1. Have a clearly defined goal and a strategy for getting there.
As with any marketing vehicle, to maximize returns for your business you want to understand why you are using that marketing tool in the first place. So ask yourself, what your goals are, and what will motivate your audience. Do you want them to visit your website? Make sure you give them a link and a reason to click on it. Do you want to spread the word? You’d better give them something they will want to share. Defining your social media marketing goals ahead of time will help you develop a carefully thought out Facebook strategy, instead of just posting random things and hoping for the best.
2. Be interactive.
Don’t just share information; start a conversation. There are a number of techniques to make this happen. The simplest is to ask a question. Everyone likes to share their opinion. One independent bookstore recently posted an interesting news article about what makes picture books timeless, then asked, “What picture books, old and new, do you love?” One study found that ‘question’ posts got twice as many comments as ‘statement’ posts. Posts asking fans to ‘fill in the blank’ or suggest a photo caption generated nine times as many comments. And discount offers and coupons were the most popular posts of all. One caveat. If your friends and fans have questions, comments, or complaints, make sure you respond promptly. A conversation is a two-way-street, and how you handle the relationship can make or break your reputation for customer service.
3. Be consistent.
There’s nothing worse than a flurry of posts one day, then silence for the rest of the month. Again, studies show that posting frequent, regular posts produce the most engagement. This is where eClincher’s post manager can come in handy. Take the time once a week to create thoughtful, engaging posts designed to motivate your audience, then schedule them so they come out once or twice a day over the week. You can even schedule posts for the whole month.
4. Try new things.
Change the time of day you post or the type of message you send out. There are so many possibilities: event announcements, photos, interesting articles, your blog posts, coupons, and contests. First, you don’t want your audience to get bored or irritated. Second, you want to be able to compare the timing and types of posts that get the best response.
5. Track Performance.
You’ve got a powerful social media and website analytics tool in eClincher. Use it. Take the time to review your Facebook metrics and see if your posts are helping you achieve those goals you set at the beginning. If not, rethink your strategy. Once you identify what works, you can ride the wave of more user acquisition.
