One thing, I’m guilty of neglecting is Facebook so I’ve been thinking about some general best practices that I need to start with in getting “back in the game”.

With its 800 million users, having a business page on Facebook is definitely an excellent means to build your brand and your warm market.  And while there aren’t any hard and fast rules in social media, there are some general “best practices” that you can start with as a base. Ultimately you will have to carve out your own path with what works with your audience and what they need from you.

So what are some of these “unwritten rules” that you can guide your Facebook Page posts? Here are some good basic general rules that I’ve found useful and hope you do too.

Don’t Oversell or Undersell

You will notice that successful brands on Facebook don’t preach or sell to their fan base, they engage with them. Just like in the “real” world, people know when a salesperson is genuinely interested in understanding their needs and finding out how best to meet those needs. Using Facebook is no different. No one likes to get spammed with a never ending sales pitch. Use the 80-20 rule for sales messages vs. content/connection posts.

Focus on Engagement

You are trying to connect and get responses from your community so ask questions, post helpful tips, links to articles that your audience will Like and Share. When you make the posts about your audience and what they need and want rather than selling, you will develop a richer and deeper relationship with your community.

Post Every Day

This may seem excessive to you but as people make more friends and Like more pages, your posts may be missed. If you are only posting once or twice a week then it could be a long time between posts if your community misses one or two of them. There are studies that show posting between 3-5 times a day is a good amount for Pages but make sure you are varying your posts and also watch your stats to see what works best.

Have a Call to Action

Tell people what you want them to do – Like or comment on the post, watch the video, go to your website, etc.

Make It Fun!

Facebook is a social community and people are there to have fun. Stay true to your brand but think of ways to entertain your audience.

These “rules” are a good place to start but you’ll definitely want to track what works for you and continue to do what works. What are some other general best practices you can think of? Do you agree or disagree with any of these? What things do you do to engage with your Facebook Page community?

I hope you found this post valuable. If you did, please tweet it and share with your friends and followers.

To Your Success!

 

P.S. Looking for a Great Way to Build Your Brand and Market Your Products and Services? http://BusinessBrandingTool.com

 

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Comments (22)

  1. Holly Says:

    November 22nd, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    Great tips!! I am always looking for reminders about what I can do to get more traffic/notice or how to make what I do better… Thanks, Laura!!
    Holly ..Nobody Is As Busy As I Am!

  2. Steve Says:

    November 26th, 2011 at 10:51 am

    Hi Laura!

    You are very right in the first point. There are companies that do over promotion on Facebook and end up frustrating the potential customers. Even a business should have some self respect. Thanks for the post.
    Steve ..Look For Funny Stress Quotes to Fight Back Against Stress

  3. John Says:

    November 26th, 2011 at 11:04 am

    Posting everyday is what I do to keep my potential customers or clients informed
    John ..Will My Ex Come Back ?

  4. Leonor Miller Says:

    November 26th, 2011 at 11:15 am

    I think being interactive with your clients and customers or fans on FB is the most important thing. Apart from updating regularly, I try answering comments and questions. I also like and comment on others status.
    Leonor Miller ..Bras ergonomique Ergorest

    LauraPaulson Reply:
    December 3rd, 2011 at 11:26 am

    @Leonor Miller, Hi Leonor, very good tip on liking and commenting on others status’. That’s where I have missed the mark and plan on turning around, I haven’t been interactive. Like you said, it is the most important. Thanks for the comment!

  5. marquita herald Says:

    November 26th, 2011 at 5:33 pm

    Great tips. I admit I’ve neglected FB lately myself – my blog was hacked so I’ve been in survival mode the last few weeks. Just starting to play catch up now so this was a good reminder.
    marquita herald ..Starting Over: It’s Never Too Late to Live Happily After

    LauraPaulson Reply:
    December 3rd, 2011 at 11:23 am

    @marquita herald, Oh that stinks Marquita but I’m glad you back up and running. Not fun, that’s for sure!

  6. Dr. Robert Doebler Says:

    November 29th, 2011 at 10:48 pm

    Hey Laura,

    Brilliant tips. Facebook for me is the best communication tool on the internet today, especially when it comes to business. That’s why it pays to know what and what not to do with it to get the best results possible.

    It might be very time-consuming to update and interact with our audience consistently but it will be worth it eventually.

    LauraPaulson Reply:
    December 3rd, 2011 at 11:34 am

    @Dr. Robert Doebler, Thanks Robert and yes I agree, although time-consuming, definitely worth it! Thanks for the comment. Hope you’re having a fabulous day!

  7. Natasha Nassar Says:

    December 2nd, 2011 at 12:39 am

    These are some great tips!

    I have to admit that I’m not nearly as consistent as I need to be with Facebook. You’ve given me some great action steps to get re-focused on paying Facebook the attention it deserves!

