It’s always a good idea to go back to the basics every now and again. For those who are speeding along the social media trail it’s important to slow down and make sure your foundation is strong and those small, yet important, steps have been covered. For those just beginning it is 
key to build a strong foundation and take those initial steps before sprinting towards the finish line. Here are my Top Ten Simple Facebook Steps for every organization hoping to use Facebook to it’s fullest:
1- Imagery
Imagery is a very important part of Facebook. You can have photo albums, tag people in pictures, change up your cover image as often as you like and, of course, there is the very important thumbnail image that shows up every time you post, comment or like. Images are everywhere you look on Facebook and should be a major part of your social media strategy.
While it’s easy to get caught up in running campaigns or counting the number of “Likes” your Page has, you must pay close attention to your Page’s imagery. Be sure your cover is crisp, clear and says something about your organization. Check that your thumbnail image is easy to see and stands out in the newsfeed. And, be sure to create new and exciting photo albums for your Facebook community to browse through, like and comment on.
2- Complete & Accurate About Section
It’s easy to forget or even overlook those simple steps you completed when first setting up your Page. The “About” section is a perfect example of this. Be sure all information is up-to-date, accurate and complete.
3- Secure Your Pages Custom URL
This step, surprisingly enough, is the one most missed! Securing your Page’s custom URL is extremely important. This allows you to easily share your Page with the world, use various applications and ensure no other business gets the URL you want. If you haven’t done this yet please stop reading and secure your customer URL now!
4- Read and Understand Facebook Statement of Rights and Responsibilities
Far too many Facebook users jump on the popular social platform without clearly understanding the rules they must abide by. You don’t have to hire an agency or consult an attorney to know what Facebook does and does not allow. Simply take a few minutes to read through Facebook’s posted Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. While you may still need to learn and understand a variety of federal and state laws to ensure you’re not running afoul it is easy enough to follow the platforms guidelines.
5- Create Your Own Community Guidelines
It is always a good idea to write up some guidelines for your Facebook community. These guidelines shouldn’t be meant to discourage engagement but instead they should set expectations, give security and overall protect your Facebook community. There are many examples of Facebook Community Guidelines but be sure yours includes; contact information, a definition of the purpose of your Page and explicit guidelines for when a post or comment will be removed from your Page.
6- Listen
I write about listening a lot because it is one of, if not the most, important aspects of social media marketing. One can come up with the most interesting, fun and “out of the box” campaign but if it’s not on point and doesn’t resonate with your social media community it will certainly fall flat. Be sure time is set aside each day to read through ALL Facebook comments and posts. The only way to know what’s going on is to open your eyes and listen to your community.
7- Take Action
Listening alone is never enough. Once you’ve taken the time to listen you must then take action. Thank people who have given your brand a compliment, respond to those who have shared their concerns and take the time to answer questions. While it may not be possible to respond to each and every post be sure to take the time to respond to some. People have liked your organization’s Page because they want to engage with you. If there is no engagement your community will never grow the way you would like.
8- Feature Milestones
The new Facebook Timeline offers the ability to feature milestones. Things like your businesses grand opening, anniversary or the launch of a new product can easily be shared by marking it as a milestone. This new feature offers an easy way to share important milestones with your online community. If milestones have already passed you can still take advantage of this feature by going back in your timeline and creating them.
9- Have a Consistent Voice
Having a clear and consistent voice on your Page is essential. Even if multiple people post on your Page the voice must still stay consistent. Think about your organization and how you want it to be viewed; serious, funny, light, sophisticated etc…. Be sure the voice falls in line with your brand image at all times. If the voice changes often it can cause a disconnect. Remember people are connecting with the brand and not individuals who are running the brands Page.
10- Look at Your Page with “Fresh” Eyes
This is an exercise that should be done daily! Look at your Page as consumers would. Go through the “About” section, photo albums, milestones etc… and make sure everything is how it should be. Looking at your Page with “fresh” eyes will enable your organization to keep up-to-date, relevant and on-point.
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