Wyoming Business Tips for Jan. 20

January 11, 2013

A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (WSBDC), part of WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.

By Debbie Gorski, Wyoming Entrepreneur social media community manager

“Can you tell me the best 5-10 Facebook page practices?” Vanessa, Buffalo

I have been managing our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/wyomingentrepreneur) since 2008 and have learned a great deal.

I learn something new every day about Facebook, which is easy because Facebook always is changing something -- not a bad thing, necessarily. Everyone will have his or her opinion about best practices, and I want to hear about yours. This is what I have learned the past four years:

Engage. It is called social for a reason. Post every day and respond to comments or like a comment.

Like, and then share. The Facebook world doesn’t revolve around your page. Every day, find at least one new page to like and comment. This serves a great purpose to get your name/page out there. When you share a comment on someone’s page, it creates a hyperlink to your page. You will most likely receive more likes because of this action.

Use photos and videos often. People will respond and notice your posts more quickly when a picture or video is featured. Be original and creative -- in other words, use your own photos/videos. This is a good practice to avoid infringing on copyrighted materials.

Download the Facebook app on your smartphone and be spontaneous. Use the phone when you are out and about, and post photos and comments directly from your smartphone.

Remember, it is not all about you. Do not continually post items for sale or news that only involves you. Post about your customers, offer education in your field of expertise, changes or laws in your industry, etc. Post information that is interesting and will engage people.

Every week, check your Insights data. This will give you an idea what posts are the most popular, how often you post and general demographics of your page. It will help you decide if you need to make changes on your page.

View criticism as an opportunity to learn and grow, and educate readers. Do not delete negative comments. Delete spam and inappropriate language; you can set a filter for language.

Develop a Facebook page strategy/policy. This does not have to be a lengthy or a complex plan. I prepare a strategy for every social media platform we use and use the following indicators.

What role will your Facebook page provide in your mix of marketing strategies? Develop content strategy and what you will post on your page. There are many tools/ apps you can use, and Facebook has several you can easily plug into your page. How often will you post (I would recommend posting 2-3 times a day), and how much time will you spend managing your page every day? Schedule time in your calendar and do it every day.

For more assistance with your Facebook page, call 1-800-348-5194 or email wsbdc@uwyo.edu.

A blog version of this article and an opportunity to post comments is available at http://www.wyomingentrepreneur.typepad.com/blog/.

The WSBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922.

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