With 500 million users worldwide, Facebook has proven itself to be a very innovative online tool that allows companies to interact with and even market to their existing and prospective customers.
Even non-profit organizations, publications (newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc), speakers, authors, musicians and more can use it to build and manage a following.
This is very easy to do because Facebook enables such entities to create "fan" pages (or what I call "brand" pages) - a customized profile page that allows them to share content, dialogue, photos, and resources. They can even launch custom apps, contests, and sign up forms - all from their very own fan page.
But that's the easy part! The real challenge is getting the fans. As you can imagine, there are many who have fan pages with hardly any fans.
Here are five ways how you can accomplish the same:
But that's the easy part! The real challenge is getting the fans. As you can imagine, there are many who have fan pages with hardly any fans.
Ten days ago, I set out to get 100,000 fans for my online publication BlackNews.com's fan page. On the 10th day, I had reached my goal - a goal that typically takes a couple of years to reach.
Here are five ways how you can accomplish the same:
1) Claim Your Username
Surprisingly, many are still unaware that they can visit www.Facebook.com/username to have their own customized Facebook URL. For instance, if the name of your company is XYZ Consulting, your fan page URL can be Facebook.com/xyzconsulting. Not only will this make it easier for people to get to your fan page, but the page will also be indexed in major search engines and people can easily find it when they "google" your brand.
Surprisingly, many are still unaware that they can visit www.Facebook.com/username to have their own customized Facebook URL. For instance, if the name of your company is XYZ Consulting, your fan page URL can be Facebook.com/xyzconsulting. Not only will this make it easier for people to get to your fan page, but the page will also be indexed in major search engines and people can easily find it when they "google" your brand.
2) Make A Default FBML Landing Page
You've heard of HTML, but have you heard of FBML? FBML, which stands for Facebook Marketing Language, is a web development language (based on HTML) that can be used to create a customized default landing page when people visit your fan page.
You've heard of HTML, but have you heard of FBML? FBML, which stands for Facebook Marketing Language, is a web development language (based on HTML) that can be used to create a customized default landing page when people visit your fan page.
Doing so allows you to control the message that people see when they first visit your fan page, and you can also create other custom features. You can add images, your logo, text, video and whatever else you think will encourage people to click on the "like" button. For more info on how to do this, google "FBML landing page" or "how to add FBML".
3) Promote To Your Friends
After creating your fan page, you can easily promote it to your existing friends on Facebook. This can be done by posting on their walls, posting it on your wall (as a status update), or by sending them a private message.
3) Promote To Your Friends
After creating your fan page, you can easily promote it to your existing friends on Facebook. This can be done by posting on their walls, posting it on your wall (as a status update), or by sending them a private message.
A more effective way is to send your friends, colleagues, and existing customers a traditional email asking them to join. You can also send out a press release to the media announcing your new fan page, and mention it in the tagline of all of your future press releases and/or columns.
Remember to give people an incentive. What will they get from "liking" your fan page. Will they get news, updates, tips, coupons, freebies, etc? What about a contest or sweepstakes? If you don't have a reason for them to join, then neither will they.
4) Link From Your Web Site/ Email
This is a very obvious thing to do, but many simply don't do it. On your company web site and/or blog, there should be a visible Facebook logo image that links to your fan page. You can even add the link to your email signature.
In addition, Facebook has several free promotional tools that allow you to place widgets on your web site that will display information about your fan page. Depending on which one you choose, you can display your fans' photos, your most recent wall posts, or even the most popular posts. To access these, click on "edit page" when on your fan page, then click on "marketing", then click on "add a like box to your web site".
This is a very obvious thing to do, but many simply don't do it. On your company web site and/or blog, there should be a visible Facebook logo image that links to your fan page. You can even add the link to your email signature.
In addition, Facebook has several free promotional tools that allow you to place widgets on your web site that will display information about your fan page. Depending on which one you choose, you can display your fans' photos, your most recent wall posts, or even the most popular posts. To access these, click on "edit page" when on your fan page, then click on "marketing", then click on "add a like box to your web site".
5) Advertise on Facebook
Separate from the free promotional tools, you can also visit www.Facebook.com/ads and pay to advertise on Facebook to promote your fan page. This can be either very expensive or very affordable; it all depends on your willingness to invest the time and energy to get maximum results with a minimal budget.
Separate from the free promotional tools, you can also visit www.Facebook.com/ads and pay to advertise on Facebook to promote your fan page. This can be either very expensive or very affordable; it all depends on your willingness to invest the time and energy to get maximum results with a minimal budget.
You can choose to pay with either a CPC (cost per click) or CPM (cost per impression) model. My suggestion is to create a campaign that converts at $.02 per click or less. The way to do this is to always set your bid at $.20 CPM (yes, CPM). This trick always allows for a minimum CPC rate, if you're running the right ad.
To find the right ad, the important thing is to experiment, experiment, experiment. Marketing is a science, and the only way to find out what works well is through trial and error. I would literally suggest that you create about 50 different ads to see which one converts best.
To find the right ad, the important thing is to experiment, experiment, experiment. Marketing is a science, and the only way to find out what works well is through trial and error. I would literally suggest that you create about 50 different ads to see which one converts best.
Want more tips, strategies and resources? Purchase Dante Lee's new book "Black Business Secrets" at www.BlackBusinessSecrets.com.
Dante Lee is a 29-year old marketing guru, a PR maven, a prolific blogger, and an award-winning business coach.
