With all the hype surrounding Twitter over the last 12 months, you could be forgiven for wondering whether Facebook is gradually going out of style. In fact, it might come as a surprise to learn that Facebook is more popular than ever, and businesses are quickly realising that over 100 million monthly visitors in the US alone is a potential audience they can’t afford to ignore.
One of the ways businesses are making Facebook part of their social media marketing plans is in setting up a Facebook Fan Page. The main difference between a Fan Page and a Facebook profile is that people can become your fans without you adding them as a friend. But just like a Facebook profile, a Fan Page is free to create and just as straightforward (propertyadgru.com knows – we set up our own just a few months ago).
As this handy mashable.com guide explains, setting up your Fan Page is as easy as logging in to Facebook and clicking through a few online forms to properly classify and present your business. Then it’s up to you to find fans and create an audience with a specific interest in your business.
Still not convinced a Fan Page would be worthwhile? Then consider the opportunities it presents to gather information direct from your community. Gauging local real estate trends can be as simple as asking your fans for their thoughts. Of course, your fans will probably have some ideas about what they want in a real estate agent, and it will pay to ask for and listen to these opinions.
A Facebook Fan Page is also a great way to promote any other online content you have, from listings to Twitter updates and blog posts. The trick is to give people a reason to become a fan by offering content that will be useful to them. What about including videos that relate to your community, or linking to some interesting news articles about your local area? Even just adding something to make people giggle, or get them thinking, will keep fans coming back for more.
As with any online endeavour, promotion is key to success with a Facebook Fan Page. Make it a habit to mention the page often, send out invitations to selected contacts on a regular basis, and keep content fresh with weekly updates.
Facebook says it now has over 350 million members, so it makes sense to take advantage of something as easy as a Fan Page to give your business that extra push.
Related posts:
- Using your Facebook Status Creatively
- Facebook vs Twitter 2010
- How to Add Your Business to Facebook Places
- Four Ways to Boost Your Facebook Following
- Back to Basics: Facebook FAQs
- Five Ways to Up Facebook Engagement
- Is Facebook Part of Your Plan?
- Five Facebook Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Great Examples of Effective Facebook Pages
- Facebook Pages to be Revamped
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That information is all well and good but how do you actually GET fans?
We have been sitting on 40 for the last few months - people just don’t seem interested.
Help?!
Hi Rachael,
Thanks for your question. The key here is in giving people a reason to become fans in the first place. What will they get out of signing up? Does your Fan Page offer news? Discount offers? Local information? More detailed information on your properties? If there’s something in it for them, people are much more likely to sign up.
Once you’ve established a few strong offerings, it’s time to reach out to your contacts and ask them to sign up. Ask them to tell their contacts as well. Mention the Fan Page regularly in emails and/or newsletters, and tell people what they’ll gain by joining.