10 Things You Need To Know About Facebook

With over 400 million active users on Facebook, chances are your members are among them. The first step to connecting with them with your local Association is to create an official presence.

Here’s what you’ll want to keep in mind:

1. The cost of doing business: time and resources. Both Facebook and Twitter are free -- but only in the sense that there’s no monetary fee for using these services. But there are hidden costs: time and resources. In order to be successful, you will need to make a sustained commitment to managing and maintaining them.

2. Be personal. When posting, write as though you were talking to a friend in the hallway between classes. Use a first-person voice and encourage comments.

3. Create Content Worth Sharing. Write updates that show the Association at work. Upload photos and videos of Association activities that inform “friends” about your Association’s good works.

4. Survey members. Instead of posting statements about Association activity, ask questions. Solicit feedback, ask for news leads, inquire about story ideas, and conduct polls to see what members are most interested in.

5. Respond to supporters. Take an active, participatory role in the community. Respond to comments, so supporters will know you’re listening.

6. Post regularly, but not too often. Posting once or twice a day is a good rule of thumb. If you post more often than that, make sure your posts are spread out over the course of the day.

7. Promote your Facebook page. Include links to, and promotions for, your Facebook page in your other communication vehicles: website, e-newsletter, print mailings flyers, etc.

8. Use the Facebook “Like” button. Integrate the “Like” button with your website, so visitors can share your news and information in their own Facebook profiles.

9. Keep up-to-date on upgrades. Like any other good business, Facebook is constantly changing and improving its services. Facebook recently started phasing out the “share” button, in favor of a more robust “like” button. Make sure you adjust your Facebook presence accordingly – and update relevant promotional materials as well (e.g., converting “share” buttons to “like” buttons on your website).

10. Evaluate Return on Investment. If you’re in it for the long haul, you’ll want to know what’s working and what isn’t. Monitor your dashboard (and listen to comments) to see what you should keep doing, what you should stop doing, and what you can do better. Balance the ROI against the time and resources it takes to manage your Facebook page, and adjust accordingly