Dismiss the thought that you have to drive up the number of “Likes” on your Facebook page. Strive instead to increase the number of “People Talking About This.”
The difference is simple:
• When a user clicks on a Facebook “Like” button and becomes a fan, he or she does not necessarily interact with your brand.
• When a user comments on a Facebook page or shares it on his or her personal page, the user is interacting and sharing your message with all of her or her contacts.
Facebook displays both of these numbers on your Facebook page for everyone to see.
Social media experts claim that a brand should have 2% of its total fans talking about the company. Anything less than 2% means your brand may not be engaging or offering value to your fan base. The goal is to drive the people talking about this number to 2% or higher.
How is that percentage determined? Divide the “Total Likes” by the total number of “People Talking About This.”
Now calculate your Facebook percentage. Did you reach 2% or higher? Whatever the result, strive to get increase the number by following a few simple guidelines:
Engaging content. By posing a question to your fans that is easy to answer, you may see more people engaging with your brand. Following is a post that garnered Texas Roadhouse 4,291 comments:
Offer insight. Your fan base most likely is interested in your product and company, so why not post tips about your product? The Cheesecake Factory does this on a regular basis:
Promotions. Promotions can be a great way to get your fans involved and talking about your page. Red Robin gave away an Apple iPad to the top voter in a recipe contest:
Ask. Ask your fan base questions like in this recent survey from Ruby Tuesday. And don’t forget to post the results later!
Acknowledge Your Fans. Without loyal followers, Outback Steakhouse would never have reached 2 million fans.
Social Media Marketing Takeaway
Remember that getting people to talk about your brand does not happen overnight, so don’t expect it to. If you are looking to increase the number of people “talking about you,” make your updates and content as engaging as possible.
Measure what works, and create guidelines or a framework for your social media outlets that outlines what type of content gets the most return.