If your business has a Facebook Page – or if you’re thinking of creating one – no doubt you’ve given some thought to Facebook psychology, that is, what makes people want to engage with your Page. The dynamics of liking and commenting on Facebook are created to a large degree by how you administer your Page. Your modus operandi on social media sites makes all the difference in whether people are moved to like your Page and whether they stay around to engage with your brand.
What Makes People Like Your Page?
The first step in engaging with people on Facebook is to encourage them to like your Page. What makes people like your Page? There’s no single answer, but you can increase the probability of likes by knowing what your potential audience cares about and targeting your Facebook Page – its overall look as well as its content – to that audience. Think about what makes your business and its products and services intriguing to customers and prospects, and put yourself in their place. Sometimes, people encounter your business offline and wish to connect online. Again, a Facebook Page makes a great channel for connection. Your business’ Page must, however, make a positive impression on first-time visitors so they’ll want to click “Like.”
What Makes People Stick Around?
Sure, it’s great when people like your business’ Facebook Page, but that’s just the beginning. For some people, liking a business’ Page is an impulse click, after which they go their way and seldom, if ever, return. What makes people stick around after liking your Page? The most important factor in Facebook psychology is the dynamic of sharing. You share with your audience, and they share with you and with one another. This means that your Facebook Page can’t just sit as a static entity on the web. You need to update it regularly with content – whether textual, multimedia, and ideally both – that gets people’s attention, whether by entertaining them, educating them, informing them, or all of the above. Strive to create and share content that people will want to see in their news feeds.
What Makes People Comment?
When people comment on your content, they’re actively engaging with your business. That’s a good thing, which you want to encourage. What makes people comment, though? Again, there’s no single answer or simple formula, but it has to do with whether or not people are moved by your content. If you’re keeping the needs and wants of your audience in mind and striving to create content that will address those needs and wants, then you’re on the right track. Your content shouldn’t, however, push hard sales. Promotional content should be integrated with content that encourages conversations and welcomes feedback. Make sure your audience knows that your Facebook Page primarily exists to serve as a platform for dialogue and sharing among all.
The intricacies of brand engagement and how it applies to Facebook psychology can be a tricky subject indeed, but when you dedicate yourself to authenticity and consistency on the platform, you’ll likely build an audience over time that is genuinely interested in what you have to offer: products and services, breaking news in your field, behind-the-scenes looks at your business and its day-to-day endeavors, or whatever else might be of interest. When it comes to building a Facebook Page that will engage and retain an audience, creativity is your friend, and commitment over the long haul is your watchword.
Photo by Urs Steiner on Flickr.com.
