Facebook remains by far the largest social media platform in the world. With more than one billion people connected, it is the perfect place to meet people, make connections and reach an audience. Brands and businesses find themselves attracted to Facebook for these very reasons, but it is not all sunshine and rainbows. How you cultivate your audience on Facebook largely depends on how your brand’s page functions. If you’re ready to jump onto Facebook but don’t know exactly how you should begin your business page, then continue reading to find out what steps you should take.

Interact with People

Maintaining a Facebook page isn’t just about sending out content to the masses: it’s about interaction. The more interactions that occur on your page, the more your page is pinging servers and being seen by others. When somebody comments on your page, their friends are likely to see it as well. Every comment or post is a chance for further interaction that can help boost page visibility. Don’t simply shout into the vast void of the internet: interact with others when the chance arises!

Update Often

Facebook pages in general – but especially newer pages – need traffic and content in order to survive. As it turns out, Facebook’s algorithms effectively ensure that a non-promoted post will only be visible to half as many people roughly six hours after its publication. This means that you must always be publishing content in order to stay in your followers’ newsfeeds. Thankfully, Facebook’s scheduling feature can allow you to schedule upcoming posts up to six months in advance.

Make It About the Audience

Business pages want to promote themselves – you wouldn’t create the page otherwise. However, too much shameless promotion can be a bad thing and will actually turn off your subscribers. People are on social media for the most part to read light-hearted stories, interact with friends and have a little bit of entertainment. If your page lacks any personal element or actual interest to the reader, then they’re probably not going to be very likely to engage or respond to you.

Keep Track of Progress

What are your specific goals and how do you intend on measuring them? Whether you’re trying to merely build a larger audience on social media or send people to your website, you need to know in advance what it is your Facebook page is designed to do. This will not only help you use it more effectively, but it will give you the knowledge of knowing what to measure and track. Through Facebook’s Page Insights, you’ll be able to keep track of your audience’s demographics as they’re pinging servers on Facebook.

Building a successful business page on Facebook takes time and dedication. You have to consider a variety of factors, including your audience’s personal interests, posting schedule and overall goals. By keeping track of these elements and incorporating a sound content strategy, you’ll be able to rapidly grow your brand’s Facebook presence and meet new potential customers, subscribers and followers in the process.