Social media is a tricky tool. It’s hardly news to anyone that Facebook fan pages are an important part of any business or group’s public profile -- and marketing plan. But at the same time, there are a great many hidden details and idiosyncracies to using it effectively. So many in fact that it’s easy to do just about every obvious thing in setting up a Facebook page and be completely bewildered about why the page isn’t doing well.
Part of this is that Facebook is always changing the tools and rules in subtle but profound ways. But even without keeping up with these changes, there are still small things you can do that will make a world of difference.
Take, for example, a new post on your business’ fan page. You would assume that once you post an article or link then there’s a good chance that anyone who has liked your page is bound to see it sometime. It’s an apparent and common sense assumption, but it’s also incorrect.
The fact is that it’s not out of the question for any of your posts to get lost completely in the chaos of your fan’s news feed. Each one of your fans likely has hundreds -- if not thousands -- of friends and other pages they have liked, reflecting diverse interests and predilections. Your page is one of many, and there is no guarantee that what you are putting out will get seen by many of them.
There is a way to push against this kind of invisibility. Of course, putting out unique and engaging content with eye-catching pictures is key. So is posting regularly. But there is something even more essential you can do. Tell those who've liked your page to turn on notifications.
As opposed to just hoping that your fans will happen to look at their news feed at the right time and place in an endless algorithm, ensure that they will hear about it every time you post something. When someone turns on notifications for your page, they will be alerted by a little red number in the upper right hand corner of their Facebook home page.
How does a fan make sure this happens? After they have hit the “Like” button on your page, they can also select from a few options that will appear.
After they click on “Get Notifications,” they will automatically be notified when you have posted something on your page and will be able to post click through to read your content.
This means that you are much more likely to keep yourself at the front of your fans’ minds. And, in turn, if they are need of a service you provide, they are far more likely to think of you!
An easy way to make sure that your fans know to do this is to post a reminder for getting notifications, with instructions for how to do it. Not everyone will see it if you post just one reminder, so consider posting one every few weeks or so. Particularly if you have just gotten a new wave of "Likes" on your page.
