These were posted by Jefferson Graham, in USA TODAY recently, but they seemed worth repeating. Even though they were written to car dealers, they apply pretty generically to all Facebook marketers.
Matthew Funk, a social media expert with TK Carsites, offers tips that apply to car dealerships and really any business wanting a Facebook presence. Here are highlights:
1. Use Facebook to make friends, not customers
"People develop positive feelings with a person, not for a page," he says. Write about your local community and events, and try to post items of interest that go beyond your business. A good viral video "doesn't make you think, `I want to buy a car from the dealership,' but it does keep you in the news feed and reinforces the name."
2. Post three times a day, no more
"Don't overwhelm people," he says. "That's a turn-off." Funk says the best times to post are 7 a.m., 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., "the peak high-traffic times for Facebook."
3. Don't post silliness just to add another item
Surveys of favorite ice cream flavors are a waste of time that will just annoy people, he says. "It has very little real worth. Share stuff that has a reason for sharing."
4. Provide incentives; don't be pushy
"People come to your social media to find perks, but they don't want sales forced on them," Funk says. Offer the deals just once a week, not every day, he recommends.
5. Be exciting
"Whenever possible, post the kind of content you'd want to share with your friends," he says. "Facebook marketing isn't about selling as much as it is about sharing."
I'll add a tip from Jason Burns - the new Market America Social Media director.
If you are just getting started on Facebook read for several days and then start by adding comments to posts by your friends. A simple "Cool picture" or "Gorgeous Baby Anna!" gets the ball rolling.
