It’s all very well having a Facebook Fan Page, but if you only have about 6 fans, 2 of whom are your mum and your old headmaster, what’s the point?
- Image via CrunchBase
Attracting fans to a Fan Page is an ongoing thing, so here are some ideas that may help you – feel free to post your own ideas in the comments!
1) Invite your contacts by clicking on the ‘suggest to friends’ link at the top left of your Facebook fan page. This allows you to choose which friends to send an invitation to. Once you’ve invited someone, their name is greyed out, so you can’t invite them to often.
2) Post details of the Fan page to our profile page by clicking on the ‘Share’ button, which is way down on the left, and easily missed. This posts a little ad for your page on your personal profile.
3) Put a Facebook fan box on your website / blog. By going to http://www.facebook.com/facebook-widgets/fanbox.php you can create a fan box that allows people to see your Facebook stream and become a fan right from your website.
4) Add a Page Badge at http://www.facebook.com/facebook-widgets/pagebadges.php. A Page Badge allows you to share your Facebook fan page info on other websites and forums.
5) Connect to Twitter. By visiting http://www.facebook.com/twitter/ you can hook up your Facebook page with your Twitter account. While I don’t think this is great for EVERYTHING you post to your Facebook page, it is good for directing your Twitter followers to your Fan Page, which in turn encourages them to become fans.
6) Leading on from this, why not just invite your Twitter followers to become fans? A simple post once a week or so (at different times to reach followers who may not have seen it) works wonders.
7) Post updates that your fans will want to share. Every time a fan shares a post from your Fan Page, a link to your Fan Page is included in their news stream and broadcast to all of their friends. The more interesting things you post, the more likely your friends are to share your content.
8) ASK! Ask your current fans to recommend your page to 5 of their friends – many of them will, and it’s amazing how quickly the fans can grow.
9) Post regularly. If you rarely post or comment on your Fan page, then people coming to view it won’t be tempted to join. Be sure to post something every day.
10) Don’t just self promote. No-one wants to be a fan of a page that just shoves their self promotion down your throat (unless the page is specifically for that purpose and it’s made clear from the beginning). Not sure what to post on your Facebook fan page? See our blog on this here: What should I post on my Facebook Fan Page?
11) Encourage your fans to post on your page. People like to be involved – allow them to post on your page and you’ll encourage loyalty and more. You can choose to have fan posts shown in the main Wall stream, or keep them separate – I prefer to keep them all together at it gives a better overall idea of the page.
12) Respond to fans. There’s nothing worse than seeing Fan Pages where fans have commented and been ignored. Try and make a habit of checking your Fan Page at least twice a day to respond to comments. Don’t ignore the people you’re trying to attract!
13) Tag fans where relevant. If you post a photograph, video or note, and it’s relevant (the key word here is relevant – don’t just tag everyone for the hell of it), then tag them so they are alerted. Many people who are tagged in things will come and comment, or share with their friends.
14) Add your Facebook Fan Page address to your email signature. How many emails do you send out a day to customers and potential clients? Encourage them to become fans!
15) Talk about it in your newsletter. Encourage your newsletter subscribers to become fans in order to receive more up to date information.
16) Offer price cuts and special offers via your Fan Page – make sure that people know they have to become fans to make the most of this.
17) Have a giveaway. Be careful not to break Facebook competition rules, but a giveaway for people commenting on your fan page can encourage fans to comment, share and suggest your page to their friends.
18) Join my new Facebook fan page – Here’s My Fanpage - a place for people with Fan Pages to promote their pages. Simply post the address and a short description of what fans can expect. Of course, to post on this page you need to become a fan, but we’re hoping it will turn into a great resource for promotion and finding of Fan Pages to follow.
19) When you comment on blogs, leave your Facebook Fan Page address instead of your website address. If you comment on lots of blogs you could alternate the two.
20) Put your Facebook Fan Page address on all your printed material – this works best if you have over 25 fans and have a vanity URL.
21) Use Facebook ads to advertise your page. It doesn’t have to cost the earth, and you can test it out with a relatively small amount of money. (Drop me a line if you’d like to know more about this)
22) Create exclusive content. Have a download that only fans of your page can download. Be sure to mention it everywhere!
