Circa 2004, as an editorial intern one summer in New York City, I heard the term ‘Facebook’ for the very first time. I hastily decided, without the proper investigation, that it was a meaningless virtual telephone book. Within a couple of hours, however, I changed my mind and became a “fan.” Why? Because it not only connected me to a world of friends but also to brands – companies and businesses that I was curious to learn more about. I sought personalized attention that Facebook provided on a hip, new level … the list goes on and on. Today, as I hear the concerns of b-to-b editors and learn more about social media by the minute, I am prone to take a closer look at what b-to-b is doing on Facebook and offer recommendations to improve the industry’s presence there.
In order to be liked on Facebook for the right reasons, here are three qualities for your page to adopt:
- Memorability. First impressions are everything. If you want to engage your audience, then you have to grab their attention from the start. Make sure your Facebook page looks sharp. And by that I mean professional: Keep the layout simple yet eye-catching. Don’t get carried away with adding multiple buttons or tabs for every column that’s represented in your magazine or on your website. Users, who are hunting for specific information, will get frustrated combing through your content and leave your page for good.
- Compelling Content. The News Feed is your page’s bloodline. That said, be sure to churn out compelling content that not only speaks to your fans or audience, but also entices them to stick around. Keep the questions, articles, discussions, blogs and any news that you post related to your brand. “What are your plans for the weekend everyone?” or “We almost have 100 fans!” are not particularly relevant to any brand – or at least I don’t think. Remember that total fans shouldn’t be regarded as a business objective. “Total fans is not the answer, especially not the mythical "One Million Fan" target,” said Matt Wurst, director of digital communities at 360i, in his blog yesterday. “Neither is the sum of likes and comments per post. These only tell part of the story.”
- Consistency. If you have a Facebook page, try not to forget about it. When a prospective client, customer or subscriber searches for your company on Facebook and arrives to a page that hasn’t been updated since March, it sends the wrong signal. This doesn’t mean that you constantly must post material to your Wall all day. One post per day and/or a monthly update to your information section (i.e. About Us, Mission Statement, etc.) is sufficient.
What types of posts or other related page information are most popular with YOUR Facebook fans? Giveaways? Research? Event details? Photos? I’d be curious to know, especially from a b-to-b prospective.
Posted by Brittany Agro
b.agro@abmmail.com
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