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A few months ago we wrote about the importance of viewing Facebook as your referral network. In this way a Facebook “like” is really important, as it shows even more people that certain users endorse your company and recommend you, driving even more referrals and business in the long run.

Many Facebook users also view the amount of “likes” your page has as an indication of how well you’re doing. Although most small businesses aren’t expected to have as many “likes” as companies like Coca Cola, people still expect your customers past and present to “like” a page, so it’s important you do everything you can to try and drive this number up.

facebook-like

We’ve collected together some of the best ways to increase the amount of “likes” you have on your Facebook business page:

1. Facebook integration on external pages and websites will ensure those interested in your company have ample opportunity to click that “like” button wherever they are and whatever they’re doing. One way of doing this is adding a “like box” and Facebook has tutorials and guidance about what method works best for you on the Facebook Developer pages.

2. Facebook integration on Twitter and Linkedin means that even if someone only contacts you on one network they’ll be exposed to others and increase your friends, fans and “likes” on all platforms.

3. Add your Facebook page details to business cards and other offline materials, although some users might not be on Facebook, many will and may not realise you’re there too. Giving them information about your page will mean happy customers are likely to “like” your page and engage with you long after you’ve stopped working together.

4. Invite your friends to “like” your page with the special tab in the right hand side bar of your page. This could annoy some friends, so be careful. However, it is a great way to introduce your friends and family to your business page. Although that may not seem like the best way to drive future business referrals, all of their networks will be alerted to their “liking” of your page, meaning details of your page will be in front of a higher amount of people.

5. Promote your page through email marketing among the contacts you’re already actively talking to. Many of them may not know you’re on Facebook, so you need to make them aware without being too pushy.

6. Add your Facebook page details to your email signature and the email signatures of your employees. This means that everyone you talk with, from a supplier to a potential client will have the opportunity to visit your online assets, which could in the long run increase the amount of “likes” and business referrals you get.

7. Read the Facebook for Business guide or talk to a specialist social media team before you start trying to seriously promote your page. Although it may be tempting to dive straight in, you need a basic understanding of how Facebook works for businesses before you think about much else. Or, you could talk to a specialist web or social media team for guidance through the early stages.

8. Create a custom, memorable URL for your Facebook business page by visiting facebook.com/username. This will make people more likely to remember you and also keeps all of your online assets consistent.

9. Produce and link to useful content on your Facebook page so that people are more likely to remember you, “like” your content and recommend you to other people.

10. Set up Facebook ads as a way to drive more people to your page, but this will cost you. You can visit the social network’s Facebook for Business site to find out more about how to get started with ads.

Although there are many reasons why “likes” are important, it’s even more important to remember that your online presence shouldn’t just be about numbers. You can have a low number of followers and still produce great content and have a lot of engagement with your community. However, the number of “likes” you have will usually grow if you’re doing things right, so if that number is still very low you might not be doing as well as you think you are.

Here at Codastar we can advise you on ways to increase the amount of people liking your page and make sure all of the other important components are in place too, like a well designed Facebook page and plenty of social media integration on your external websites and social networks.

[Image via FindYourSearch’s Flickr]

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