Our members are always asking us how they can leverage their presence on Facebook. Here are some easy tips to implement:
Establish a custom/vanity URL: To do this go to www.facebook.com/username and the site will walk you through it. Make sure everything is spelled correctly because once you hit confirm you can not change the link. The GLCC’s is www.facebook.com/greaterlowellchamber.
Invite EFFs (employees, friends and family) to like you: Your EFFs may be your biggest fans at first so make sure you suggest the page to them. Also, don’t forget to like yourself – you’d be surprised at the number of people who neglect to like their own page! (You have to be an admin on the page to invite people to like your page.)
Cross Promote Your Facebook Page on other Social Media Sites: Just because someone follows you on Twitter or is a connection on LinkedIn, doesn’t mean that they like you on Facebook. Take the time to tweet your Facebook page link and list it in your LinkedIn profile under websites. (Hint: On your LinkedIn profile don’t use the default description for your page, put a custom description in the website section. Instead of putting My Company, My Website, Blog, etc. select “Other” and type in ABC Company’s Facebook page.)
Put the link in your Signature line: Invite every recipient of your emails to ‘like’ your business on Facebook by adding the link to your email signature. It’s so simple, yet extremely effective.
Include the link on your business card: List the link underneath your company web address. Take this one step further and use the back of your business card to promote your Facebook page. After all this is prime real estate, yet most people leave the back of their business cards blank.
Add your link to your marketing collateral: Include the link to your Facebook page on all marketing materials including brochures, newspaper ads and radio spots.
Email blasts: If you are using an email service such as Constant Contact, they make it really easy to include the Facebook icon with a link to your page. Once you finalize the template you are set, the link will be there for the next time you send out an email.
Send out an email to your employees, friends, family (EFFs): Aside from the email blast, send a more personal email to you EFFs expressing your excitement about your page and asking them to like it. Take it one step further by encouraging them to forward the email to their EFFs.
Add the Facebook icon to your website: Facebook has become such an important and common marketing tool that web savvy people are now looking for the Facebook icon when they visit a website. By including the Facebook icon and a link to your page you are not only making it easy for people to connect with you on the site, but also giving your business validity and added visibility.
Give people an incentive to like you: People are always looking for a bargain, so why not give them what they want? Post weekly deals for your Facebook fans and provide giveaways and contests to help you reach certain milestones. For example: When we reach 250 fans we’ll give away a FREE iPad to one lucky fan. Encourage them to leave a comment, like your post and share the promotion with their friends.
Like these tips and want more? Stay tuned for part 2! And please feel free to share your own tips. We love learning from our members.