Building your community
Engage with your community
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Facebook can be used as an effective tool for promoting material to a dedicated and loyal online community. Building this community largely depends on what type of content you are creating – remember the 80/20 rule (pg. 6).
Building an engaged community on Facebook takes time and nurturing. It is important to keep your audience up to date with your latest news and information. However if you are starting from scratch, try liking other Facebook pages and seeing what it is working for them. Tailor this to your personal strategy and keep amending.
Everyone loves being rewarded! Facebook is the perfect place to reward your loyal audience with a simple competition. Create a simple campaign aimed at rewarding your current audience (as well as adding to your community). You can try a photo caption competition or ‘Guess the number of hearts in the jar’ for a special Valentine’s day treat.
Reward your community
It is essential that you consistently engage with your online community by replying to questions ideally within 30 minutes. Like and Comment on other Facebook Pages, status updates and posts that relate to your industry or cause.
Tailor content
In the initial stages of your Facebook account, you will be able to see what is responding better. Tailor your content to what your community is saying, or even reuse content that received the most engagement.
Remember, your Facebook page should be relatable and informative. Keep in mind your target audience and continue to engage with your supporters online.