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Facebook marketing - let's learn to use Facebook to our advantage!

I think one of my big mistakes last year was that I almost stopped writing posts where I shared useful links. I have made a decision to resume this practice.

The first link collection has to do with Facebook marketing for translators. (After all, I am a marketing translator, aren't I?) Actually, these links can help anybody who wants to build a great page and attract many loyal followers.

As you know, I have a fan page. (I am looking forward to meeting you there!) I was recently asked by a colleague if I could share some useful resources on Facebook marketing. I was happy to help her. And then a thought struck me that maybe my colleague is not the only person who needs some help with Facebook promotion.

I can't call myself an absolute pro in using Facebook yet. I have 133 fans, that's not a whole lot. But I love the interaction that happens on my page. Unfortunately, it doesn't happen always, but hopefully, it will get better with time. I think one of the reasons why I don't see as much interaction there as I would like to is because my introverted nature is seen in my posts there. I often share stuff, but I seldome leave space for discussion. That needs to change!

This morning I asked my fans to share what they like about Facebook and what Facebook gives them that other social networks don't. While I am waiting for their thoughts, here is my idea:
Facebook is more about interaction than any other network I know. It's just built that way. You can post longer messages there compared to Twitter 140-character limit, you can share pictures, videos, links and what not. And your fans can share their thoughts in comments. That's what I value in Facebook - it is ideal for discussions! Besides, it's very easy to use.

Since I am not a 100% pro in using my fan page yet, I am going to share wonderful links where you can learn how to build your own fanpage and successfullly promote your business! And I am inviting you to learn with me!
1) How to develop a Facebook page that attracts millions of fans - it's not exactly a recent article, but I find it useful. It stresses the advantages of Facebook pages:

  • It's a good profile for a brand. I am strongly convinced that a personal profile needs to stay personal. Therefore I normally don't accept people I don't know as Facebook friends. I know 99% of my Facebook friends from real (off-line) life, and I've also made friends with some of my colleagues who I met through Internet and with whom we've developed a friendly relationship. My fan page is a different matter. This is my brand profile (which I need to work on more).
  • Your fans see your page updates in real time, the same way as when you update your personal status
  • You can integrate numerous applications there - of course, if you understand how to do it. It is beyond my abilities, I have to admit :(
  • You can develop customer tabs on your page, not just the ones Facebook suggests - that's also possible if you have some tech knowledge, I guess.
  • You can choose where your new visitors land when they click on your page: the wall, the info, an integrated application etc.
I love this article and all the examples of the best fan pages it gives.
3) How to develop a sound Facebook Fan Page strategy: Step 1 - I'll surely use this step by step guide! I only wish there was more time in a day for everything! Or I guess, I need to learn to use my time more effectively ;-) By the way, you'll find the list of all other steps in the same article, with links.
4) How to build a perfect Facebook Fan Page, 2011 edition - This is the most recent article on creating Facebok pages.

But creating a page is only a part of the process. You need to attract fans! Two keys that I've figured out are:
1) posting relevant content,
2) building relationship with your fans, taking part in discussions, making your page as 'alive' as possible.

Speaking about posting relevant content, I need to clarify one issue. I've seen many people automatically update their Facebook fan page or personal status as often as they send updates to Twitter. Marketing specialists say it's a huge mistake because Facebook is a different tool set for a different purpose! While a tweet lasts for a couple hours, a Facebook message lasts much longer than that. Therefore you don't want your fans to be bombarded with tons of useful information that they can't digest so quickly! All that info turns into useless garbage then because all it does is cluttering their news feeds! I've experienced it myself. I remember quite a few people left my page during one week when I posted too much content. So this is a hard learned lesson, too. Now I do my best to choose the very best info to publish there.

So, this is it for now! Let me know if you find this post helpful!

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