August 4, 2009

Facebook Fan Pages – Get to 100 fans, and then what?

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If you have been on Facebook for any length of time you have seen this message
“Yourfacebookfriend became a fan of FacebookPage on Facebook, and suggests you become a fan too.”

Sending one of your Facebook friends a recommendation to a fan page should come with this mandatory caveat:
“It is worth fanning this business, organization or group because it has something unique and exciting to provide to you that will enhance your life”
More than likely, you have never received such a clearly defined recommendation.

I recently consulted with a local realtor and they wanted to get to 100 Fans on their Facebook page, with the primary goal to beat “her competition”.
In order to do so she sent out requests to all of their family and friends back in Atlanta, GA. She was very frustrated with the lack of response. I had to explain to her that real estate is considered a local profession, and that while she may have many friends that still reside in the Atlanta area, they know that whatever realty advice or guidance that her page may provide will not be incredibly relevant to them. The consumer, as in most things, is right again.

So, what sort of advice should I give to YOU my reader? How shall YOU make your Facebook fan pages relevant?

Develop Solid Content
Add Twitter feeds, Blog RSS feeds, Surveys, Forum questions, Photos, a completed Info page, a cute video, product/service lists, and of course a myriad of differing comments on your Wall.

Deliver Value, and if you can’t do that..Give away free stuff!
OK, so I have this great little online radio show called “The Get Social Radio Show” which broadcasts every Wednesday night at 9PM EST. This radio show has some great topic and guests but from a sponsorship standpoint, it is all about the # of listeners. How have we been able to raise our listenership? We give away free stuff on our fanpage. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Get-Social-Radio-Show/96749627207
In this example, I have free SWAG that helps my facebook fans overlook their prime time TV watching to listen to our show. With only 20-30 listeners each evening, those folks have a great chance to win discounts, prizes or giveaway from our sponsors.

Get Personal
Carry out missions to thank people for commenting on your site. Pat people on the back and introduce them to new subjects. (e.g. publicly ask what movie should you see this weekend. You will be surprised to see how many of your fans speak up!)

Add Trusted Friends
Everyone has them. A cadre of friends who will “fan” whatever page you put out there. They also should understand that it is important to carry out conversations with fans so they need to be conversation starters! Have them ask you questions and you reply. That sort of pre-selected dialogue is what attracts new fans and keeps others from becoming bored with you.

Once you Build it, you must Maintain it
You have to continue contributing excellent content, encouraging participation from your fans and getting to know all of your members. It’s best to have a servant’s heart in this and understand that your fanpage is really and investment of time, energy and resources in other people. Keep their best interests uppermost and lose any rockstar mentality. If you find you can’t do that, it’s best not to start.

Posted in Social Media