad you liked these suggestions and hope they can help you curate some great content 🙂
on
I completely agree with you Larry, that’s why it’s so important to QA these articles and find something you deem relevant to your users. With a little time and effort you can find quality stories that your fanbase will be sure to appreciate. In the end you are the gatekeeper of your content and you should only post quality links from Google News Search that will keep your users engaged. Thanks for taking the time to comment Larry!
on
Useful method , I especially like number five . The World Wide Web as become such a venomous place that we don’t like to share anything good.
I may use some of these methods to promote my Facebook page.
on
Cutting and pasting from Google NewsSearch has the downside of boring your readers. They may have already read the article you post, and decide that the blog is not a good source of information.