Status Updates For Your Chamber's Facebook Page
Published: Thursday, November 1, 2012 | Tags: content management, facebook, networking, social, social media
WHEN, WHAT AND HOW TO POST ON YOUR CHAMBER’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Facebook status updates provide a great opportunity for your chamber of commerce to communicate with local businesses. Read today’s blog for a practical guide on when, what and how to post on your chamber Facebook Page!
Table of contents:
- When to post
- What to post
- How to post an event
- How to post a milestone
- How to highlight a post
- How to post a question
- How to post in the past
- How to tag pages and people
- Facebook VS Twitter
WHEN TO POST
In order to remain visible on your fans’ news feeds, post twice a day to your chamber Facebook Page – once in the morning, then again 3 or 4 hours later.
WHAT TO POST
Never post plain text - the most successful status updates always include an attachment. Post links, photos, videos, Events, Milestones and Questions to your chamber’s Facebook page.
HOW TO POST AN EVENT
When creating an Event, be sure to provide as much information as possible. For the Where field, choose from the list of pages that appear as you’re typing (this will link your Event to that business, location or city’s Facebook Page). For the privacy settings, I prefer to show the guest list – it allows people to see who else in the community is attending. I also like allowing everyone to post to the Event wall – it’s an easy way to answer questions and encourage conversation.
The Spartanburg Area Chamber used Facebook to promote a community event.
HOW TO POST A MILESTONE
Shine the spotlight on your chamber’s key accomplishments by posting Milestone status updates. A Milestone is automatically expanded to widescreen, so be sure to include pictures – it will create a really eye-catching post.
HOW TO HIGHLIGHT A POST
To expand any Facebook post from normal width to widescreen, click the star in the top right corner of a post to “highlight” it.
HOW TO POST A QUESTION
Facebook’s Question function allows you to get recommendations from your fans or conduct a poll. You can ask an open-ended question, or you can choose to “Add Poll Options” (as shown below).
HOW TO POST IN THE PAST
It’s okay if you’ve missed posting some past Milestones, photos, and Events to your Page, because Facebook Timeline allows you to time-travel! Just click the center line running down your Timeline, select the type of Status Update you want to post, and select any date – the date can range from present day to the day your chamber was founded!
HOW TO TAG PAGES AND PEOPLE
Tagging Pages in your status updates is a great way to engage local businesses. To tag another Facebook Page, type the @ sign before typing the Page name, then choose the Page when it appears in the drop-down menu.
In the Georgia Chamber’s status update, users can click the “Atlanta Community Food Bank” tag to be taken directly to that Page.
You can tag people, too, but only after they have commented on a status update.
The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber used Facebook tagging to respond directly to a fan’s comment.
FACEBOOK VS TWITTER
Facebook and Twitter are two very different social networks that require their own unique strategies. Many social media outlets will give you the option to post your Facebook posts to Twitter – and vice versa – but DON’T DO IT! Here are the reasons why:
Reason #1: You have to tweet at least five times a day on Twitter to stay visible, but that’s too much for Facebook, where you should only post twice a day. Posting too much on Facebook will overwhelm fans and cause them to unfollow you.
Reason #2: Facebook posts look different on Twitter. So your eye-catching pictures, videos and events on Facebook simply show up as a link on Twitter.
Reason #3: Twitter and Facebook both have “mention” capabilities, but they won’t translate properly across platforms. For example, mentioning a chamber member’s Twitter account on your Facebook Page won’t tag that person’s Facebook profile.
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Now that you’ve learned when, what and how your chamber should post on Facebook, it’s your turn to begin applying these tactics to your chamber’s own Facebook Page. Share upcoming events, add in past Milestones, and take advantage of opportunities to tag chamber members in your posts!
SHARE YOUR IDEAS
How has your chamber used Facebook to engage local businesses? Share your ideas in the comments section below!
Here are some other articles you might enjoy reading:
10 Facebook Tips for Nonprofits
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