Expanding your number of “likes” on Facebook requires a content strategy that suits your community and is in sync with your social media roadmap and overall communications strategy.

While Facebook is more personal and immediate than other communication mediums—and requires daily attention—it is an ideal way to augment your overall strategy.

Here are a few key elements to consider:

Content: Provide opportunities for your network to create their own content by creating conversational content that users can easily share through their own Facebook profiles. You’re likely to get much more traction from the long tail of your supporters sharing content than from your own Fan page.

Tone: Alignment with your existing brand tone and messaging is very important. Facebook is a personal venue, so a more personal tone is key, but your brand page is still your brand. A lot of brands make the mistake of being overly informal in an attempt to fit the culture of social media – if this is a wide departure from the normal tone of your content, the communications will seem forced.

Authority: Build a reputation for yourself and your brand that demonstrates your expertise. By understanding the pain points of those your company wishes to connect with, the better you’ll be able to provide the resources needed to make better decisions and improve their business.

Format: Your expertise comes in several forms and formats: text, photos, and video specifically. Guess where the most interaction comes from? Video! If you have the ability to create interesting – not self-serving – video, go for it.

Connection: Gain an understanding of how you are going to speak to the community and what you want them to do. Your goal is to build and maintain connections with customers, the media, suppliers, influencers and colleagues.

Participation: Will building a network of 1,000 friends on Facebook have an impact on your business without clear goals around what you want those friends to do? There’s an implied connection between quantity of network and marketing effectiveness, but with social media it’s more about quality, not quantity.

Time & Resources: It’s a marathon, not a sprint … don’t spread yourself too thin. We devote a great deal of time to all our communications efforts, including our Facebook strategy. It’s okay to start small, but you have to be committed and consistent to make it work.

Leave a Reply