Facebook for Business: Make the Conversation Good

You have a page on Facebook for your business--now what? Using Facebook for business communication is one of the--if not the--best ways to create a loyal community around your brand. Knowing how to maximize the features of Facebook to help you do this, however, is the real key to whether or not you will be able to do so successfully.

Engage Your Community
The more your community interacts with the content on your Facebook page, the more Facebook will measure your page as relevant to your connections, and the longer it will stay in member's Top News Feed. The Most Recent Newsfeed moves in real time, so if someone connected with your page does not happen to see what you have posted before it is pushed off the page, they will not have an opportunity to respond to your post. Make it a goal to increase interactions on your page so that your posts will appear in the Top Newfeed, which will allow your posts to remain for a longer period of time, and increase the likelyhood they will be seen by those who have 'liked' your page. Once they see what you have posted, they have an opportunity to engage with your page. But how do you engage them?

Make the Conversation Good
People love a good conversation and they tend to come back for more. Just like any good conversation, the characteristics of good interactions on your Facebook page include:

• Interesting Topics - The topics you post about on your page need to capture the interest of your community. Provide value that makes your community want to interact with your posts. What matters to them? What problems can you help them solve? People love to talk about themselves...ask them questions and let them post their answers on your page.
  
• Attentiveness - If you listen to what you community members are saying to you, you have a opportunity to discover on a deeper level what really matters to them and how you can better serve them with your products or services. If you are B2B, you can provide opportunities for your community to network with one another, spotlight their business, or cross-promote their own products and services on your page if it makes sense.
  
• Responsiveness - Have you ever made a statement that warranted a response and then didn't get one? How did that make you feel? Facebook pages are exactly the same. People feel heard and valued if you respond appropriately to what they have said. If someone has taken time out of their busy life to comment on your page, be sure to respond. Even better, respond and then ask another question to make sure that you fully understand what the other person is trying to communicate and keep them fully engaged in the conversation.
  

Thank Your Community
Do the people who have "liked" your page know that you know who they are? Have you taken time to thank them for liking your page, and inviting you to visit their already crowded newsfeed as often as you like? The community you build on Facebook is pure gold--these are the people who have given you permission to stay at the top of their awareness, and who will help you spread your news and updates far and wide--they may become brand champions for you, clients or customers, or strategic partners--you just never know. Thank them regularly. It can be as simple as posting thank you, or you can give them special perks or discounts for being a part of your community--there are endless ways you can show your appreciation.

These tips, if you follow them, will truly help you create a lasting, loyal, and engaged community of people on your Facebook page who are interested in your business, and who will help you promote it to their friends and connections for years to come every time they interact with your page. Because of the viral nature of Facebook pages, your community will continue to grow as more and more people continue to interact with your brand.

What are some ways you can use to engage your community on Facebook? Share your page and ideas here and lets keep a running list of ideas that we can all draw from and keep the conversation going!