23) Add your Facebook Fan Page address to the end of your press releases.
24) Use Google Ads to drive people to your Facebook fan page.
25) Mention your Facebook fan page in any radio or TV interviews.
26) Make sure it’s quoted in any online or offline written interviews too!
27) Use your Fan Page to source suppliers – if people know you’re going to ask on your Fan Page for supplier recommendations, they’re more likely to become a fan.
So there you are, 27 ways to get fans to your page – how many have you tried? Have you tried anything else that worked well? Why not post details of your Fan Page below and see if you can grab a few more fans?
And of course, here’s the link for the NikkiPilkington.com Facebook Fan Page.
Nikki
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This is a wonderful post. Definitely some great pointers not to be ignored. Plan to use a lot of this — for this!
- This Guy @ facebook.com/fansofthis
Thanks Brian – love the fan page too
This is a wonderful post. Definitely some great pointers not to be ignored. Plan to use a lot of this — for this!
- This Guy @ facebook.com/fansofthis
Thanks Brian – love the fan page too
One way we built up fans on our web site is that we ran a charitable donation campaign for a Haiti earthquake relief fund. For every fan we had by a certain date (I think it was January 28th), we donated $1 to Haiti relief, up to $500. We shot up from 110 fans to about 320 in less than a week.
In the end, we even ended up donating the whole $500, which brought in a few more fans. It didn’t cost them anything, we made a charitable donation, and everyone felt pretty good in the end. We now just keep it up with good, regular content with more to come in the future.
Thanks for the post, great ideas, I look forward to seeing more!
Nice one Mariano – I shall add the charity idea to the next version of the post!
One way we built up fans on our web site is that we ran a charitable donation campaign for a Haiti earthquake relief fund. For every fan we had by a certain date (I think it was January 28th), we donated $1 to Haiti relief, up to $500. We shot up from 110 fans to about 320 in less than a week.
In the end, we even ended up donating the whole $500, which brought in a few more fans. It didn’t cost them anything, we made a charitable donation, and everyone felt pretty good in the end. We now just keep it up with good, regular content with more to come in the future.
Thanks for the post, great ideas, I look forward to seeing more!
Nice one Mariano – I shall add the charity idea to the next version of the post!
I have used a few of the ideas but lots more to do !
http://www.facebook.com/more4mums
Let us know how you get on Lynn!
I have used a few of the ideas but lots more to do !
http://www.facebook.com/more4mums
Let us know how you get on Lynn!
I hope to be setting up a fanpage soon, so this advice is very timely – thanks, Nikki!
Be sure to let me know when it’s launched Suze!
I hope to be setting up a fanpage soon, so this advice is very timely – thanks, Nikki!
Be sure to let me know when it’s launched Suze!
Nikki has a knack with the facebook fanpages, I had one for two years that I did nothing with and then her tips have given it a new lease of life – at least I know what to do with it now
Thanks Sarah – high praise indeed
Nikki has a knack with the facebook fanpages, I had one for two years that I did nothing with and then her tips have given it a new lease of life – at least I know what to do with it now
Thanks Sarah – high praise indeed
Only just set mine up this week, looking forward to making my way through some of these ideas, if / when I get a spare moment to work on my site, not someone elses or looking after the kids.
Let us know how you get on Pippa! What’s the Fan Page address?
Only just set mine up this week, looking forward to making my way through some of these ideas, if / when I get a spare moment to work on my site, not someone elses or looking after the kids.
Let us know how you get on Pippa! What’s the Fan Page address?
Great tips as always Nikki, click on my name to visit my fanpage and of course become a fan!
I have read quite a few articles about promoting facebook pages and this has to be the best I’ve seen. Thanks.
And, if anyone would like to become a fan of our page, here it is:
http://facebook.com/PandLTranslations
Great tips as always Nikki, click on my name to visit my fanpage and of course become a fan!
I have read quite a few articles about promoting facebook pages and this has to be the best I’ve seen. Thanks.
And, if anyone would like to become a fan of our page, here it is:
http://facebook.com/PandLTranslations
I’m working my way through your list Nikki – thank you, excellent ideas as usual. Have gone past my first target of 100 fans, and much more to come for the page (must get into the HTML stuff!)
http://www.facebook.com/personalchangemagic for those wanting to become a fan now.
