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So, your Facebook contest was wildly successful. Congratulations! You have tons of new fans, a fresh audience for your product or service, thousands of potential leads—now what? After the contest wraps up, how do you keep all those folks coming back?The real challenge of running a Facebook contest isn’t handling the logistics of the contest itself, but rather, figuring out how to maintain a connection with all those Facebook followers once the hoopla dies down. Ideally, you want to make your Facebook page so chock full of relevant, entertaining or compelling information that it becomes worth your follower’s while to return again and again—whether or not you offer them an actual incentive to do so.
Providing that kind of value to your Facebook fans can be achieved using a variety of strategies. Here are a few of my favorites…
Start a Conversation - Ask your Facebook fans what they think—of your company, of your product, of your latest advertisement—whatever! Encourage them to share their thoughts and opinions openly, and respond to as many as you can. Foster an atmosphere of honesty and mutual respect by handling criticisms with grace.
Share Tips - Give your Facebook followers information they can put to good use. Share tips on using your product more effectively. Point out features they may have overlooked. Advise them on how to get the most from your service. It will keep them coming back for more.
Host a Poll - Opinion polls are fun for Facebookers and pretty darn interesting for those of us in the back office. While they may not be scientific, Facebook polls offer an instant picture of how your followers feel about a particular issue. It’s a great opportunity to capture your audience’s attention and gain some valuable insight for your marketing team as well. Polls are also inherently interactive so encourage comments with votes and you’ll undoubtedly increase the chance that your polls show up in user feeds.
Show Your Human Side - People love to know what’s going on behind the scenes. Show them. Highlight your outstanding employees, post pictures of the firm’s holiday party, provide a of video-tour of the home office—let your followers get to know the people behind the products they’ve purchased.
Say Thanks - The success or failure of your business lies in the hands of your customers. Make it a point to say thank you. Post a personal message from the CEO. Showcase a “Customer of the Month.” Make it clear that you appreciate every single one of your customers and treat your Facebook followers accordingly.
A Facebook contest is a great way to get people in the door but keeping them around requires that you spend time and effort on the post contest content.
What are some of the best ways that you have seen to keep an audience engaged after bringing them in through a Facebook contest?
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