Congratulations – you finally set up a Facebook page for your business. It was quick, it was easy…and it’s empty. What on earth do you have to say to your customers?

There are many ways to use status updates to (1) share information and (2) converse with your customers. Like any form of social media, Facebook is best used for both of these – talk without listening, and your audience will stop listening, too.

Promotions and sales — Obviously, Facebook is a great place to tell your customers about specials. There are even applications that let you offer a coupon to people who “like” your business page.

Company news — Use your business page to introduce a new hire, announce awards and special recognition your business receives, and share new products or services.

Informal surveys — These can be indirectly related to your business or just random and fun. The point is to get your followers and fans engaged.  A landscape company might ask “What’s your family’s favorite backyard activity?” Fans of a doughnut shop might respond to a question about their favorite kind of doughnut or weigh in on the pros and cons of jelly filling. Be sure to keep question open-ended (you want more than a yes or no) and reply to some of the more interesting responses.

Industry news stories and blog posts — Build your credibility in your field by pointing out helpful information and the latest news related to your business. A tax preparation service might share links to new changes to the tax code. A chiropractic clinic could share a post from a health and wellness site about the benefits of chiropractic care for migraines.

Recognition of customers and fans — You can randomly pick a fan of the week to recognize, thank a customer for their business, or link to a customer’s content related to your business. For instance, if you build custom doghouses and a customer posts a photo of Fido enjoying your product, ask if you can share the picture on your page.

Fun stuff — You can share one-liners, light-hearted quotes, and greetings on both major and obscure holidays. (Speaking of which, happy National Biodiesel Day to you!)

In the next post, you’ll get some ideas on how to engage your customers on Facebook beyond status updates. Finally, you’ll learn how to get and keep fans for your business page.

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