Facebook Page Success – a chat with Scottsdale Business + Life magazine

Most businesses have a Facebook page, but few have hours each day to focus on social media. How can we get better results, yet simplify what we have to do?

We spent a few minutes with Scottsdale Business + Life editor Elizabeth Hughes chatting about the topic for her latest In The Know newsletter – so fun!

Here’s the transcript…

SB+L: Most business owners are very busy – what are a few simple things they can do every day to make their page more successful?

Morgan: The average post is only seen by 12% of your friends, so posting frequently is important. One of my favorite time-saving tools is HootSuite – a free website that allows you to monitor all of your social media resources in one spot, and schedule posts/tweets in advance. You can spend 15-minutes every morning, and schedule an entire day’s worth of activity.

Another great tip is to make use of tasks you already do. If you glance over industry newsletters and news every day, spend a few seconds turning the best article into a post on your Facebook page. It can be as simple as pasting a hyperlink, or you can spend an extra minute or two adding some insight or an opinion to the post that showcases your expertise.  Just make sure anything you post on your page is tailored to fit YOUR specific audience; don’t be too random.

SB+L: If people aren’t commenting on your page and there isn’t much activity beyond what the page admin is posting , what can a business do?

Morgan: Make sure your posts are not promotional. People follow pages to learn, to have fun and be social – not to be sold on your products or services. So how are you making your page entertaining or interesting? Social media is all about being social, having a conversation – it’s not an advertisement.

A great rule of thumb is 30% content curation (posting hyperlinks to interesting, relevant articles and news), 30% commenting on other pages/posts and 40% original posts (always try to include an image). A successful page usually has an interesting blend of posts that targets a specific audience or interest.

SB+L: We hear a lot about “engagement.” What is that and how do you make it happen?

Morgan: Facebook isn’t just a brand awareness tool – it’s a social tool, and businesses forget that in their marketing enthusiasm. Your page shouldn’t focus on posting – it’s about commenting, liking and making your presence felt through PARTICIPATION. It is critical to spend time posting and commenting on other pages. Magazines, associations, customer pages, the pages of people who are influential in your industry – these are all potentially rich sources of conversation and a great way to be more visible.