I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…Facebook is a GREAT tool to market your business. You can connect with your target market, create and foster relationships with your consumers, provide social customer service, increase brand awareness and more. Promising right? Absolutely! But you actually have to work at it. Many individuals have a misconception that creating a Facebook page for their business and inviting their 450 friends, sharing a few funny pictures and sitting back will bring customers and sales—a strategy that actually wastes your time and marketing dollars, and unfortunately will not work. Have you noticed that you have a lot of likes, but your followers aren’t engaging? Or are you just starting out and are driving yourself crazy trying to figure out how to increase your following? Below are a few ways to find out if your Facebook page is b-o-r-i-n-g, as well as some tips to combat this problem!

1. Are you constantly selling? If you’re always creating posts about your brand, company, products, services, features and so on, chances are people will get bored…fast! The people who have liked your page probably already know about your company. Switch it up! Quotes, polls, videos, and articles are some of the most engaging types of content that you can post on social media. Try it!
2. Do you converse with your followers? If your followers ask questions, answer! If they leave comments, respond! Not only is it common courtesy, but it adds a personal element to your brand. Additionally, when someone comments on your post, that correspondence appears on their friends’ news feeds, creating more exposure for your brand.
3. Are you posting the same content that everyone else posts? It’s a great idea to post trending content, but be sure to personalize it. Adding a simple caption, or stating your opinion (if it’s not too controversial!) will likely prompt individuals to join the conversation.
4. Are you using “like ladders”? I’m sure you’ve seen this method used before. One business or group creates a status encouraging other businesses to post links to their Facebook page in the comments section. Each business must like all other pages that are posted. This technique doesn’t really work for two reasons—1. If you’re the one “hosting” the like ladder, your followers who don’t participate may get annoyed, view it as spam and unlike your page, and 2. Gaining a like is nice in theory, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the likes you gain will translate into actual customers and sales.
5. Are you too formal? Do your posts sound like a press release or sales pitch? You don’t need to learn all the trendy lingo…but aim to be more casual in your messages and have fun! Customers love when they can relate to a brand, so be personable!
6. What’s in it for your followers? If you offer the same incentive to absolutely everyone, your followers may feel unappreciated. Make them feel special; create a promotion or incentive exclusively for your Facebook fans.
7. Are you posting multiple times a day? Many businesses first starting out research the ideal amount of posts they should be making. There is absolutely no secret number. Test various times to see what works well for you. Don’t post content just for the sake of posting content. Make sure everything you post has a purpose, otherwise you’re probably just spamming your followers.

Try out a few of these tips to see what brings your Facebook page back to life!