So you’ve got a Facebook Page. How come everybody isn’t jumping up and down with excitement? Why aren’t they hanging on your every word and jumping in to engage?

It might be because your updates stink.

It’s kind of a vicious cycle on Facebook.  Most people only see updates from Pages in their News Feeds.  And the only updates that show up are from the most active pages, or pages they’ve interacted with regularly.  What this means in simple terms is that if no one is interacting with your content, no one is seeing your content, because it’s not showing up for most people.

How frustrating!  All that work and no one even sees your updates?

So what should you do?  It starts by writing great Page Updates.  Here’s what you need to do:

1. Ask Questions - If everything you write is about you…advertisement after special after product feature…people will tune you out.  Why? Because it’s not about them, and people really like to talk about themselves. So ask questions all the time. “What do you think?” “How do you…” “What would you suggest?” Make an effort to include questions in almost every post, so people are prompted to engage with your content.
2. Invite People to Self-Promote – This is a tip people don’t talk about much. Your Page needs to be active to be seen. But people aren’t necessarily all that jazzed about talking about YOU. Themselves, on the other hand? That’s a whole different story. Give people the opportunity to promote themselves regularly on your Page. Let them share their blogs, their Pages, their pictures, etc. People love it, you are seen as helping others, and it creates the activity on your Page that makes it a lot more likely your business-related updates will show up for people.
3. Tell People What to Do - “Click “Like” if you…” People don’t always naturally comment or click on a post.  But they’re a lot more likely to if you tell them to.  So after each post, leave people with an action…”Click Like” or “Share in the comments below.”
4. Draw on Common Experiences and Frustrations - “Don’t you hate it when…” Posts that let people vent can get them talking. Common sources of frustration include waiting in lines in a crowded shopping mall, airline delays, bad hair days, etc.  Think about common frustrations your product line or shopping experience can help, and invite people to vent about the last time they dealt with that frustration.  After all, you’ve got the solution!
5. Reference Pop Culture and Current Events – There’s a reason the “Will it Blend?” marketing campaign is so successful…it draws on what people are already talking about. If everyone wants to talk about the latest celebrity or gadget, give them a place to do it.  Give it a twist so it goes along with your product. For example, “Which Company X lipstick would you pick for Lauren Conrad? Share in the comments below!”
6. Keep it Short – A status update is not the place for War and Peace.  People tend to tune out after the 1st or 2nd sentence.  So keep it brief and limit your updates to one idea.
7. Change it Up – Don’t just use text status updates. Change it up with photos, videos, blog posts, and more, to keep it interesting.  Different types of content will engage different people who Like your Page.  Offer something for everyone.

A successful Page is more than pretty Tabs. Engaging updates are what determine your Page’s success. So focus some time on writing status updates that are interesting and engaging, and you’re a lot more likely to show up in the news feeds of your target market.

What advice would you give about Facebook Page updates?  Please share in the comments!

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