I have always considered myself to be social-media proficient. I grew up on Facebook. I have seen its many transformations and learned the ins and outs of tagging (and detagging) photos, adding friends, and sharing posts with others. LinkedIn has presented a new challenge as I am constantly searching for the perfect professional photo and new people to connect with in the working world. Tweeting has become a (more than once) daily activity for me as I catch up on the most recent news of my favorite celebrities and friends.
However, as a newly acquainted member of the PR world, I am learning that engaging with consumers through social media takes strategic planning and implementation in order to yield the greatest result. Every picture, post, tweet, response, like, etc. has meaning and can be instrumental in moving prospective clients through the “awareness >> consideration >> choice” cycle.
As Facebook is making headlines, especially with its recent record-breaking IPO, I thought I would share some tips on how to make the most of your company’s Facebook experience.
Cover Photo: The Face of the Company
With the new Facebook timeline feature, the cover photo holds a prominent spot on the page and is a first window into your company’s personality. It is important to change your photo on a regular basis and add a description for your followers to understand the meaning behind the photo.
Making it a True Timeline
What do you think of when you think of a timeline? Dates and milestones, of course! Add important milestones of your company history, events and people to drive traffic to your page and familiarize your followers with the company.
It’s important? Bring it to the Top!
The Pin to the Top feature allows you to place the most relevant information at the top of your timeline, without other posts moving it down the page. This feature is found at the top right corner of the post as the first option under Edit or Remove. If you have details about an upcoming event or a new survey for followers, Pin to the Top allows you to keep it front and center for an extended period of time.
Posts: Brevity and Variety
Keep posts short and sweet. No one wants to read a novel on your page. Add variety to the posts by changing content, adding photos, and creating surveys, to name a few, and watch the interactions increase as a result. Interestingly, new Facebook research shows that fans mostly interact with posts about your product.
Interaction with Followers is Key
Be sure to respond to any posts. If someone emailed or called you, you would call them back, right? Acknowledging positive feedback or addressing negatives and working to turn them into positives demonstrates accountability and reliability.
I hope these tips help to turn you from an amateur into a Facebook pro. Social media is constantly evolving, so don’t let your company miss a beat!
