You’ve signed your business up for a Facebook page, good for you! Now, what are you going to do with it? Well, here are some tips to help you get going and keep things in perspective:

1. Timing is Everything

When you post, make sure it’s at a time when people are actually on Facebook so they can see your post appear in their news feed. If you post at 3am, for example, there’s a very slim chance that anyone will ever see it.

Remember, the post doesn’t just linger, it drops down in the news feed as more current news appears. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Also take into consideration which time zone your fans are in. You’ll want to make your posts reflective of their time zones so they see your message. It might be slightly inconvenient for you, but the whole point of posting is for people to see it!

2. Vary Your Content Among Networks

Best practices would conclude that automatic posts are less appealing than customized ones. I will be honest, I’m a little guilty of being automatic for SunnySide in that I use a third-party platform to post my blogs to my Facebook profile, page, and Twitter account. I don’t, however, have my Facebook account and Twitter account linked via Facebook.

I try refrain from automatic posts for my clients. Why? Well, because in my opinion, their content is much more important than mine. I’d rather put more time into their social media needs than trying to use online networking to gain more business for myself. I have other means of finding new clients =)

In general, people want a reason to follow you on various networks. If you’re posting the same content everywhere, they’ll be less likely to do so. One network will be enough to get all the information they need.

3. Photos, Photos, and More photos

I can’t stress this enough. There is about 40% more engagement on Facebook when you post a photo, than a post with text alone. That’s a significant number, significant enough for most people to take the time to take pictures and post them. Whenever possible, post a photo with your message. I guarantee that it will bring more engagement than if you post the text alone.

4. Crowdsource

Crowdsourcing is when you ask your fans for help in some way or another. If you’re a restaurant and need to pick a new menu item, give your fans the opportunity to choose what it will be. Give them options, so you have some control, and have a poll for everyone to vote on one.

One of my clients has decided to change the name of his restaurant. He decided to put it out to the public and get their input. When you use Facebook in this way, you are letting your fans know that you really do value what they think. This practice will make them feel even closer to your company.

5. Target Your Updates

Did you know that you can now target your message to a specific audience on Facebook? This is one of the new features that Facebook has recently rolled out. Under the little box where you type your message, you click on “Everyone ”, which is a drop down menu. You then customize your update to a certain group of fans. This way, you target the people who will find your message applicable to them.

6. Change It Up

Make an editorial calendar for your brand. Meaning, pick which days of the week/month you’ll run promotions, which days you’ll have a giveaway, which days you will post pictures of your brand, etc. You probably don’t want to post too often, definitely not more than once a day-especially if you don’t have anything exciting to announce.

And, try to dedicate one or two posts a week to other brands that your page has “liked” on Facebook. Remember, you don’t want to self-promote too much. Dedicate a few posts here and there to others with a worthy message to get out. They will likely reciprocate in the future. And if they don’t, they’re not doing it right!

Have I missed anything? Please share your thoughts below!