I’ve had an article saved in my browser window for a few weeks now. Not because I’m lazy and never close out my Chrome browser (although I have to admit I tend to keep my macbook on all the time—yes, I realize that this is not being ‘green’ nor efficient).
The reason I’ve had this article, “How we got to 40,310 Facebook Fans in 4 days”, open for so long is the inherent value I found in their numbers, details and visuals. It’s not often someone reveals their “social media” hand and provides statistical analysis and a step-by-step tutorial on their marketing methods.
I also recently read an article by Amy Porterfield posted on the SocialMediaExaminer.com site on July 2nd and she made a really good point…
The formula for Facebook page success:
Vision + Branding + Inbound Marketing + Engagement = A Rock-Solid Facebook Page
I ‘like’ it. It makes sense and it’s a formula that would work for any line of business. You don’t have to sell t-shirts or be a big chain discount store to build up a big ‘fan’ base on Facebook, you just need to create your own enthusiasm and passion around your mission.
This sounds great for b2b or b2c companies. But, how does an employer do that?
Well, (after you develop a Social Media policy – see my other blog post) you can:
- Engage the people who are your biggest cheerleaders and get them involved in participating in your social media activities.
- Engage people who are already in the social media space. Send around an email to all employees asking them if they enjoy blogging, tweeting or are avid ‘facebookers.’ If you craft your social media questions in the best manner (ie. ‘We’re not asking this to spy on you…only to see if you’d like to use your great social media skills to spread the word about how great your employer is…’) you’d be surprised the number of people already doing things in this space for their hobbies and/or interests.
- Work with your ad agency (hint, hint – Alstin!) to craft a design that is engaging and honest (another hint: use static FBML everywhere on your page! If you don’t know what I’m talking about – click here for a great tutorial. Or, view the FB app here).
- Think outside the box. Create specific Facebook “tabs” for hard-to-fill positions or frequently open positions – insert into these pages well-designed content that entices people to not only become a ‘fan’ but also to search for a job opportunity or post a comment or question. Transparency is your friend in social media. Trust me.
- Promote your Facebook page on your corporate site. I know, I know the Marketing folks and/or your Web or IT team is going to have a bird over this, but push for it…Amy Porterfield’s section on inbound marketing proves the point on building your fan base is most efficient and inexpensive way to build a following.
- Update frequently…and that means everyday. Whether you’re featuring a specific job, announcing a new contest or poll, uploading new photos of a specific event or party or posing a question to your audience…it’s integral to keep your Facebook page content fresh and focused on your fans not so much on you.
Well, that’s all for today. Tuesday is already proving to be a hot one for us in Philly (and much of the east coast from what I hear). Apparently the ‘heat index’ will be 107…I guess we’ll be ‘sweating back to work today.’ Hope your holiday weekend was great!
