Do you need more Facebook fans?

Maybe not - on Facebook, the quality of engagement you have with your followers matters more than the quantity of likes on your page.

And that’s not all there is to it.

Facebook’s algorithm changes all the time, so there is really no way of mastering it; but – LUCKILY – there are some basics that are consistently effective in getting attention from the right people.

Here are the Top 10 effective ways to a build loyal, quality following for your business page.

1. Know your tribe

You will be able to post better content and develop a voice that resonates with your market if you know who you are talking to.

Knowing your target audience helps you focus your message, develop a story and opens up opportunities for you to build relationships with these people. So go and sit down and figure out who they are..

2. Share interesting and unique videos and photos.

People are generally visual. Visual people like seeing pretty pictures and watching exciting videos. So find unique and shareable images and videos to share with your audience.

Learn how to use simple video editing tools, Photoshop or Canva to create content that can entertain, inspire, motivate or move people into action.

3. Go on Facebook live!

Speaking of sharing videos, utilise live video functions on Facebook and talk to your audience in real time.

James and Elicia Crook are good at this.

If you follow Elicia Crook on Facebook, or are a member of one of our Facebook communities, you may have already been inspired by them and have applied their business advice on your own business.

One of the things you will learn from James and Elicia is that they do not hesitate to share their knowledge and experiences to others. They work hard to put together valuable information that will help others grow their business.

So do the same. Share your expertise on Facebook live and share your knowledge with other businesses.

4. Stay relevant

When it comes to Facebook and other social media, it is important to keep up with the latest news and trends and post accordingly.

One of the most effective ways to attract engagement is to jump off these trends because the stories are fresh and familiar to many Facebook users. Better yet, offer options and solutions!

5. Post daily

Did you know that the less your followers interact with your page, the less they will see you in their timeline? Be consistent. Post regularly. 1-3 times per day is a good starting point.

6. Don’t over-automate!

Posting in real time shows that there’s a human being behind a business page.

Scheduling posts helps you manage your time, but how far into the week can you predict to know exactly what to post on those days?

Remember #4 -- Stay relevant! Mix your scheduled posts with enough real-time posts so that your audience knows it’s really you.

Likewise, connecting other social accounts so you only need to post once don’t always work well. Images posted directly on Facebook gain more engagement compared to images posted there from Instagram.

7. Don’t spam your contacts!

Don’t tag them, don’t send them promotional posts in their inboxes and don’t hijack their posts by posting promotional links and images in their comment threads..

Don’t join communities JUST to post promotional links, best to check with the administrators of these groups when you are allowed to share business posts.

Spamming people on Facebook is a guaranteed way of driving them away.

8. Engage!

Don’t just “like” the comments you get on your posts. Be interested in what your followers are saying and reply to them.

Answer their questions, use emojis to show different emotions on their comments, be willing to discuss “their views”, acknowledge their insights, and add humor to your responses.

It is best to answer their questions in the open, where other followers can read them. Keep the discussions positive and helpful to your followers. If a follower needs more answers, you can use a private Facebook messenger chat to further help them along.

People enjoy human interaction online and will trust your business more when they can connect with the human behind it.

9. Build your community on Facebook!

One of the most effective means to connect and build a loyal following is to put up a secret community group in Facebook where you invite your active followers to join.

In there, you can reveal more of yourself and tell them your brand’s vision and mission to them. It is in these communities that you can potentially build genuine relationships with your followers and make loyal customers out of them.

10. Utilise Facebook ads to boost posts and promote page

Facebook ads offer so many functionalities that you can use, not only to increase your reach but also to reach the right demographic.

What Facebook does is show your page to people you choose who are most likely to be interested in your offer.

Building your list of followers is most effective when done organically. At the start you can increase your number of page likes by asking friends and family, but a truly effective business page is one that converts your followers into happy and satisfied  buyers of your services.

Take action!

Now that you have a list of ways to build a loyal following on Facebook, the next thing to do is to take action.

Experiment, test and measure to figure out what’s best for your business.
When done right, putting your business on Facebook can reap great rewards for your business. So go ahead, apply the guidelines in building your business page and watch it spring to life.