The Brand Yourself Series: The Facebook Fan Page

In 2010, Facebook revealed that it had doubled its users in less than a year and a half, reaching 400 million. The attraction that people have to Facebook isn't difficult to understand. In fact, the Facebook story is so fascinating that it was made into a motion picture that, in my opinion, was one of the best movies of 2010.

With all that FB has to offer, it is sometimes difficult to think of it as branding tool. However, the Facebook fan page provides bloggers, entrepreneurs and organizations with the opportunity to directly engage with their audiences all while leveraging their unique brand.

I recently "liked" Anna And Kristinas Grocery Bag on Facebook. Once I became a fan, I started receiving A&K's status updates and other activities in my user feed located on my home page. After browsing their page, I wasn't surprised to see that the duo already had over 2,500 fans. I used A&K's fan page to come up with a few key tips to consider when building a successful Facebook fan page.

1. Encourage user participation.

A Facebook fan page is not about one way communication. The best fan pages are used as a means to actively engage with fans. This can be done through forum discussions, consumer reviews, polls, status updates, contests and interactive games. Your fans will appreciate that they can produce and/or add their own content.

Anna and Kristina's page is used to host contests where fans can win some of the products reviewed on their show. They encourage user participation by asking their fans to provide their very own product reviews.

2. Multimedia is key.

Anna and Kristina share photos and videos with their Facebook fans that can't be found anywhere else online. What’s great about multimedia is that it can easily be shared around different social media platforms and your fan base will likely increase as a result.

3. Mirror your target audience.

Make sure that the content that you are adding reflects the interests of the people that you are trying to reach. A&K do this by sharing their cookbook and product reviews. There is no doubt that fans of the show will find this information useful when looking for new ideas in the kitchen.

4. Engage, engage, engage.

This is more of a rule then a tip when it comes to all forms of social media. A&K achieve this by replying to users that comment on your their status. They also answer questions and ask fans about their thoughts on trending topics related to food. In conclusion whenever a fan comments on your new status, a photo, a video, a thread, or anything else, you should use this as an opportunity to start a discussion.

Can you think of any other great examples of organizations or individuals that use the Facebook fan page to leverage their brand?

The Brand Yourself Series: The Elevator Pitch

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a job seeker or a consultant chances are that you have been given a window of opportunity when you least expected it. Often times that window of opportunity is so small that it passes you by. Perhaps it was when you were at a networking event and saw a person that you aspire to be. Yet you were unable to introduce yourself because it felt as if you had lost your tongue. Maybe it was the time when you went to a career fair and you were so eager to impress the recruiter of your favorite company with your CV that you forgot to prepare what you wanted to say to that person. Instead of impressing them you rambled on and left the booth feeling defeated.

An elevator pitch will help you take full advantage of an opportunity like these the next time around. It’s called an elevator pitch because it should be no longer than an elevator ride. If you had the chance to impress someone in 30 seconds or less what would you say?  Here’s what:

1.Your name and what you do: Ex: “Hi I’m Dominique Jolicoeur. I’m currently a communications coordinator at a not-for-profit organization that promotes dental health to Canadians.”

2.What you do best: “I help organizations deliver key messages to their external audiences through social media and public relations.”

3. Impress them: “I’m a recent university graduate who has already had experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Over the past two years I have managed the social media activities of various organizations. I’ve been told that I’m a young professional poised beyond my years.”

4. But don’t end it there. “I also write a blog called La Relationniste and I would love to share it with you.” This is your chance to extend the invitation to create a relationship with this person. Make sure to get their business card so you can follow up by email.   

Once you have written your pitch don’t forget to practice it until you can recite it effortlessly.

Happy pitchin’!