To maximize your return on investment (ROI) on Facebook, you want to make sure you are getting and
keeping Page members (formerly called fans). This requires applying some basic search engine optimization
(SEO) skills and including keywords in your content, for both Facebook and overall organic
searches, so your Page can be found through the site and on the Internet at large.
Organic Search
Facebook Pages are indexed by search engines. Facebook even has deals with Google and Bing to pull
its social content for a feature called real-time search. Your Page will be visible in search results, provided
you have optimized it correctly, and can even be viewed by people who do not have a Facebook
account.
Facebook Search
Facebook’s internal site search is notoriously picky, but it is getting better. As you might imagine, ranking
well in an internal Facebook search is even more important. Someone searching for
your brand directly within Facebook knows what she wants and is almost certain to click Like when she
reaches your Page.
When optimizing your Facebook Page, focus primarily on keywords and content; Facebook adds the
nofollow attribute to links, making it difficult to pass on any link power. A good, keyword-rich content
strategy should be at the heart of your Page optimization plan, as it will help new users find you and
keep old ones coming back. Of course, also include all the important links to your site so that people
who like you on Facebook can easily navigate to your website.
An example of poor internal Facebook search results for the T.J. Maxx brand.
Page Optimization Tips
Optimizing your Page begins with setup and continues throughout your Facebook marketing strategy.
The tips below will help you start your Page on the right path and enable you to better optimize later
through content and design.
Pick a descriptive Page name and URL.
Choose a good Page name (usually your brand name or tagline) and encourage 25 people to like
the Page quickly in order to secure your vanity URL. This URL will be in the form of Facebook.com/
YourPageName, so choose something easy to remember and closely tied to your brand.
Fill out the Info section completely.
Make sure you take your time and choose the right category for your Page. The category you
choose affects what and how much you can add to the Info tab. Fill out the Info section completely,
and use a lot of keywords. Also add all of your related websites, including your blog, online store,
and Twitter page (see below).
Use the About box.
One of the most undervalued and overlooked features of a Facebook Page is that little box on the
left, below the Page’s picture. Prominently displayed on the Wall tab, this box is a great place to
add keywords to quickly signal what your Page is about to both users and search engines. Plus,
you can add a clickable link. Just be careful not to exceed the box’s 250-character limit.
These tips will help you optimize your Page during setup. To keep it up to date, ranking highly, and
attracting new members, however, you also need an ongoing content strategy.
Coach’s keyword-rich Info tab also makes good use of the ability to add links.
Optimizing Through a Content Strategy
To maintain your rankings and drive new traffic to your Page, you need to constantly populate the Page
with new content through both automated and manual postings.
Cross-promote content.
Go beyond just including a link to your website and connect all your web properties with automated
applications wherever possible (see below). RSS feeds from a blog or Twitter, for example, can
post to your Wall as well as a custom tab. This keeps a steady stream of new content coming in,
with links back to your site, without a lot of extra effort.
Encourage engagement.
An important part of a content strategy is driving interactions. Each interaction on your Page,
whether in the form of liking or commenting, functions as a vote for your Page. The more engagement
and interaction on your Page, the higher it ranks. This also keeps it in your members’ newsfeeds;
as they interact with new items, their friends will see this and be drawn to your Page.
Keep content flowing.
The most important part of a content strategy is to keep it going! No one will interact with a stagnant
Page, and many will click Unlike if you don’t deliver. An automated RSS feed can help, but be
sure to add some Facebook-specific content as well. This is where you can really drive engagement
by asking people to comment on photos as part of a promotion or by developing timely, targeted
articles that encourage sharing. And above all else, respond to Page members on your Wall.
Look for multiple ways to cross-promote content, such as on a Facebook tab, Facebook Wall, and website.
Promoting Your Page
You’ve set up your Page and created a custom tab, and optimized content is flowing. Now it’s time to
promote your Page and convince people to like it. The best promotions incorporate a combination of
paid, organic, and incentive offers. Try to use all three; just make sure your Page is ready to be unveiled
before you start asking people to join.
Paid advertising
Pure and simple: you could buy a Facebook ad. In fact, Facebook hopes you will become not just
a brand, but also an advertiser. If you have a little money and want to gain members quickly, this
might be an avenue to pursue. Just don’t rely on it by itself.
Organic promotion
Put links to your Facebook Page on your website and add them to the header or footer of emails
you send to your email list. Better yet, write a blog post about the new Page and send an email to
all your subscribers informing them that your new Facebook Page is live. Many people probably
have been waiting for this; make an event of the launch, and then place permanent links on the site
and all future email communications.
Incentive offers
We all love free stuff. Offer exclusive information, deals, or discounts just to members of your
Facebook Page (see below). Add this incentive to your launch email or blog post to give people an
even better reason to click Like. You don’t need to go crazy with giveaways, but be ready to offer
something.
A variety of promotional tactics, incentives, and continuous new content keeps the Victoria’s Secret
Pink Page fresh and engaging.
Page Interactions
There are many ways that users can interact with your Page, from the ongoing stream of status updates
and posts that appear on the Wall to media uploads they can comment on. Custom applications, especially
those designed for user interaction, also encourage clicking. Every interaction works to improve
your ranking and keep your name high up in the Facebook Newsfeed.
Wall posts
The preferred means of communication for frequent Facebook users is Wall posting, because these
messages are quick and easy to post (see below). They are also open and visible to the public — great for praise, but not so much for complaints. Be sure to respond quickly here.
Media comments
Members of your Page can view and comment on anything you upload to the Page. Take photos at
events to encourage liking and tagging when people see themselves, and consider a photo comment
contest to get engagement going, especially early on.
Inbox updates
These messages won’t help your Page interaction directly, but you can use them to bulk-message
all Page members and alert them to important new uploads. Include links to send members directly
to the content you want them to interact with.
Custom applications
As you design your custom application, be sure to think socially. Provide easy ways for users to
share the results of your application with friends or invite them to try it as well. Include a Share button
at all stages of interaction with the application so users can post to their Wall and newsfeed.
Wall posts, status updates, and user comments on the Zappos Page encourage interaction.
Summary
According to Facebook, there are nearly 500 million active Facebook users, each of whom is connected to
60 Facebook Pages, Groups, and Events on average. The popular Facebook-focused blog All Facebook
keeps a running tally of the most popular Facebook Pages, ranked by the number of users who like
these Pages. At this writing, the top Page is Zynga’s Texas Hold’em Poker, with more than 17 million
user connections, while the official Page for Facebook is approaching 10 million.
Obviously, Facebook is growing rapidly (see below), as are Facebook Pages. Pages are the key to your
brand’s marketing on Facebook. Whether your goals are search presence, general awareness, customer
service, or sales, you need to take this social network seriously if you want your Page to succeed.
More and more, Facebook users are expecting brands to be on Facebook. They look at the site much
the way we looked at the Internet 10 years ago, and are confused when they can’t find their favorite
store or celebrity. Don’t disappoint your fans with a half-hearted Page. Think of your Facebook Page as
an extension of your website and put the same amount of time and effort into it.
Facebook hosts over 1.6 million active Pages, with a combined total of 5.3 billion Page members.
(Graphic by Muhammad Saleem for Mashable.com.)
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