ENHANCE YOUR EMAIL • Add your FacebookpageURL to your email signature alongwith a call to action.

• Example: www.facebook.com/jettwriterlike me on Facebook for exclusive updates!

• Example: www.facebook.com/georgetowncupcakelike us for exclusive vouchers and discounts!

QR CODES • Create a QR code that links to your Facebookpage.

• QR (quick response) codes are barcode-like square images that, once scannedwith asmartphone camera, can link to anywebpage you desire.

• QR codes are quick and easy to create, and they’re free. They can be placed anywhere, includingbrochures, advertisements, flyers and product packaging. It is silly to useQR codes online.

• You can create uniqueQR codes onmanywebsites, including the following links,www.qrstuff.comand http://qrcode.kaywa.com.

BE CONSISTENT• Consistency is key for every brand! Maintain your brand’svoice and personality. Beingconsistent cannotbestressed enough. Be consistent. Post often. Don’t gothrough Facebookdry spells. One to three times a day is agood goal to set for posting. At aminimum, you shouldpost two times a week. Postingmore than three times aday can actually cause Facebook fatigue and drive fansaway. If costumers ignore your posts all the time, theywill stop appearing in their newsfeeds.

KEEP STATUS UPDATES SHORT AND PROFESSIONAL• Tailor your posts tomobile users andkeep status updatesshort. Captions display on top of photos insteadof below. Anyphoto post descriptionyouwrite should be concise as tonot detract from thephoto. In fact, all Facebookusers tend toskim content in their newsfeeds. A recent study showedthatpostswith 80 characters or fewer received 27% higherengagement rates than thosewithmore.

• Remain professionalat all times. Do not use profanity orbicker with fans. Use full and proper English andavoidacronyms and jargon. Most importantly, keep your postsconversationaland simple.

USE HASHTAGS • Use hashtags on Facebook to encourage conversations.

• Hashtags appear as clickable links in page and personalprofile updatesand also in posts on newsfeeds.

• Hashtags are a wayof grouping similar types of contenttogether and can be created by typinga hash or poundsymbol (#) directly before awordwhile composinga post. Clickingon A hashtagopens up A feed of postswith the samehashtag. You can also search A hashtag (including the poundsymbol) before using it.

• Example: #socialmedia

HASHTAGGING TIPSBE STRATEGIC• Use strategic hashtags related to your brandor

industry. For example: #music

• Useunique hashtags specific toyour brand. Forexample: #countingcrows

• Use the @ symbol to reply to fans and tag otherpages in your Facebook posts by typing@usernameand clicking on thename when it pops up.

DISCOVER WHAT IS TRENDING• Discover new pages by searchinghashtagsand join other conversations. Youwill learnmore about hashtags later this semesterwhile exploring twitter.

SAY THANKS• Thank your fans. Post A “thank you”message every so often on your page.

• Use “we” to include your fans in your posts. For example, “Wedid it – 500 fans! Thank you all!”

• Highlight oneof yourmost loyal fans everymonthwith a fan of themonth award. See if you can getyour fans engagingand vying for the coveted award. If your budget allows, add a little prize for yourfan, like a gift card or online code.

• Make sure to tag your fan of themonth in post that includes a photowhen you notify themof thehonor. This is a goodwayof building super fans!

USE EYE-CATCHING ART

• Use photos and videos for higher engagement. Facebook claims that postswith photos or videosgenerate about 160%more engagement. Someexperts believe you should include an imageorvideowith every post. For example, you can ask aquestion in your status update and post a photowith the revised question repeated in it.

HAVE A CONTEST

• A contest could be a greatway to increase awareness of your brand, generate buzz, gain fans orpromote a newproduct.

• The contest’s ultimate goal should be to attract engaged fanswhowill become customers.

• Try to offer a prize related to the interests of your targetedaudience. Facebook contestswithgeneric prizes attract fickle fanswho aren’t likely to become customers.

FACEBOOK’S RULES FOR CONTESTS• Contests can only be administered on page timelines.

• Businesses cannot administer promotions on personal timelines and you must include a disclaimer releasingFacebook from liability.

• You can collect entries by having fanspost on your page, message your page, comment on or like a page post anduse likes as a voting mechanism. For example, you can ask users to enter by posting a photo on your page or in thecomments on your post, and then select a winner based on which entry has the most likes. Or, you can ask usersto enter with a message to your page, a post on your page or with a comment or like on your post, then randomlypick a winner. You can also ask users to answer a question and pick the first correct response as your winner. However, you cannot ask users to tag themselves in a content they are not depicted in, ask users to share a post orask users to post something on their own timelines or their friends’ timelines.

Example disclaimer: “This promotion does not have a connection with Facebook in any way and is not sponsored, supported or organized by Facebook. The recipient of the information provided by you in not Facebook, but {Your Page Name}.”

FACEBOOK’S RULES FOR CONTESTS (CONT.)• Facebook’s page terms state: if you use Facebook to communicate or administer a promotion(E.G., acontest or sweepstakes), you are responsible for the lawful operationof that promotion, including: • The official rules

• Offer terms and eligibility requirements (E.G., Age and residency restrictions)

• Compliance with applicable rules and regulations governing the promotion and all prizes offered (E.G.,Registration and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals)

• Do not forget to comply with local regulations. Local laws still apply to your contest.

• Make sure to post your official rules to your timeline, on yourweb pageor in a public folder as a pdf, sothat you can prove participants hada chance to read them. Learn More

ENCOURAGE THE CLICK• Tease contentand be vague so that fans will click on your photoor link. Forexample, “Fall’s right around the corner. Guess what else is comingsoon…”

Be Timely• If a fan comments on a post or writes on yourwall, replyas soon as possible. Address positiveand negative comments in a timelymanner. Try to turn negativecomments intoan opportunity to communicatewith your fans before blockingorremoving a comment. Some commentsmight need to be blocked for variousreasons. It’s your call, but don’t be too quick to hidea comment.

SOURCESWWW.FACEBOOK.COM

LOUISE JETT