A few tips about managing corporate facebook fan pages. I’ve been burning the candle on the social media marketing for BuskerFest and so forgive the bullets & short sentences.
- Follow your social network’s blog. The features and functionality for all social networks are changing quickly and without notice. I definitely notice more emphasis on agile development, that is releasing new features as they are developed, rather than waiting for a magic moment in time for a major upgrade release. By following the facebook or linkedin blog – you get an update about new features (much like wordpress does) so you are not caught off guard (which I’ve experienced with linkedin evolving contact management (tagging) and facebook’s limited profile).
- Social assets can not all come from corporate. The greatest thing I’ve done with BuskerFest is create a volunteer social media team full of young creators. They truly prove the ‘wisdom of crowds’ (and power of productivity) and have created assets that I could not easily deliver – a song for BuskerFest, a slideshow on Epilepsy, customized google maps, listings of all pr coverage, and importantly, conversation.
- Add applications to facebook for richer experiences. I know what the agency of the future will look like. Talent will need to be able to source or develop applications for facebook, iphones, twitter, etc. Here is a great source of apps for facebook by Involver. I recommend adding the twitter one.
- Yes, you can change the order of your facebook tabs. It may not be obvious but you can drag and drop tabs around so long as the wall and info remain the first two.
- Groups = not so good, Pages = great. Avoid sunk costs – try to migrate groups to pages and then focus on pages. I wrote about this in the past.
- Scope your effort carefully, social networks take a *lot* of management and engagement. If you have an internal audience, you *might* be able to manage a twelve hour day but with external domestic or global customers, the work easily slides to round the clock. Some of my best discussions occur in the middle of the night. Pages need multiple admins.
- Where possible – use bit.ly or other URL shorteners for adding links in Facebook. This provides some metrics whereas the full URL does not.
- Facebook metrics are not that great. I would love google analytics type metrics with historical tracking on fan page growth. I have lots of thoughts on annoying Facebook practices – being an admin, I can’t comment on my page as an individual. I find editing pages, account settings, adding new admins not very intuitive in Facebook.
- Yes – you can get a vanity URL for facebook despite claims you can’t. Damned if I can remember how.
That’s it for now. Hope that helps y’all. I welcome your thoughts and experiences.
Posted by Laurie Dillon Schalk 
