By Teija Stearns

One way businesses tend to measure their success on Facebook is by the number of fans they have. You have probably wondered how to increase your Facebook fan base many times. Perhaps you have even read articles that claim to spell out the precise formula to attract more Facebook fans. The fact is there is no one-size-fits-all strategy to get more fans. The best strategy for your business really depends on the type of business you have.

This article will give specific examples of ways to increase your fan base, and will use examples of small businesses that got it right. However, you are the true expert on your business and know your customers better than anyone else. I’m sure you will find that your best ideas for increasing your fan base are your own. This article is here to point you in the right direction.

Step 1- Know yourself. Know your goals.

What kind of business do you have? Is it the type of business that thousands of fans will be attracted to? Are your customers the type of people who frequent Facebook? Why should people “like” you on Facebook? Think this through so that you can make realistic goals and know what to expect from your Facebook strategy. In the end the number of total Facebook fans does not really matter. What matters is that you are reaching and interacting with people who care about what you have to say.

What do you want out of your Facebook page/social media strategy?  Will your Facebook page be the go-to spot for the latest products and coupon codes? Will it be a hubbub of customers swapping stories and posting pictures about their experiences with your business/product/topic? Will the focus of your page be customer service and providing your fans with valuable information? You will probably want to include a mixture of things, but it’s important to envision why people will interact with your page.

Step 2- Develop the Social Media mindset

This is your chance to get creative. If you are authentic with your fans then you will reap the rewards. Thinking of content is most of the game and responding to your fans is the other part. Did something exciting happen at the office today– an employee’s birthday, or the arrival of a new piece of equipment? Announce it to your fans. When you were helping a customer would their questions apply to other customers as well? Create a Quick Tip in a Facebook post. Did you read something relevant to your customers in your industry’s news? Make sure they know about it. Did you add a new product to your website? Post a photo and ask your friends if they “like” what they see. What is the common thread your customers share? Ask them a question that encourages them to post their stories.

Step 3- Get More Facebook Fans

1. Invite people who you interact with in real life to "like" your page. People who you have made some connection with are more likely to “like” and interact with your page. These are the best types of fans because they like your page freely and are more likely to interact with your posts.
    
The easiest first step is to invite your personal friends on Facebook to like your page. You can do this by going to your page and clicking the “Invite Friends” on the right hand navigation. Next you need to get the word out to your customers. Display your Facebook page link in the following places and wherever else you can think of:

• Your website/blog. Make a Call To Action banner to "like" your Facebook page. Display the Facebook Box. Use Facebook sharing buttons and "like" buttons throughout your website. Contact HEROweb at (541)746-6418 for help implementing these features.
  
•  Your Newsletter- you may want to send out a special announcement just to announce your Facebook page. Then include Facebook buttons in all future newsletters.
•  Email Signature. In all of your correspondences via email your Facebook link will be visible.
• Business Card
• Put up a sign in your physical store location with your Facebook address. You could include a QR code with a link to your Facebook page. Tell your in-store customers about your Facebook page. You could even display an iPad and allow people to "like" your page in store for some small reward. Read example #3 of this article from Mashable to learn about a business that pulled this off.
  
• In post-purchase emails write something along the lines of “If you were happy with your purchase please “like” our page on Facebook to receive updates on new products and deals.”
• Include a slip of paper with shipped items with your Facebook address.    

2. Okay so you asked and no one is responding– time for some incentive. Coupons. Contests. Be careful. While this a great way to get more fans, it may only attract needy fans who solely liked the page to get discounts. Make it more of an interactive contest. Have a photo contest. Utilize the fans you already have by hosting a photo contest and awarding the person who gets the most likes. The contestants will invite their friends to like your page so that they can gain more likes.
    

One clever Facebook campaign by Buffalo Exchange (a trendy vintage and second hand clothing store) was hosted in their Eugene store location. They set up an in-store photo shoot with a professional photographer. When you tried on an item and had your photo taken they gave you a small discount on your purchase and also a card with their Facebook link. They uploaded all the photos to the Buffalo Exchange Facebook photo albums. This was a great way to create some fun energy in their Facebook community and get “likes” from their in-store customers who wanted to see their picture on the Buffalo Exchange Facebook Page.

3. Reach out to other businesses. Find other businesses in your community on Facebook and add them to your page’s favorites. Mention other Facebook pages using the “@” tag so the post will appear on their page as well. Comment on their posts either from your personal account or as your business page. To use Facebook as your page go to the top right navigation and click the tiny white arrow. Select “Use Facebook as Page.” Interacting with other businesses will get your name out to the people in their Facebook communities.

Imagine Group does a wonderful job of reaching out to their community. They constantly post about what other businesses are doing and get out the word about community events. This is a great example of a company that provides services instead of products and has created a valuable and interactive page.

4. Facebook Advertising- should you really do this? Depending on your business, this could be a great tool for getting more fans. Facebook has also added more options for advertising like Sponsored Stories. It will cost some money so you have to decide if your goals are worth the investment. If you have under 300 fans you should probably wait before trying Facebook Advertising.

Step 3- Cultivate Your Community

This is one of the most important steps. What does it matter if you have 20 fans or a million fans if no one looks at your page? You must update your page regularly (At least 3 times a week, but no more than twice a day). It is essential that you respond to any posts your fans make. The point of Facebook is to keep the conversation going. Through your status updates and posts you should be giving your fans something of value such as tips, inspiration, important news, and a little humor. If you can accomplish this your page will become it’s own community that people won’t hesitate to join.

Check out these other pages that have created successful communities:

Best Bully Sticks– With their funny caption photo of the week and their Weekly Drool Recipe they have created a valuable and entertaining page for dog lovers.

Erin Williams Watercolors– At the moment Erin Williams may have a modest 220 fans, but these fans interact with her regularly. Filled with beautiful snapshots of her artwork and heartfelt blog posts, this page is a success.

Eugene Running Company– Eugene Running Company creates hype about their products and store and also posts running news that attracts avid runners. This page taps in to the Eugene running community.

Nancy’s Yogurt– Even something like yogurt can foster a Facebook community. Instead of letting their page go stale, Nancy’s Yogurt posts recipes, questions, and promotes photo sharing of their fans’ creative uses for Nancy’s.

For More Tips on using Facebook to promote your business “like” HEROweb Marketing and Design on Facebook.