We can all agree the primary purpose of having a Facebook page is to get people talking about and interacting with your brand. You can do this in a number of ways, whether it’s by providing incentives such as Fan of the Week awards, having contests, or simply by linking to compelling content.
Those are feasible methods to build interaction, but why beat around the bush?
Why not just come right out and ask your fans for feedback? You don’t have to be subtle about wanting interaction — Facebook is a social network and the people who Liked your page did so because they clearly want some level of conversation with you.
So what is the best way to increase Facebook interaction?
By asking your fans lots of questions following the tips below.
Increasing interaction among Facebook fans can be a daunting task, but by following these tips and asking questions your problems should be solved. Image credit to pamil-visions.net
How to Ask Questions on Facebook
While there aren’t correct or incorrect ways to ask a question on Facebook, there are good and “less good” ways. Follow the tips below and you’ll see a quick boost in fan interaction:
1. Keep your questions short. Everyone is checking Facebook on their smartphones and iPads these days and they won’t stop to read a paragraph. Start thinking in 120 characters. Get straight to the point and leave out the fluff.
2. Keep possible answers short. Before you post a question, do your best to predict the likely answers. Does the question require complex answers or explanations? Can fans respond using only a few words or a single sentence? Can they respond without thinking too much?
Those people who are reading your updates on their phones and iPads are also responding from the same devices. Form questions that require short answers so people don’t get arthritis in their thumbs from typing paragraphs on their phones. Please, just think of their poor thumbs!
3. Questions don’t always have to be on topic. Let’s say your Facebook page is for a home security company. Your status updates and questions will, of course, be related to that topic. But if the Super Bowl is coming up, there’s nothing wrong with asking your fans, “Who do you all have winning the big game this weekend?”
Even something as simple as, “How’s life treating you?” can go a long way. Not only do you open the door for conversation, but you also move your page from the robot category to the human category. As crazy as it sounds, people want to socialize with other people, not machines.
Facebook’s EdgeRank chooses which content shows up in your fans’ news feeds. You can change that by increasing fan interaction. Image credit to jordanschultz.com
*Super Important Top Secret Information*
Okay, not really top secret, but it is interesting and something you need to know. So keep reading. In a way, Facebook “ranks” content similar to the way Google ranks websites. Any time you look at your news feed, you’re only seeing a fraction of content that has been posted by friends and fan pages.
Big deal?
Well, flip it around. If you’re making updates on your fan page, it doesn’t mean that update is going to appear in every single one of your fans’ news feeds. Yes, that’s a big deal.
In the simplest terms, the more interaction your page sees from fans, the more likely it is that your updates will make their way to peoples’ news feeds. In fact, what you really want is comments, as recent research concluded comments are 4x more valuable than Likes. Heavy stuff. Time to start asking questions using the tips above!
Your Turn
What methods do you use to boost interaction on your Facebook page? Do you often make use of questions?