    I especially like the “Call to Action” reminder. It’s so easy to get in the routine of just “posting” articles, etc. without really interacting with your Fans. I’m TOTALLY guilty of that. Oh well, tomorrow’s a new day, right? : )
    Natasha Nassar ..Building The Success Snowball

    LauraPaulson Reply:
    December 3rd, 2011 at 11:33 am

    @Natasha Nassar, You hit the nail on the head for me too Natasha about just “posting” but Yes, tomorrow IS a new day and I will be taking my own advice :) Have an Awesome Day!

  8. Dewane Mutunga Says:

    December 6th, 2011 at 11:19 pm

    Laura,

    Posting everyday and using CTAs are very important. Personalizing the dialogue is always very important. It’s engaging and it helps to build trust. Trust leads to more sales.
    Dewane Mutunga ..Creating Email Subject Lines That Work

  9. Nile Says:

    December 7th, 2011 at 3:47 am

    Definitely, the not overselling or underselling is huge. I get turned off so quickly about overselling in particular. I think for a lot of people, getting into the habit of engaging on any social network is hard… and even more so with several social networks as not everyone will say the same exact thing on Twitter or G+ or Facebook, etc..
    Nile ..Let Your Followers Decide Who The Expert Is

  10. Sharon Johnson Says:

    December 7th, 2011 at 9:44 am

    Thanks Laura
    Great information on how to market Facebook, I know I don’t post enough.
    Hope You and Your Loved Ones Have a Great Christmas and Best to You in The New Year
    Sharon
    Sharon Johnson ..Starting Over On Internet Marketing

  11. Barbara Harnsberger Says:

    December 12th, 2011 at 10:31 pm

    Hi Laura,
    Thanks for sharing these tips. I especially think it is important to post everyday. All of your tips are ones we need to be aware of as we pursue our goals. I love Facebook and all of the amazing people I meet everyday!

    Have a Merry Christmas!
    Barbara
    Barbara Harnsberger ..Where are you Going In 2012?

  12. Edyta Says:

    December 15th, 2011 at 9:52 am

    Hi Laura,

    Thanks for great tips!

    I agree that we should engage our community and ask some questions. I don’t understand how I can entertain my audience. Can you give some examples? Thanks!
    Edyta ..Herbal Stress Relief Decoded

    LauraPaulson Reply:
    December 18th, 2011 at 11:00 am

    @Edyta, Hey Edyta, you know that’s a very good question. Thanks for asking.

    There’s several ways you can do this. Things like sharing a funny picture/joke/quote, asking trivia/brain teaser type questions, sharing a funny or compelling video you came across, even starting a debate (a little drama :) ). One website that I just really started getting into that is really great for this is StumbleUpon. Just pick a category and start stumbling – you’ll find lots of entertaining stuff to share that you wouldn’t find otherwise.

    Hope this helps and gets you started. Anyone else want to add to this and share how they entertain their facebook page community?

  13. Edyta Says:

    December 19th, 2011 at 10:49 am

    Hi Laura,

    Thanks for the reply. Your suggestions are very helpful. I will share funny videos. I know that there are some facebook applications that can help to make fun. What do you think about it?
    Edyta ..How To Relieve Stress And Depression

  14. Data logger Says:

    December 31st, 2011 at 2:21 am

    Sometimes when I comment on certain facebook pages, like my cell phone company’s page, I don’t want my comments to show on the news feed for everyone to see, just want to have the comment only post on that page’s wall. How can I do this? I have the recent activity disabled, but something I posted on a page appeared on the news feed too. I just don’t want people knowing I’m online all the time and the post was just intended for that page.

  15. Chester Delameter Says:

    January 8th, 2012 at 9:51 am

    Thank Laura

    Never hurts to get reminded to keep in touvh with your Facebook connections and not to try to sell them all the time.

    Have a Great Day
    Chester
    Chester Delameter ..I really need to write a new blog!!

  16. Martin Casper Says:

    February 21st, 2012 at 3:46 pm

    Hi Laura…
    Simple strategies like those that you laid out in this post are the best one…consistency, persistency, don’t over or under sell.
    Engage and interact. Great stuff!
    Martin.
    Martin Casper ..Thinking Outside The Cube

  17. Clare@Holisitic Health Says:

    February 21st, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    Hi Laura,

    I have a strong belief that selling on Facebook is WRONG and a fast way to turn off people. Facebook is for socializing and networking and this is where it should remain. We ought to encourage people to visit our websites and this is where you are free to encourage them to buy or join your list. all your points are great and valid especially the daily commitment one! this is the hardest one for me!
    Clare@Holisitic Health ..Enjoying the Holistic Health Benefits of Champagne and Dark Chocolate!

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