Top 10 tips to get more Facebook Likes

At the start of this year, we shared our top 20 tips to help you get more Likes for your business on Facebook. Since then, Facebook have changed a few things, so we thought it was time to update our list and pick out our top 10 tips:

1. Customise your URL

A vanity URL is a fantastic way to make your Facebook page memorable, easy to find and easy to promote – but remember that once set, it can’t be changed so choose wisely.

2. Optimise your imagery

As the saying goes ‘a picture says a thousand words’ so think carefully about the images you use to represent your business.

For the cover photo, we recommend an attractive, impactful image (optimum size is 851 pixels x 315 pixels) that shows off what’s special about your business – be it beautiful locations, great products, iconic branding, or perhaps the way your service makes your customers feel. Remember though, Facebook does not allow cover photos to contain the following:

a. price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it on socialmusic.com”.

b. contact information such as a website address, email, mailing address, or information that should go in your Page’s “About” section.

c. references to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features.

d. calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends.”

For your profile pic (which must be at least 180 pixels wide), choose something simple, to the point and with a recognisable image or your logo.

Also, be sure to make use of the highlighting feature – the small star icon in the corner of each post that allows you to expand it (including any images or videos attached) to its full width. Think carefully about what imagery can be included to best portray your message and don’t underestimate the power of user generated photos.

One of the easiest ways to capture your own content is to enable review functionality on your company website – however the main focus should be to capture photos and videos (not just text). Our award-winning Social Reviews Application has been developed with this in mind, so users are able to quickly and easily upload photos and videos. Another key feature of our solution is that this content is then automatically shared to the user’s individual social channels, exposing your brand to new audiences.

You should also consider capturing photos and videos on Facebook.  For example, you could run a competition whereby the entry mechanism entails that they upload a photo. Take this opportunity to specify what content you want e.g. the best wildlife photo or best beach photo.  Alternatively, you could also offer an incentive for people to upload content  e.g. a discount voucher.

3. Use a ‘Like Box’ widget

The ‘Like Box’ is a social plug-in that sits on your website, enabling visitors to ‘Like’ your Facebook page without having to leave your site. It also displays the number of users who already like your page and your most recent posts.

You can also set the options to include the ‘Facepile’ plugin to display the Facebook profile pictures of the user’s friends who have already Liked your page. The theory being that when you see your friends Like it, then it most probably means that it’s relevant to you too!

4.  Add ‘Like buttons’  

Installing Like buttons throughout your website will expose your brand to new audiences, driving additional traffic to your site. When a user clicks the Like button on your site, a notification appears in the user’s friends’ feed with a link back to your website. The more you can integrate Facebook with your site, the more likely people will be to join your Facebook page.

5. Offer an incentive

Consider offering an incentive for people to like your page – with ‘like-gated’ access to an exclusive discount or content.

The more valuable your incentive is, the more people will be compelled to click the Like button to access it! Examples of content could be: an exclusive video, an exclusive whitepaper/.pdf or exclusive pictures.

6. Use personal promotion

How many emails do you send each day? Every time you email a new contact is a chance for someone new to find out about your Facebook page, so include a link in your email signature. You may also want to consider including your Facebook page URL on your business cards. Combine offline and online by letting the people you meet face to face know about your fan page.

7. Use cross-channel promotion

Cross-advertise and use one social network to promote another: include your Facebook URL on your Twitter profile background, or add it at the end of your YouTube content. With over 955 million users, a high proportion of your audience will be using Facebook, so if they stumble across you on a different channel show them that you’re on their favourite social network too.

8. Tag other social media users

Interact with popular Facebook profiles – liking them, sharing their content, striking up conversations – to try and gain visibility with their audiences. Similarly, if you host (or attend) an event where your clients or customers will be, post about it online and include their Facebook page URLs or photo tagging in order to appear in their feeds and draw the attention of both themselves and their connections.

9. Invest in Facebook ads

They’re easier than you think and you can spend as little (or as much) as you’d like. Facebook advertising is a smart way to promote yourself online as you can target specific demographic and interest groups. Read more about Facebook advertising here…

10. Track your growth

Use Facebook Insights to analyse what activities drive the most growth, and then focus your efforts on these. Looking at the demographics of your new page likes (e.g. gender, age, location) may also help you tailor your content to appeal to them, driving increased engagement of this new audience.

And one more for good measure…

11. Ask your community to help

So your Facebook page is on 955 Likes – why not appeal to your existing audience to push you past the 1000 mark? A polite request to share your page with their friends may just help you reach your target. You could even promise something special for your fans when you get there – an exclusive piece of content, a giveaway or discount code.

Our social media team here at Digital Visitor have worked with the likes of Champneys, Generator Hostels and Affordable Car Hire to grow their Facebook communities. If you would like to find out more about we can help your business, call us today on +44(0)1179 055 195 or email info@digitalvisitor.com