Nearly every entrepreneur I’ve met has shared the same Facebook dream: to create a rockin’ Facebook page that brings in hundreds, or even thousands, of eager new fans each day. (I dream of this more often than I’d like to admit.)

But while dreaming is the best part of being an entrepreneur, we also have to be realistic.  We have to face the fact that gone are the days when simply having a Facebook page is enough.

The truth is, it takes between 5 and 20 reminders before someone takes the action you want them to take.

5 to 20 times.  For each person. Before they’ll even like your page.

That’s a heck of a lot of “reminding.”

Thankfully, we live in the digital age, and there are a lot of ways to do this without being scammy or superficial. 

So let’s get to it.

 

Action #1 – Update Your Email Signature (15 minutes)

People look to your email signature for your contact info – phone, email, website. So why not include a link to your Facebook profile?

Your email signature is a standard chunk of text that is included at the bottom of your emails. Signatures are easily edited through any email program, usually under “settings.”

Simply add a line of text that reads “Join me on Facebook!” and link it to your Facebook page.  Easy peasy.

              

Action #2 – Update Your Business Card (15 – 30 minutes)

Just like you include your website and email address on your business card, include your Facebook link. Business cards are designed to provide easy ways to contact you, so take advantage of it.

It should take no more than 15 – 30 minutes to update your business card template. That way, the next time you order, your new cards will include your Facebook page!

 

Action #3 – Add a Link on Your Invoices (15 – 30 minutes)

This one might sound a little weird, but take a minute to think about it.  Your current clients are already your biggest “fans” – they’ve already worked with you and liked what you had to offer.

Now is the perfect time to ask them to like your Facebook page!  

This should take 15 – 30 minutes, depending on your invoicing software. I recommend using the “Notes” section, if you have one, and be sure to include a clickable link to your Facebook page if the invoice is digital.

 

Action #4 – Add a Facebook Button to Your Website Sidebar or Footer (20 minutes)

It’s common these days for websites to include links to social media sites in their sidebar.  Your website should be no exception to this rule. If people don’t know that you’re on Facebook, they’ll never get around to clicking the like button.

If you’re using WordPress, I recommend a plug-in called Social Media Widget.

How to Add a Facebook Icon using Social Media Widget in 20 minutes:

1. Log into your WordPress Dashboard and head to the plug-ins area
2. Click on “add new” and search for Social Media Widget
3. Install Social Media Widget and activate it
4. Click on “Appearance -> Widgets”
5. Find “Social media Widget” under Available Widgets and drag it over to your sidebar widget area
6. Click the grey arrow to open the settings screen.
7. Add a title
8. Copy and paste your Facebook page link into the Facebook URL
9. Click Save
10. Repeat step #8 & #9 for your other social media sites

For good measure, it never hurts to put the same set of links in your website footer. Sometimes people will scroll down to the bottom of the page, and the links in your sidebar may no longer be visible.

 

Action #5 – Add a Facebook Like Box to Your Website Sidebar (30 minutes)

Another, fancier way to draw your website visitors’ attention to your Facebook page is by adding a Facebook “Like” box. Unlike the Facebook icon mentioned in the previous action step, the Facebook “Like” box actually displays the “Like” button, headshots of some of your more current fans, and even your latest Facebook update.

If you have a WordPress website, I recommend a plug-in called Facebook Like Box Widget.

How to Add a Facebook Like Box in 20 minutes:

1. Log into your WordPress Dashboard and head to the plug-ins area
2. Click on “add new” and search for Facebook Like Box Widget
3. Install Facebook Like Box Widget and activate it
4. Click on “Appearance -> Widgets”
5. Find “Facebook Like Box Widget” under Available Widgets and drag it over to your sidebar widget area
6. Click the grey arrow to open the settings screen.
7. Add a title
8. Copy and paste your Facebook page link into the Facebook Page URL box.
9. Choose the number of connections (likes) to display and whether you want to display your stream (latest Facebook post)
10. Choose the light or dark color scheme (you can always adjust it later)
11. Click Save
12. Check out your website to see how it looks. You may need to switch color schemes or adjust the width & height of the box to fit in your sidebar.

