10 do’s & don’ts for Facebook pages: This is what businesses should keep in mind

Facebook pages offer a number of opportunities to provide information about your own business. Use them! After all, you never know why users are visiting your page and what kind of information they are interested in. Fill in the page information (link to website, opening hours, etc.) and insert a Call-to-Action profile picture (call, send a message, play video, etc.). By the way - it is required to publish an imprint! Why all this? A complete page is like a good business card: It doesn’t pay your rent, but it triggers a desire for more. 

 

Easier said than done. What is good content? And how often is regularly? It is important for your page not to look inactive. One post per week has to be the minimum. You have a new product or a new employee? Share it! Don’t forget: Users are following your page, because they are “fans” and interested in your business or your products. And fans want to invest time and money in you. You have their attention - so now you have to deliver! Satisfy your fans’ desires by giving them reasons to remain a fan. 

 

Fans communicate with you through posts, reviews, messages and comments. You don’t have to respond to every comment, but you should at least leave a “like”. This way, you show your fans that they are being noticed. Unanswered entries on the other hand show a lack of interest and seem unprofessional. That’s why you should regularly keep an eye on these areas and, especially with critical content, react immediately. And as absurd it may sound: Every piece of criticism offers a chance to convince an upset user of the opposite. Apart for private messages the conversation with your fans is public and therefore visible to other visitors of the page. So show your fans that you are taking care of their concerns.

 

You can do a lot of things on your Facebook page, but it shouldn’t include deleting posts. If comments go against netiquette or if you are dealing with spam, hide the posts and possibly report the user. Deleting critical and negative user comments or posts can be followed by even worse consequences like a “shitstorm”. Try approaching criticism in a professional manner and possibly add some humor and self-irony. If you delete posts, you have something to hide. And this leads to distrust. Although trust is one of the most important attributes in social media and the basis for social interactions. 

 

Facebook offers a number of opportunities to post photos and videos and to include them in your page. Use them! By being familiar with different formats and using them you show competence. Keyword: business card. Make sure to use the correct image formats: A cut off or pixelated picture is quickly noticed in a negative way. This Infographic offers a great overview. But watch out: Facebook changes the requirements for the individual formats every now and again.

 

Accuracy is an important indicator for the quality of a page. Spelling errors, wrong image formats, dead links - you should avoid all of that. A well maintained page communicates professionalism - which is of utmost importance if you want to be taken seriously by users and potential customers.  

 

By now there are numerous apps that can be integrated into the page tabs: Sweepstakes, surveys, voting’s are only a few of many opportunities. Use providers like Facelift  to individualize your page and stand out from the competition. This way you also give your fans a reason to check back with your page every once in a while. 

 

As important as it is to post regularly and monitor properly, it is just as essential to analyze the reactions to your posts. What is being shared? What is causing negative comments? Take time and listen. Knowing which topics are perceived well by your fans gives you a motive for more posts. The same goes for formats: Videos on your page are receiving more engagement than photos or plain text posts? Than you should post moving images more often! 

 

Facebook collects an incredible amount of information about posts and your page in general. Use this data volume to better understand your fans and adjust your posts accordingly. The section “Posts”, for instance, under the “Statistics” tab with numbers and charts, shows, how your posts are performing in comparison and at which times your fans are mostly online. Another important tool is Audience Insights: Here you can not only see how your fan community is composed compared to the average Facebook user but also, which other pages your fans like. 

 

People are on Facebook, because they are looking for social interaction and entertainment. Keep these usage reasons in the back of your head when managing a Facebook page. It can only be of advantage to use Facebook personally as well. Only this way you know, how processes work, what other businesses are doing and especially which posts stand out from the masses. Operate your Facebook page with an appropriate sense of sincerity, but don’t forget to have fun as well. Life is serious enough.