"You 'Like' Me... You Really 'Like' Me!" Facebook Likes

        With over 800 million users, Facebook is no doubt a powerful tool to help you brand your business.  We’ve said it before in our previous blogs (both on this blog and the blog connected right to our company’s website) and we’ll say it again—social networking is a powerful platform for all businesses and we insist you have presence on social media sites to promote your business. 

Typically, we suggest that people build their business a Fan Page.  A Facebook Fan Page is just like your business’s website only in Facebook form.  Fan pages allow you to customize your page to fit your needs, contain your business’s information and target potential and current customers.  So you’ve set up a fan page—great!  Now comes the tricky part.  How do you get people to “Like” your page?  You may be thinking, “Hmm what does getting a ‘Like’ do for me?”  The truth is, getting people to “Like” gives you a better chance that you will gain people’s interest and it also gives you a better chance that your company updates are appearing in their newsfeed.  If you launch a new product, they will be some of the first people to see it.  Simply, it helps you better communicate with your target audience.  Here’s some of our tips on how to get more “Likes”:

(1)  Content, Content, Content!: Pretty sure we have said this one before, but here we go again!  Generate content that fans will find amusing, insightful, inspiring and overall, useful.  This is only going to keep them interested in you and your company.  Also, be smart about what you post.

(2)  Fans only contest: While there are rules you must abdide by to run a Facebook contest, it’s a great tool to get you more likes.  In order for people to enter your contest, make it so that they must first “Like” your page.  You can even jazz that up a bit.  You can make it so that people can’t view the top prize or rules unless they "Like" you first.  Either way, contests are a great way to get people talking. 

(3)  Email-signature:  You can add a link to your Facebook Fan Page through your email signature or you can add a little “Like Us” underneath your name that is linked to your Fan Page.  Either way, when people click on your name or  little catch phrase they are taken right to your Facebook Fan Page. 

(4)  Tagging (status and pictures): Tag people you know in relevant comments or updates to your page.  When you tag people in a status, comment or picture, it automatically goes on their personal page.  This way, people they are connected to may see your Fan Page and “Like” it.  You can also upload pictures from an event your company hosted and tag people in photos from the event.  Again, this will go on their page and could potentially get people to visit your Fan Page and “Like” it. 

(5) “Like” box on your website: You can embed a "Like" box right on your website that can make website visitors Facebook fans. 

             We have got plenty more tips from where these came from!  All Points Public Relations is no stranger when it comes to helpful tips for your franchise’s PR.  Talk to us and we’ll give you a few pointers.