In my business I not only train my clients how to use their social media profiles, but I also manage daily postings and reporting for several large companies. In my experience I have found the following posts work best for drawing in new fans and encouraging page activity no matter what business you are in.
#1 – Visual
While it is recommended that all post have some type of visual element, the Visual post is about making the visual the focus of the post. Post a picture or video of your customers using/reviewing your product or service. You can also post a video or yourself discussing features/benefits of your product or service.
Always have your camera with video option with you so you are prepared when the opportunity arises to get the visual you need.
#2 – Giving
You know all the questions and the answers about your products and services. It is time to start sharing that information with your fans. Posting the answers to the questions you hear most often, create a top ten list or maybe a Do’s and Don’ts list. Position yourself as the authority in your industry.
Make a mini-series out of what you create, posting at the same time each day (or week) and be sure to promote it.
#3 – Receiving
Give your fans an opportunity to be involved with your brand. Ask them questions about how you can better serve them as potential and existing clients. To spice the receiving post up a bit you can ask them a more personal question which will be fun for them to answer, but provide you with need marketing information.
Use the Facebook feature “Questions†to create a poll that allows you to set up multiple choice answers but also allows the fan to enter their own.
#4 – Teaser
While it is recommended that you do not use your personal profile for business promotion, it is likely that many of your Facebook friends are business contacts. Draw those contacts to your business page by posting a teaser to content on your business page.
Use this option carefully as Facebook does not approve of using personal profiles for business purposes. When posting to your profile word the content in a more personal tone.
#5 – Extra! Extra!
There are limited opportunities for direct promotion of your products and services on you Facebook business page, so when the opportunity arises, take advantage. If you have a new product or service or have a discount to offer, post it. The Extra! Extra! post, if worded correctly, feels more like inside news rather than a sales pitch.
Be careful with this post. If you have too many sales and new products, you will need to only choose the most important so your page isn’t a timeline of sales promotions.
#6 – Around Town
Let your fans know what you are up to. Post about events you will be attending or have attended. After the events post pictures sharing who you met and other tidbits from the event. These types of post tell your fans that you are devoted to your business and are on top of what is going on in your industry. It also gives them the opportunity to attend the event to meet you in person.
If using pictures of others in these posts, be sure and ask their permission prior to posting on Facebook.
#7 – Hot Topics
What’s trending? Know what is going on in the world around you and use top trending topics when possible to further promote your product or service. Start with holidays and build up to news topics.
Stay away from topics that are controversial and/or gloomy in nature. Using the misfortune of others to promote your business will always be in bad taste.
#8 – Resource
The resource post is a combination of the Extra! Extra! post and the Giving post. When you find an article or post by a business associate or industry blog that your fans would benefit from, share it. It will show your fans you are on top of what concerns them most and reinforce your position as the authority in your industry.
Be sure to @mention the resources to promote goodwill and possible bring some new fans to your page.
#9 – Cheers
Never miss an opportunity to congratulate others on their success, wish them luck on a new project, thank them for their support, tell them Happy Anniversary, etc. You get the idea. Knowing what is going on with your clients, partners, vendors and colleagues will become a resource of information for your business page and show them all how much you care about what is happening in their world.
Don’t forget to @mention them in the post so they have the opportunity to respond.
#10 – Freestyle
There times when funny things happen, new information is learned, or you just have something crazy to share. Do it. Give your business page a dose of your personality. Your fans will love it because they will feel like they know you on a more personal level. You may even find these types of post get the most feedback.
Have fun with these types of posts, but don’t lose focus. Your page is a public domain so you want to remain professional.
About the Author: Julia Lilly is the Owner of 360 Admin, an Administrative Consulting company specializing in Social Media. She also teaches social media to clients in one-on-one sessions and provides group classes through Knowledge For Success. To learn more about Julia, please visit her at http://facebook.com/360admin.