 

Action Step #6 – Add a link on your About Page (15 minutes)

Website visitors click on your about page to find out more about you, your background, and your personality.  That’s also what your Facebook page is for!

Invite your website visitors to visit you on Facebook in the first 3 or 4 paragraphs of your about page.  Offering it as an opportunity (as in, “If you’d like to find out more about me, you can visit my Facebook page) more comfortable than simply saying “Come like me on Facebook!”

Adding a link is as simple as highlighting the text you want to be clickable, and inserting a link to your Facebook page.

 

Action Step #7 – Ask for Comments on Facebook at the End of a Blog Post (5 minutes per post)

If you already have share buttons on your blog posts, you may be wondering what on earth I’m talking about.

Here’s the thing: if your goal is to increase your Facebook fans, the share buttons aren’t going to do it. They don’t encourage people to like your page – they encourage people to share your material.

To encourage your blog readers to like your Facebook page, add a line at the bottom of the post asking them to leave a comment on your Facebook page.  Be sure that “Facebook” is a clickable link!

Note: you will have manually add the “comment request” on each blog post, so it’s not a one-time action step like the other six I’ve discussed so far.

 

Action Step #8 – Add a Link to Your “Welcome” Email (15 – 30 minutes)

Most email programs allow you to customize your “welcome to my email list” email.  This email confirms their subscription to your email list, and usually gives your new subscriber a few resources or blog posts to check out.

In other words, this is the perfect place to ask your new email subscribers to like your Facebook page and introduce themselves.

You could even ask a specific question and ask them to post their answer on the Facebook page. Whatever it takes to remind them that there’s more than one way to connect with you!

 

Action Step #9 – Add a Link to Your Email Newsletter (15 – 30 minutes)

Whether you include an invitation to connect on Facebook at the bottom of your email or in the sidebar, your email list is a fantastic place to prospect for Facebook fans.  They’ve already signed up for your email updates, so they clearly like what you have to say!

Depending on your email provider, you can add a link to your Facebook page under your email signature or on the sidebar of your email.

Either way, it should take no more than 30 minutes of your time. And once it’s done, it’s done forever.

 

Action Step #10 – Comment on other Facebook Pages (15 – 30 minutes)

Unlike the other action steps, commenting on other Facebook Pages is not an automated or do-it-once action step.  So why am I suggesting it?

Because it’s a great way to get your name out in front of other people who are already hanging out on Facebook. 

Let’s say that you sell goat cheese, and that your Facebook page is a fan of the goat dairy who makes the cheese.  They’ve just posted about a new cheese they’re developing, and you leave a comment about how excited your clients are to try a new kind of cheese.

Now, your name and Facebook page are being seen by everyone who’s a fan of the goat dairy.  As you consistently comment on the goat dairy page, some of those fans will become curious about you, and they’ll come to your Facebook page and become your fan.

For this action step to be effective, you’ll have to set aside 15 – 30 minutes at least 2 or 3 times a week.  But the rewards can be well worth it.

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The key to making many of these actions work is to take the time to set it and forget it. 

That’s not to say you should do everything on this list. But I highly recommend you do as many as possible.

Remember, it takes 5 – 20 touches before someone will like your Facebook page (or take any other desired action, for that matter).

The more ways you have for people to hear about your Facebook page, the better your odds of attracting new Facebook fans.

What would you add to this list?  Leave a comment below and tell me how you’re attracting new fans to your Facebook page.

~ Felicity

photo credit: sculpture grrrl via photo pin cc

P.S. Thanks to Corbett Barr for the inspiration for this post’s format.  I got the idea after watching his ”3 Compelling Content Types You Can Use Today to Get Loads of Visitors, Shares and Subscribers” video in his Traffic Toolbox.

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