Tip #2

 “What is the best way for me to promote my business & especially gain  more fans on my FB?” 

Question E-mailed in by Jennifer F.

Looks like now is the best time to talk about how to be a good Facebooker!!

There are MANY different ways for you to advertise your business and gain fans, you just need to know how to work them. Here are a few helpful tips on improving your Facebook networking skills.

• Your fans are watching…..Anything you post, like or comment on could be seen by your fans!! Take this as an opportunity to show your customers how fun & interesting your page is.
• Don’t just “LIKE” every page out there, choose ones that fit your “target market” or compliment your own goods/service. Example: If you make aprons, seek out cooking or baking pages.
• Spend time looking through your  Fan Page’s “home” page and interacting with relevant posts in its stream. By commenting on the content of pages  that compliment your own products,  you will be seen by their audience.
• DO NOT SPAM PAGES, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF COMPETITORS!!! If you are looking for pages to share your products on, try the pages whose sole purpose if for your networking needs. Example: Open Walls like those of Craft Crazy Designs or Rapid Promo’s to name a couple.
• Don’t like or comment on things you do not actually like. Seek out items that you actually do like/enjoy.
• Don’t Copy & Paste messages…..this is spaming and you can get in trouble for doing it!! Instead try to be more social and chatty. Instead of the usual 1 word comment, try using a statement instead.  (Don’t ask stupid questions, give it a little thought before you post it!!)
• When liking new pages, try to stay away from the passive “new fan here” comments. Instead look trough the page and find something your like to comment on or comment on one of their existing threads - join the conversation, don’t fly post. This is also a great way to be seen  since the new Timeline has hidden away the “recent posts by others” from the mainstream.
• Sharing content from complimentary pages on your own is a great way to show up in their news feed and get noticed. BUT, only share content that may be relevant to your fans and that you think they would enjoy. Don’t overdo it either, this can lower your “Facebook edge rank” (how many people actually see your posts).
• “Like Ladders,” “Marches,” or “Strolls” can be a great way to earn a little free advertisement for your page, BUT the fans earned are NOT “true fans.” The fans earned from these types of networking are mostly filler and not customers.
• ALWAYS keep in mind your target audience!! Some connections may be a waste of time, so don’t be afraid to unlike a page if you no longer think their posts are relevant.

By being sociable and active, you can give your page a voice and start bringing in potential customers. 

Now, for the advertising bit of our submitted question…… what type is best for you??

This depends mostly on what you can afford!! If you are willing to pay a price, there are plenty of pages out there who offer to advertise your products for you to their audience. Some even offer off-site advertising as well. If you do not have the money to spare for a little extra exposure offered by an advertising business, then you may want to just simply follow some of the steps above and put your page out there yourself OR you could try entering your page in a free hosted Giveaway or Auction offered by another offering page (these may also land you some new fans).