Almost every other blog, site or organization online (and off) has a Facebook page for two reasons: one, throw a pebble into the air and on its way down, it would probably hit someone who has a Facebook account; and two, everyone else in your industry is probably doing it, would you like to be the only one without a Facebook fan page? Whether you want it to be a supplementary page to inform your readers about the latest offer, article or promotions or if you function mostly from your Facebook page for your business, this article is for you. For a more technical approach, read our 10 Tips & Tricks for your Business’s Facebook Fan page.

Starting out can be pretty tough but if you play your cards right and keep these few tips in mind, you will be able to see the numbers go up month after month. Bear in mind that just because these are tips, it doesn’t mean they are easy to do. At the end of this article, one thing will be very clear to you.

Recommended Reading: 10 Tips & Tricks for your Business’s Facebook Fan page

1. Put your Facebook page everywhere

It’s common practice now to have a Facebook Page to engage a higher level of interaction with potential customers. In other words, it’s like opening a shop on a street called Facebook and the people who drop by and enter (Like) to enquire are your next clients. It is also one of the easiest ways for people to get in contact with you as well as explore opportunities to counter market and promote partners and relationships that would help your business or blog to grow.

So if you have a physical business offline, promote your Facebook page (and all your other social platforms) on your contact details, flyers, menu, brochures, business cards, products and materials (phew, what a list). Chances are, of all the social media platforms they would choose to connect with you, it would be your Facebook page. At the very least, put your Facebook page on your signature whenever you send any emails out to clients. Associate your personal profile with your Facebook profile and let it be known to everyone in cyberspace that they can come to you or your Facebok page for this product or service. Also, remember that it is better to utilize a custom URL because it is more remarkable and easy-to-type into a URL address field.

2. Leverage on other online profiles

While we’re on the subject, why stop at business cards and email signatures? It’s the day and age of social media and you can hardly find anyone with just one social profile anymore. Here is where you can put your social online profiles to work for you. Counter-promote between your social platforms where possible. Add your blog or website url to the ‘About me’ section on your Facebook page and add social buttons on your website for visitors to Like, comment on, Share, and Recommend your materials on their Facebook page easily.

The idea is to maximize exposure for the page. If you are an active commentor, you can also promote your Facebook page wherever you leave your two cents. This will leave your tracks all over the blogosphere, forums and connections you have outside of social media platforms. Take every opportunity to link back to your Facebook page. If someone pays attention, they will take the time to at least check out the page and if they like what they see, they’d also Like the page.

3. Post regularly & Effectively

This isn’t really something new. If you are an avid Facebook user, you would know that not everything needs to be posted. What does, however, are what we call Share-worthy posts. For hongkiat.com, we use our Facebook page to share the release of our new articles so readers who are usually on Facebook would get their daily reminder to check out new materials on our website – this gives them all the more reason to be a fan. Apart from our internal materials such as interesting infographics, amazing artworks, wallpapers, charts and tutorials, we also regularly post stuff we fancy on the Web.

There are help sites that would encourage you to post at different times of the day, since your fans may now include people from the other side of the world. To allow your materials to stay relevant, keep track of your visitors and figure out when is the optimum time to post stuff that link back to your website, or just for their reading/viewing pleasure. The trick is to know what your fans like and to keep them coming back for more. A word of caution: try not to post too often until it starts annoying your fans. You don’t want fans to just Like your page and not interact with you, or worse, totally block you off their feed!

4. Maintain interactivity

Commenting, Liking, Sharing… if you want your fans to be active on your fan page, you have to be as active too. People crave interaction and the more you engage with your fans, the more likely they will return to your fanpage. Supportive fans would regularly share your posts with their circle of friends, which increases the possibility of their friends becoming your fans. Along with posting regularly, post more images and the latest and greatest of new info. Break news on your Facebook page if you are the kind to camp out for things like this but do it with a photo within an album so that whenever someone shares the photo/image, it can be linked back to your Facebook page.

Of course, nothing can do it better than promotional campaigns but this can only run successfully if you have ample time and resources to carry them out. Then again, there are always workarounds on Facebook, like Facebook Offers which works a bit like electronic coupons. You can offer discounts to your product that would be eligible only to your Facebook fans, and only those who chooses to Get the offer. An email will be sent to them for validation and I think we can all agree that everyone loves bargains.

5. Don’t spam or Ignore Them

This part is relevant because you should also know the ways that do not work like tagging fans in photos of your products, posting offers on the walls of your fans, or making your fans Like your page before they have access to information on your page – they can leave just as easily, if you haven’t noticed, and usually with a bad taste in their mouth considering you arm-twisted them into becoming a fan. Also another item on the Don’t-do List: don’t ignore your fans. If they have questions about your product or service, take the time to reply them.

Sometimes certain procedures don’t work on your website and they may choose to use the Facebook way to get the message across to you. Appreciate the fact that they care enough to make the effort to communicate with you and take this opportunity to engage with them at a personal level. Unless they are there to wreak havoc, be as courteous to them as you would an actual customer you meet on the street. Take note that this will also be a way for potential partners to connect with you and explore opportunities with you, so you cannot afford to ignore your fans, one way or the other.

Conclusion

Remember how in the intro I said that one thing will be clear to you by the end of this article? Yes, it does take a lot of effort to get more fans; in fact, you have to show that you are willing to work hard for them. Facebook is just another way you can use to connect with your fans; it’s not a sure-win but the features they have do help. In addition, if you manage a blog, having high-quality content would help ensure that the fans keep coming. If you offer a product or service, engage in the best practices that you think your fans deserve, as they expect no less from you.

Have more tips and methods to help increase the fan count on Facebook pages? Drop in your two cents in the comment boxes below.

Related posts:

1. 10 Tips & Tricks For Your Business’s Facebook Fan Page
2. Better Facebook Fan Page: Essential Tips, Apps and Examples
3. How to Rename Facebook Page Vanity URL [Quicktip]
4. 5 Must-Know Facebook Timeline Tips/Tricks