360DigitalInfluence

What makes a great Facebook Fan Page? What makes it fantastical and special for all to see?

One quality of a great Facebook Fan Page is a strong level of engagement. But where does one even start a discussion? How do you keep your fans engaged, especially if you feel as if you have run out of ideas? A look at some conversations from strong brand Facebook Fan Pages can help steer you in the right direction.

A look at the Toy Story 3 Facebook Page and we see that content is not even posted every single day and yet the posts generate over 1,000 “likes” and over a 100 comments on a consistent basis. On the Toy Story 3 Page, the conversations are always fun and focused on the toys & the movie — a direct reflection of what Toy Story 3 stands for.

Tip 1. Keep the discussions vibrant on your Page by keeping the focus on what the brand represents - be it an unconventional nature, ways to have great snacks or even couture fashion. Whatever is most important for your brand or product, have your content reflect those inherent qualities — be authentic. In this way, you keep your fans engaged since they likely joined your community to experience more of your inherent qualities.

On the Red Bull Facebook Page, content is posted every single day and usually generates over 3000 “likes” and over 300 comments consistently across their posts. On this Page, the posts range from surfing, to a Red Bull gaming show and even to a Red Bull DJ player for the iPad. On the surface, these may not appear to be connected but in this case, all of these posts require a higher than normal energy level - something that Red Bull represents. This core quality representation coupled with Red Bull’s consistent posting, gives its fanbase something to look forward to each day.

Tip 2. Maintaining the discussion and fostering engagement requires a constant effort in ‘growing the relationship’ with your fanbase. Think of your fanbase as your friend — if you flake out enough times on your friend, your friend will not trust you. However, if you consistently show up and give to your friend, your friend will come to trust you and feel less inhibited about interacting with you. So, be consistent.

If you enjoy donuts, then you will love this example. With the Dunkin Donuts Facebook Page, Dunkin Donuts’ fans post on the Wall and generate content of their own. However, Dunkin Donuts does not just leave its fans to their own devices. Dunkin Donuts provides contests, such as Dunkin Donuts’ “Create Dunkin’s Next Donut” contest, along with perks (ie: a free medium beverage for ‘liking’ the page). Dunkin Donuts allows its Page to be open to its fans’ input — which fosters a multitude of user-generated content each day.

Tip 3: Don’t take your brand too seriously and be sure to give your fans some freedom to invest their time and energy into your brand. By inviting your fans to share themselves with you, you foster a bond between your brand and your fans. When people feel personally invested in anything, they are more likely to continually engage with it, spread the word and protect it since they see it as an extension of themselves. So be open and extend yourself and you will more than likely have fans who do the same.

Those were some starters to get you on the road to better connect with your fans and enhance your engagement and discussions — we will continue to delve into great Facebook Pages and how we can learn from their examples.

Anyone have any other ideas on how to build Facebook Page conversations and engagement? Please share - thanks!