Interacting with and drawing the interest of fans is the best to keep them attentive and engaged with what you’re up to, and will also go a long way towards helping your fanbase grow. Here we look at seven of the best ways to increase your Facebook fan engagement.
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Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0
When all is said and done, increasing your engagement is the best way to increase your Facebook fan base. There’s a lot to read about growing your Facebook audience in the 2nd edition of my Social Media Promotion For Musicians handbook, but here are 7 ways for that to happen for you to keep in mind.
1. Engage, but don’t advertise. The soft sell always works best. The key to Facebook is all about engagement and the best way for that to happen is to get rid of the “Listen To My New Album” thinking. Instead, try asking a question like:
“Hey everyone, we just released our new album. We’re trying to decide on the next single. Please have a listen and leave a comment about your favorite tracks. [link to your album on your store site]”
2. Ask questions, or ask for your fan’s support. This is one of the best ways to engage them without hard-selling them. Remember that when fans leave a comment or review, it will appear on their friend’s News Feeds, and other people are much more likely to check you out after online recommendations from friends.
3. Give a virtual high-five. It’s important to respond to any comment that’s posted. At the very least, “Like” their comment. This is the online equivalent of a high-five from the stage. A Like, a response, a thank you, or a shout out is a subtle way to reward your fans. When they see a status update from you, they’ll be thrilled, and they may even share it again.
4. Reward fans, then ask them to reward their friends. Exclusive tracks or videos are a great way to reward your fans. The idea is to either capture the fan’s information or get them to share it with their friends, which increases your reach by hitting their friend’s feeds. Once you capture the fan’s info, you can then build the relationship. Many times, they’ll later reciprocate with a purchase of merch or by attending a live show.
5. Advertise yourself to fans of similar artists. Facebook makes it incredibly easy and affordable to create an ad that’s perfectly targeted to your demographic (see the section on Facebook ads coming up).
6. Make everything an event. This is one of the secrets of multiple single song releases rather than full albums. Every release becomes an event. You can expand upon that idea in just about any direction, from gigs or giveaways on your birthday to your best fan’s birthdays, to making every gig a special occasion.
7. Always be ready to sell. The best time to get the fan to act is when the fan is excited, and that’s when they discover your music. Your chances of making a merch or ticket sale are greater if they can purchase directly on Facebook instead of somewhere else.
These ideas are something that you should consider to help increase your engagement, since Facebook is one of the most powerful social media tools at your disposal.
You can read more from The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook and my other books on the excerpt section of bobbyowsinski.com.