How Marketers Should Engage with Fans on Facebook Timeline

On Facebook, Timeline for Brands has been here for a while, how much you have explored it? In the past, fan page engagement was all about conversions with fans, but with the new Timeline feature, along with some discontinued old features, Marketers should now take the proactive role to evolve their engagement strategy from now on. And here're the three major areas that matter most of Marketers or Community Manager.

1. Cover Picture Matters

I know, i know, this seems too obvious. Yes Cover Picture definitely the most fancy and eye-catching feature for your brand to demonstrate the character, but what make this beauty even more important is the discard of Default Landing Page. Simply speaking, your Cover Picture will always be the first impression that your fans have. Marketers who traditionally use landing page for fans acquisition would need to rethink their strategy for better engagement.



Tips for Marketers:

Consider changing Cover Page to align with Facebook Ad. with only branding purpose, but never or just minimum promotional events. No fans want to be hard-sell. Don't waster the support from your fans.

Promotional Advertisements (which acquire fans) now rely more on the Facebook Ad itself, particular whether it could provide precise and relevant content in short script and small image. So from now on you may need more "tactics" for you ad. :P 

2. Company History Matters

Think again what is a timeline? Why Facebook purpose a Timeline for Brands? While Marketers usually scratch their heads so hard for new content, indeed, what make a brand becomes a brand is the history, the story, and the legend of founders. All these, are in fact buried in time. But now Facebook give you another chance to embrace your company history once again, in a more interactive and socialized way. Take a look with New York Times, the "news" that they were founded has already resulted in 359 likes and 32 comments (as on 5th Mar, 2012). Turn your brand into a story: tell your fans how good you were, and now how good you are.

the "Founded" milestones on New York Times is simply clever.

Tips to Marketers:

Where could you find so many Historical Content? Yes, please kindly find your old aged company website. :)

Images are the major "language" in Timeline, so use less words but post more vintage photos in the good-old-days then you will be able to talk to your fans before they're born.

3. Private Message Matters (Most)

Only when people communicate and interact could result in engagement. While Timeline focuses a lot in the look-and-feel improvement, most people has overlooked this tiny and powerful feature, which i consider as the most important ones among all enhancement - the Private Message to Brands.Think this way: who (the fans) will send you a message directly? Either praising for your good work or want to complain for bad experience, right? Don't ignore any of these chances to improve your relation with fans !! On one hand the fans show you their support by Liking you, you should also treat your loyal buddy as good as those VIP, because they love your brand so much and would like to voice out to you. Once again, Don't ignore them, and start to embrace this one-to-one engagement. :)

See the "Message" button on the right? PM the brand you like and show them your love!

Tips to Marketers:

Never ignore any Private Message. (You see how important this is meant to me as i have already stressed for the third time!)

Although the Private Message is "off-record", remember that we are still on Facebook, and the fan that you're messaging can still access them. Plus, message cannot be deleted. So mind the words you use, treat your fans good and you will be rewarded with increasing loyalty. 

Always remember to check your Admin Panel for new Private Messages!

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I still remember by the time when i was a marketer, fans comments are always the first thing that i focus. Not the number of comments (you know... that's a KPI that we used to agree with our clients), but the context and how my fans actually feel. Tiresome but meaningful task i believe. Yes, trust me, your effort on them is always worth. :)

So i guess that is for today! 
Enjoying my post? Then don't forget to tweet this and subscribe my blog !

See you soon. :)

Cheers,
Dickson



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