I haven't started a fan page, and I'm not sure I will. But I'm wondering how people get all of those fans. What do you do? Do you allow "fans" to participate on the fan page? Is it worth the time and effort? What are the benefits/drawbacks? Please advise. Thanks.
What's the point of a fan page on Facebook?
(9 posts) (5 voices)
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I view it as RSS+
Posted 1 year ago # -
I have my facebook fanpage for business and I only use it to put links to my latest posts and pictures to do with my website. I do get traffic that way, so I guess it works. Of course I could also do a business status update, but I keep forgetting to do that.
At first I let fan's be able to post something on the wall, but then a friend who didn't realise that he was on my business page and not my personal profile put something personal on it, which I didn't like having on my fan page. So now fans can't put things on my wall, but they can give comments and 'like' to the links I post, so every now and then I have a 'conversation' that way.
It doesn't take much time to update your fan page and setting it up is pretty easy.It is a fact that of my 28 fans (one of which I am myself...) 24 are also friends on my personal profile. But only a few of them actually subscribe to my website posts and one or two follow me on twitter, so I see it as a way to bring my latest posts to my friends who have neither.
I am hoping to get some more fans who are not my friends, but I'm not exactly sure how to accomplice that. Word of mouth, I suppose.In any case, my personal profile I keep strictly personal.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I created one for TWE, and I use it to post whatever new Post is up on TWE, plus other things I find that I think might be of interest to fans.
I use it because a lot of people do keep up with Facebook, and since their network of friends is always growing, it's a way of spreading the word and getting new readers to the TWE site who might not otherwise find it.
I do let fans post items on the TWE page, but I also keep an eye out to make sure nothing inappropriate gets posted there.....if it does, I "hide" the item, and if the same poster continues to post inappropriate things, I'll "hide" that person and then send them an email to ask them to stop.....That's only happened once, so it's not an issue really.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Only 11% of internet users use RSS. Of that 11%, it is mostly people who are the most web savvy. That is why technology sites have the most subscribers. They cater to a user who is more likely to use RSS.
Everyone uses Facebook, however. If you aren't using Facebook, you are ignoring the service that the vast majority of Internet users use.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I started a page for My Itchy Travel Feet on Facebook to reach the millions of baby boomers (my audience)who hang out there. Since I already have my blog feeding into my personal Facebook page, I decided to not do that on the My Itchy Travel Feet page. Instead, I use a different tactic. Here's my strategy:
I use the page to announce travel news and deals that would appeal to baby boomers. After all, my email box is inundated with them and I can't use that type of material on the blog. Once I feature one of the news/deals, I send an email back to the pr rep letting them know, which is helping to build a relationship.
Encouraging community is another one of my goals for the page. So, I ask questions that I hope Facebook readers will answer.
I highlight old posts from the blog using a theme basis. One week I'll talk about national parks and post links through the week to old national park posts from My Itchy Travel Feet. My last theme was Alaska cruise excursions. I try to tie the theme into something that's timely.
And last, I use the Facebook page as a type of trip journal, posting short message with photos while I'm on a trip.
When discussing press trips or product reviews, I include the ways I will market the article or trip through Facebook.
To me, a Facebook page should be dynamic rather than a brochure of blog posts. All the steps that I've described take very little time but yield excellent results.
My Itchy Travel Feet page on Facebook (If you visit, I hope you'll click the like button).
Posted 1 year ago # -
I definitely think it works - I have seen a steady increase in readers to TWE from the efforts I make to promote it via Twitter and Facebook (I don't really use any of the other networks, and recently deleted the MySpace account for TWE - it wasn't working at all and was just getting spam messages).
BUT like any promotion efforts, it does take some work, at least in the beginning to "get the ball rolling".....once you've got some momentum going, it takes just a small effort each day to keep it moving forward.
You don't have to get sucked in, but you do need to remember WHY you're using it to begin with, and stay focused. If you give people something of value to them - for example a link to an interesting and relevant post - and occasionally pass on (by retweeting or posting to your FB page) items that you find valuable, they won't care that you're not reaching out as often as most of the folks who are just yakking on about what mundane thing they're doing right at that moment (or worse, spewing out 'quotes' as conversation).
Posted 1 year ago #
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