Thanks to advertising, search (paid and organic) and PR initiatives, you have driven traffic to your Facebook page.

So how do you engage with them once they land there?

Personalize your messagingTry to use fan names when responding to comments. Make sure to be consistent with your replies as well. If you answer one person, be sure to answer the others. Selective responses can result in backlash from those who feel ignored. Acknowledgement can help curb potentially negative situations.

Ask them questions to open dialogue

Don’t just blast the Facebook wall with sales pitches about your company. Users today have short attention spans. We need to be developing content to lure them in and make them want to come back. Turn them into opinion leaders and brand ambassadors by seeking their advice. Ask them what type of content they’re interested in. Just be sure that if you’re going to ask them these types of questions, you actually use the information they give you.

Use photos when you post content. A survey done by eMarketer states that users were more likely to engage with photos over video, text or

links.

Provide incentives for fans

The ExactTarget US survey showed that the main reason people join Facebook pages are because they expect access to exclusive content, discounts and events. *Interesting point – Younger consumers expect less from a brand. They typically like the brand image, not necessarily for perks. Older consumers are more likely to look for value for subscribing to the page. http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008630

Monitor what content is working

Once your page is up and running, make use of your Facebook insights. Look at your demographics. They may surprise you. We’ve noticed on one of our female beauty pages, we have a male audience of 35%. We know we need to include gender-neutral content to keep them engaged. Also, look at your most popular posts (by engagement rate) and see if you notice any trends developing. This can be used in reports to clients, but will also help you when creating future content. 

Erica MyersSocial Media & Community ManagementEmanate PR, Londonerica.myers@emanatepr.com