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BUILD YOUR FAN BASE
by Kerry Andersen
Like any successful team, the tech giants of social media have impressive stats they track. Consider this: 69-percent of Americans use Facebook, the platform has 2.41 billion monthly active users, usage is highest among U.S. adults who earn more than $70k annually and at least 76-percent of buyer decisions are now influenced by social media. You can even buy products directly from social media pages without having to log on to a company’s website. While Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and other platforms are growing rapidly, Facebook remains the MVP of the social media world and the most important (and mostly free) tool you can use to attract followers to your business. The following are the proven ways to build your roster of online fans on the world’s largest social media site: UPDATE YOUR PROFILE There’s nothing more frustrating for a customer than logging on to a company’s social media page looking for basic information like address, phone number or operating hours only to find missing or outof-date details. Check to make sure all your social media pages have accurate information including a link to your website. Use fun and engaging cover photos that showcase your business. Fill in the ‘about’ section with your company mission and a short bio. 46
Thrive Magazine for Better Living • March 2022
POST CONSISTENTLY Having a social media page isn’t enough – you need to actively maintain it and engage with your followers on a routine basis. Prioritize it like you would any other aspect of your business by sitting down to create an editorial calendar that plans out your social media posts for the quarter. Make sure your posts are strategic and support your business goals. The good news is that once you set your strategy and tone, there are now social media management tools like Loomly and Hootsuite that can do most of the work of daily posting and analysis for you. BE HONEST AND TRANSPARENT The rules of engagement on social media should be no different than in-person customer interaction. Be as honest as you can when answering questions. Assign a page moderator and be responsive; make it a priority to consistently monitor your page for customer inquiries. It’s ok to remove inappropriate content – you can even set up your page to look for (and block) harmful words and profanity. But don’t remove negative posts or those you simply don’t like; it’s important to respond in a calm and professional manner. Think of it as an opportunity to show customers you care about their problems – they’ll love you for it!
STAY ON BRAND Identify what your business goals are as a company, who your target audience is, and then talk to those people! Think about what your customers are interested in and stick with those topics. Inappropriate content is a confusing turnoff for fans (would LSU post news about Alabama’s quarterback?). Give your followers content that matters to them. ENGAGE YOUR FANS Remember that social media is a team sport. Like any great two-way conversation, don’t speak AT your followers but WITH them. Ask them questions (and then respond to their answers). Encourage them to post on your page and share stories and photos. Choose content that is fun or thought provoking and will inspire followers to comment and share your posts. CONTESTS AND GIVEAWAYS It’s human nature – people love a freebie or a special deal! Use your social media page to offer exclusive discounts for your online fans. It could be a coupon not available anywhere else, an online giveaway or first crack at a sale. Reward the loyal fans who follow your brand. Don’t forget the most important gift – show gratitude and say thank you!
