3 Methods for Encouraging Participation and Building Community on Facebook

I’m a resident of Birmingham – and, while our traffic is nothing compared to the clogged roads of Los Angeles and New York – we, too, have our fair share of highways that induce shouts of vulgarity. The chief culprit is Highway 280.

A few weeks ago I was unfortunate enough to be one of the many drivers who witnessed the road turn into a parking lot. Obviously, I was frustrated. So, I did what any rational, reasonable, and social media enthusiast would do… I complained about it on Facebook

What soon followed was interesting to say the least. Shortly after posting a photo showing my predicament (a parked car in a sea of metal and a speedometer that read “0”), tons of people were discussing and commenting on the pic.

Sure, that’s nothing to write home to mom about, but what fascinated me was the fact that people were actually taking time out of their days to comment on something so, well – trivial.

But, from the standpoint of a marketing and media tool, this is exactly what we want our fans and friends on Facebook to do – become engaged and participate in the conversation – from the silly and trivial to the thought provoking and insightful.

And, quite honestly, it’s something that we should expect to see on any social media site in which we’re actively involved.
So, the question that you should consider asking yourself is, “how can I – the small business owner – predictably and consistently get people to participate and become engaged?”

The answer, I believe, boils down to 3 key points:

1. Post interesting content

This probably qualifies for the “most obvious, common sense statement of the year,” but it’s so important that I think it bears mentioning.
I realize that the word “interesting” is quite subjective, but before posting something to Facebook, ask yourself if you’d find what you’re about to post interesting?

Let me go back to my anecdote about being stuck in traffic. You may be asking, “well, what’s so interesting about that?” Well, honestly, nothing about it is – except for one pressing and crucial point – people can EASILY relate to it.

Find out what people can identify and empathize with… go from there!

2. Be consistent

Whenever I tell a business owner about the level of commitment required to make social media work for them, many of them seem shocked and surprised…

Using Facebook is similar to blogging in the sense that your friends and fans will come to expect certain things (posts, videos, notes, etc) from you on, at least, a somewhat consistent basis.

You want to remain constantly engaged with and connected to your fans and friends. Consistency is the glue that makes all that possible.
Look at it this way.

If your good buddy whom you talk with on a daily basis calls you to share something trivial – let’s say it’s news about his parrot dying (hmm, maybe I shouldn’t use death and a deceased parrot to show this point I’m trying to make).

Assuming you enjoy talking to this friend, you’d be concerned about them. You’d want to make sure they’re okay, et cetera.
Now, let’s imagine the caller is an old acquaintance that you catch up with every year or so. What would you think about him or her calling to inform you about their dead parrot?

Well, I think it’s safe to say you wouldn’t care at all. Why? Because there’s no consistency there; and consistency builds relationships.
But, the key here is to consistently use Facebook and interact within the community.

The more that people realize you’re posting relevant and interesting content, the more they’ll interact on your page.
3. Respond to those who respond to you.

Again, file this in the “obvious point but important enough to say again” column. Responding to people who reply to your videos, photos, etc. shows, in my opinion, that you appreciate them.

Otherwise, you wouldn’t do it, right!?

Doing this not only shows your appreciation, but it also encourages dialogue and healthy debate among the participants. And, at the end of the day, that is what you want.

In closing…

I’ll be the first to admit: there is no one-size-fits-all approach to using social media in your business.

But, by incorporating the three key points I highlighted, I believe you – the small business owner – will make a huge impression among your followers, and will soon reap the benefits.

What do you think? Are there other methods that you’d recommend for encouraging participation and building community?

About The Author

Carol Hansen, a Twitter specialist focusing on building and monetizing your network. You can connect with Carol on Twitter or Facebook and follow her latest projects, blog posts and cool tips on building and monetizing your Twitter following.

About The Author

Dali Burgado, also known as "The Dali Blogger" teaches creative entrepreneurs how to carve a web presence that connects with their Inner Guru and their target audience. Her first online marketing love is SEO. She's an avid connector on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. When she's not coaching or teaching, she's tweaking sites for Search Engine Visibility, working on her PHP and Javascript coding skills, Singing Opera, or learning about gardening. Circle Dali on Google+