Getting A Handle, On Your Handle

I have learned the in’s and out’s of Facebook through research, trial, and error. In having mentored my friends and clients on the ways of social media for some time now, I realized I may be able to offer a fresh perspective. Here are a few tips that stand out that I would like to share with my social media clients and Eventrepreneurs alike. https://www.facebook.com/groups/eventrepreneurs/

Firstly, knowledge is power. To identify your audience and post relevant content you must first understand page insights and do research accordingly. When you notice a spike in your insights you must look to see what you posted each time. I believe simply in paying the necessary time to understand your audience you too will improve your reach. Take the time to review this insights guide: http://ads.ak.facebook.com/ads/FacebookAds/Page_Insights_Guide.pdf

In the last months a lot of my new fans are coming by way of Pinterest. http://pinterest.com/jparkevents/ The growth of Pinterest is pretty amazing and the usefulness of this tool is well worth exploring in a post all it’s own. Just to be clear, the beauty and success of this website is due to the sites ability to maintain each pins content and original source, so when we share our pins we need to link them properly. By adding a Pinterest Tab to my Facebook page I have been able to see my followers become fans. Here is a link showing how to add the tab: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX7KmfIQCRA&feature=youtube_gdata_player&fb_source=message

Be sure your posts have succinct content. Be brief, and to the point, with no wasted words; using 200 characters or less. Give your audience useful content that adds value to their day. If you are posting status updates of more than 200 characters, surely you can spend a bit more time and make it a proper blog post instead.

Give your Facebook fans exclusive information. Posting real time images or content of events we are organizing is one great way to engage our audience. First peek albums and other exclusive content will also help grow your reach.

Be consistent and post with regularity. This allows for you to engage with the same people and keep your product or service forefront in their minds. I often compare Facebook with fishing. You put various content out there and wait to see who bites. If you, post again immediately, without allowing your audience to engage, you may as well save your post altogether. This is a great article on Social Reputation: http://www.taskrabbit.com/blog/community/the-role-and-future-of-social-reputation/

We are a visual people so it’s no surprise photos & videos continue to rank highest in interest. I would recommend you take pictures & video with both your business and audience in mind, posting them when you need content. I highly endorse Instagram for photo sharing. It is a fun way to edit images giving them a nice cohesive look without taking away from the professional images you will hopefully also be receiving.

Ask Questions and engage fans. Asking for your fans opinion is a great way to bring them into the discussion. We love feeling like we have aided in the successes of our peers and the businesses that we support. Take advantage of the {ask questions} feature and pose real questions that will help in better identifying your audience.

The biggest tip I can offer is be patient and positive. Realize that when you sort it all out, it will likely change. Be open to learning new ways to be creative with the ways you engage your fans. Have a consistent message and offer content based on these 3 things; Is it timely? Is it valuable? Is it positive? Happy posting!