4 Ways to Maximize Your Business' Facebook Presence

A recent study by Covario revealed that the Coca-Cola Corporation was the brand with the largest presence on Facebook in August 2011. With over 34 million fans, Coke continues to grow its fan base at nearly 3% monthly. Yes, Coke is one of the largest international brands, but there are lessons to be learned from this soft drink giant that can be replicated by any marketer. Covario incorporated into its study each company’s brand reach, engagement, technical construction, and reputation to determine Facebook presence. Below are 4 way to maximize your company’s Facebook presence like the pros.

1. Increase Your Reach

The reach of your Facebook page includes the number of fans and growth of your followers. A quick and easy starting point to grow your fan base is to leverage your existing customers and company fans. Consider adding a page on your website that highlights your presence in social media as well as adding social media follow buttons to various web pages so site visitors can easily find and 'like' you on Facebook. Also, remember to add social media sharing buttons, such as "Share on Facebook" or the Facebook 'Like' button to all of your online content such as blog articles and landing pages. This will help you capture both your existing fans and customers as well as expand your reach to their networks.

Another way to attract more followers is to release exclusive, fan-only material. Research shows that 58% of Facebook users expect exclusive content from business pages they 'like' on Facebook ... so leverage it! Entice visitors with a sneak preview of your awesome content. Facebook allows you to create custom page tabs on your business page, so try creating a custom welcome page that encourages new page visitors to become fans (just be sure to set this custom page as your 'Default Landing Tab' in your page settings). (Note: HubSpot customer can easily use the HubSpot Facebook Welcome Application to create a welcome page and even use it capture leads straight from Facebook!)

2. Engage Your Followers

Engagement on Facebook includes both the frequency and relevancy of how you share content. Engagement can be measured by the number of times you post content to Facebook and the number of response comments and 'likes' you receive from your fans. For Coca-Cola, its average Facebook post generates 236 comments and 1,749 'likes.'  In order to increase engagement, it's important to regularly create and share interesting content on Facebook. The goal of your posts should be to inform and spark a conversation with and amongst your fans. Try posting content that incorporates different topics, writing styles, tones, and formats to see which type of content generates the most reactions from your audience. Then use the information you gather from Facebook Insights (Facebook's built-in analytics tool) to replicate success in the future. 

3. Optimize the Technical Structure of Your Page

There are a few tips and tricks to make sure you’ve structured your page properly for Facebook’s search function. Make sure your brand’s name is located in the vanity URL, page title, and body copy of your Facebook page. Also, remember to link your website to your Facebook page to drive more visitors. Be strategic about the placement of the 'like' and social sharing buttons on your website, and be sure to add them to your email messages and blog posts as well.

4. Monitor and Manage Your Reputation

Monitoring your Facebook page regularly can be just as critical as creating and contributing to it. It's important to be aware of and active in any discussions taking place on your page. Your Facebook page is a way to connect and interact with your fans, and you need to uphold your end of the deal. In addition, remember to take time to track your fan growth, page views, and comments via Facebook Insights. Note that your Facebook page may be glowing with positive comments from your fans, but you should look beyond your company’s pages to get a greater sense of your Facebook reputation. Almost anyone can create a negative Facebook page associated with your brand, and these pages may also show up during a search for your brand. Furthermore, use marketing analytics software to track how much traffic, leads, and customers you're generating from Facebook. This will help you determine how valuable your participation in this channel is for your business, which can help you make decisions about how to effectively budget your time and efforts in social media.

In what other ways can you maximize your Facebook marketing?