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So you’ve set up your Facebook Fanpage and are running adverts to help attract fans.   Soon you’ll have a whole community queuing up to buy your products and services.   Setting up a Fanpage couldn’t be easier, and becoming a fan is almost effortless…one simple click of a mouse and voila!…instant fan.   The sales will be rolling in, right?

Erm…not really! You see attracting a fan to your page is like nodding to a stranger across a crowded room. You have acknowledged the existence of each other, but there is no real relationship, yet.  This is just the beginning.

Just as with any successful relationship you will need to build a friendship with your fans and gain their trust over time.  You do this by bringing value from the very first communication and to this you need to understand who your fans are, why they have become your fan and what kind of information and content is relevant to them.

Remember that Facebook is a social network, so be social.  Broadcasting one commercial message after another is a big turn off.

So if you are in the business of selling shoes, don’t post pictures of shoes and price lists. That’s what your website is for.  Instead, give your staff a couple of Flip cameras and have them shoot video of the team having fun a work. Or ask your fans to share their own photos of themselves dressed to nines and out and about.

If you’re already doing a lot of PR and marketing, your Facebook Fanpage could serve as a central repository for everything you do.    So any media coverage you achieve can be posted, newsletter content, blog stories all go on the Fanpage. Then your fans have a veritable one-stop-shop for your brand.  And you add value to every marketing penny spent.

Another great way to interact with fans is to ask them for feedback.  So if you run a coffee shop, ask your fans how they feel about the queues, which coffee blends they prefer and why, or they could suggest new recipes or potential charitable alliances.  This crowd sourcing approach means being open to criticism and being willling to make changes and implement suggestions.  But it will inspire fierce loyalty among your customers.

My point is this…your Facebook Fanpage will be as unique as you are.  There are no set ‘strategies for success’.  Think about who you want to attract to your page then think about how you’ll turn that nodding acquaintence into a strong relationship.

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