7 WAYS TO GET MORE OUT OF YOUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Here are seven quick and easy ways to make sure your Facebook fan page is successful:

1) Be conversational: It's called "social" media, not "formal media" or "office interview" media. Be casual, be informal, be fun.

2) Use a call to action: As I always tell my husband when he sits in traffic without his blinker on, screaming that no one will let him change lanes, "people can't read your mind." Tell your readers what you want. If you want them to "like" your Facebook page, thereby enabling you to let them know when you've posted, ask them to do so in your blog post. And give them a link. Ask people to do what you want and then make it as easy as possible for them to do so. In fact, cut and paste this right now:

There's more where this came from. Make sure to "like" (your blog's name here via link to your Facebook page) on Facebook! Now cut and paste that line into the bottom of all your blog posts. You're welcome.

3) Promote, promote, promote: Look, except for a few sociopaths out there, no one is really comfortable forcing themselves on the masses. And while asking people to like your Facebook page on various different outlets is often uncomfortable, it's a necessary evil. Make a joke out of it if you have to. The bottom line is that no one is going to spend as much time and energy promoting your or your writing as you will. Cowboy up and put yourself out there.

4) Engage your fans: By now, it should be obvious that no one likes to feel like they're talking to a void. If people take the time to "like" your page, read your posts, and leave comments, the least you can do is reward them with an acknowledgement. So ask questions, post polls, bring up provocative subjects. And for God's sake, talk back to your fans.

5) Be generous: tag & acknowledge: Continuing with my whole "generosity is currency" theme, make sure that you take time to post content from other sites (after all, if people are sharing your posts, it's only fair) and to acknowledge those sites in your posting. If you don't know how to tag a fan page on Facebook, just add a "@" in front of the name of the page.

6) SEO your page: If applicable, make sure those all-important keywords are in your fan page name. Create a custom vanity url for your page. Use keywords in your status updates. Link to your Facebook fan page from your blog. All easy things that can make a huge difference in pulling in an audience.

7) Run your page like the whole world is watching: Even if you have 10 fans on your Facebook page, do your best to treat those ten fans like royalty. Maintaining a fun, professional, and engaging facebook page will do more to lure in followers than just about anything else. In other words, fake it 'til you make it.