That’s one of my next challenges Ian, to learn FBML so I can have a better page, it’s just finding the time at the moment. Let me know how you get on with adding it to your page
Yep, thats my next task as well – I have made a start with a welcome page – but cheated and put it all in an image, but at least it’s a start.
http://www.facebook.com/more4mums
I’m working my way through your list Nikki – thank you, excellent ideas as usual. Have gone past my first target of 100 fans, and much more to come for the page (must get into the HTML stuff!)
http://www.facebook.com/personalchangemagic for those wanting to become a fan now.
That’s one of my next challenges Ian, to learn FBML so I can have a better page, it’s just finding the time at the moment. Let me know how you get on with adding it to your page
Yep, thats my next task as well – I have made a start with a welcome page – but cheated and put it all in an image, but at least it’s a start.
http://www.facebook.com/more4mums
Facebook fan pages are going to be as valuable as a highly targeted list. BUt you can’t just hammer your fans with sales posts and links to affiliate items
Facebook fan pages are going to be as valuable as a highly targeted list. BUt you can’t just hammer your fans with sales posts and links to affiliate items
Many thanks for the tips Nikki, I have previously used and benefited from your tips on fan pages, anyone that missed them here is the link
http://www.nikkipilkington.com/blog/2009/10/28/10-things-to-post-on-your-facebook-fan-page/
Here is mine for those that maybe interested. http://www.facebook.com/twitter/#!/pages/Weybridge-United-Kingdom/Ethnic-Supplies-Ltd/113251815619?ref=ts it is growing but I must admit I am do still struggle to find interesting things to post given my subject matter. I will not give up though!
Many thanks for the tips Nikki, I have previously used and benefited from your tips on fan pages, anyone that missed them here is the link
http://www.nikkipilkington.com/blog/2009/10/28/10-things-to-post-on-your-facebook-fan-page/
Here is mine for those that maybe interested. http://www.facebook.com/twitter/#!/pages/Weybridge-United-Kingdom/Ethnic-Supplies-Ltd/113251815619?ref=ts it is growing but I must admit I am do still struggle to find interesting things to post given my subject matter. I will not give up though!
Hi Nikki,
I've found this post plus many of the others that you've linked to via Here's My Fanpage! on facebook really helpful, thank you. I've acted on some of your suggestions already, and my next 'to do' is to add a Welcome tab. I'll return to your posts to remind myself of what I should be doing. I hope you'll agree that many of your tips aren't of the 'tick, done that' variety but should be revisited and refreshed regularly.
Best wishes, Sarah
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eddies-Mum/105792…
#13 is a great idea and one I hadn't considered. Not only does this help me with my “fan page” which is now a “like page” if I'm not mistaken….but it also will add some creativity to my blog.
Thanks, so glad I connected with you on Amplify!
Excellent tips, thank you Nikki. I've just set up a fan page and I feel this post could have been written for me – I have a grand total of five fans and one of them is my brother!
Some excellent ideas here Nikki,thanks.
Shaun http://www.facebook.com/facepluk
Hi, nice content you've got here.pls i would like to know more about promoting fan page with facebook ads.thanks
We’ve used http://www.socialkik.com to buy a few thousands of fans for multiple facebook pages and they always over delivered on the number of fans that we purchased by up to 30% of extra fans. After the Socialkik campaigns were over, newer visitors to our Facebook page are more willing to become a fan than before, because they see that it’s being liked by over 10,000 of other fans.
Thanks for the Advice, we had all ready been using a lot of these ways. We managed to get almost 1000 like in a few months. We have 3 magazine interviews and several new videos being released soon. So were hoping it will start to grow even bigger. We are professional dancers from Riverdance who make public dance ambush videos. Essentially though we are working to create a new show. If you get time check our page out. http://www.facebook.com/sneakysteppers
Hi Nikki. You have outlined some great tips here. A lot of people take the plunge and set up a page, but without fans, it’s pointless to maintain. I also use my page to boast about things that my clients are doing so they don’t have to “self-promote” to include new projects or fundraisers, etc. I shared this link with many of my associates – I think it will be really helpful. Thank you.