As it is, interacting on the site has already become more challenging. Since Facebook has introduced its Timeline and News Feed, the resulting changes have taken their toll on Facebook Page activity. According to recent Edgerank studies, this has caused less impressions and significantly lower involvement from users.

So to combat this, I’ve compiled a list of tried-and-tested methods for actively engaging your fans and maintaining their interest in your Page and your business. These will also help elicit more Likes, comments, and shares from your fans, and can entice visitors to become members of your community.  Remember that every Like or share that your post get increases the chances of more people seeing it, because Facebook’s algorithm increases its relevance.

1. Get personal. Make room for friendly exchanges that don’t discuss your business. Talk to your fans about what they had for lunch, the latest TV show that they saw, or ask them how their day went. In return, share a little off-the-record tidbit about yourself. This will make your online persona more ‘real’ to your fans.
2. Ask simple but relevant and insightful questions. Ask your fans questions that will help you determine how you can improve your product or service. Bring up their concerns that you can help them with. This shows them that as their host, you care about their welfare.
3. Give honest, and helpful answers with value: become a resource. When it’s your turn to answer questions, make sure that you give your fans helpful and insightful information. People gravitate towards those whom they see as experts in their field. But if you don’t know how to respond, be honest about it.
4. Respond quickly, regularly, and consistently. Always keep in mind that your fans may be running on a tight schedule. Respond to their posts as promptly as possible and make sure they know they can depend on your availability. If you need to take a long hiatus, inform them that you’ll be gone for a while but will be back as soon as you could. Alternatively, you could keep in touch with your community via your mobile device.
5. Share your thoughts in similar Pages. This is similar to posting backlinks on blog comments: post a relevant comment on another Page’s thread with the same interest as yours and leave a link to your Page. It’s better if you participate in that Page’s community activity before posting links lest you be accused of spamming. You can also return the favor by posting a link from your host’s Page onto a relevant discussion on your Wall.
6. Share the love (and the spotlight). Without your fans, your Page would cease to exist. Take time to express your gratitude for their company. You can also schedule a Fan Day once a week, where a fan of your choice gets to be the star of your Page.
7. Prioritize discussions with the most activity. Pick out the threads with the highest posting activity and post responses there to encourage other members to respond.
8. Schedule it well. According to Buddy Media, the best time for posting branded messages on Facebook is AFTER work hours, where people tend to relax in front of their computers.
9. Choose your words carefully. Just as you choose your words to write a love letter or a high-impact resume, you should choose your words, tone, and style to entice your fans to Like, share, and comment on your posts. Polish your spelling and grammar if needed, and try to adopt the common language your community uses.
10. Get visual. Attaching images to your posts can deliver a bigger impact on your readers more than just text can. Whether it’s to deliver a specific message or to raise brand awareness, make sure that you choose the appropriate pictures to convey your ideas clearly and powerfully.
11. Offer a prize. Generally, people like to win. Hosting a fun online contest with a substantial prize at stake can help generate more activity and attract new fans to your Page.
12. Support a relevant cause or event. This is a good way to help build your image. Advocate a cause or event that is relevant to the times, and like-minded supporters will flock to your Page. Plus, it will make your fans feel good about participating in your advocacy.
13. Invite fans to share their links, videos, and photos. While your Page is mainly about you, it shouldn’t always be about you. Let your fans get their share of the limelight by inviting them to share their pictures, videos, and links on your Wall. This will also serve as an ice-breaker for the community, and a source of client information for you.
14. Host a live chat session. You can schedule regular live chat sessions with your fans using a Facebook chat application such as ChitChat.  This gives your community a chance to establish a bond with you on a personal level.
15. Practice good Netiquette. You aren’t only selling your brand or ideas on your Facebook Page; you are, ultimately, selling yourself. Show the world that you are a person of integrity who treats his fans with utmost and equal respect. Not only will this foster loyalty within your community, but it will also help built your reputation outside it.

The bottom line is you have to make your fans feel good about being part of your community. Remember that everyone in your Facebook fan base has the potential to be a loyal business AND friendly connection for life, so treat them accordingly.

We’d like to hear from you – what steps do you take to engage your Facebook Page fans?

Meanwhile, the competition pushes forward with higher-risk promotional tactics. Undertaking such shaky schemes often leads to losses, but once a breakthrough is achieved, that company usually becomes the market leader. At the very least, the competitor receives more attention. And your company still comfortably rests on its laurels, not really sinking but not moving forward.

Here’s the truth: Competition prompts change.

Here’s another truth: Every successful company fears change.

Your winning strategy has a short shelf life. It may work for you for a few months, maybe even a few years, but relying on it too much when the rest have moved on only leads to stagnation.

We all know what happens to organisms that don’t adapt to environmental changes: they become extinct. Ignoring this fundamental principle of evolution will not nullify it. It’s the same with your winning strategy: if you don’t let go of it, you won’t be able to make enough room for new growth, and eventually your company will lose the race.

Change is good. The best and the strongest companies constantly adapt to the times, and I hope yours does too.

Most customers are inclined to be skeptical of a company’s claims about their own product, especially if those claims promise the moon. However, if other customers openly state that yes, this company indeed delivered the moon AND a few other shooting stars, this quells the initial and instinctive disbelief. It also helps incite curiosity among those who haven’t tried the product.

This behavior stems from the fact that we are naturally inclined to rely on expert opinion. In this case, customers rely on other customers with more experience than they have.

On the flip side, negative testimonials can be as damaging to a business’s reputation. Just one well-timed criticism can undo several years’ worth of brand-building efforts.

So what can you do to encourage your readers and customers to share their testimonials on your business blog?

Listen. That’s right, listen to your readers’ concerns first. From there you can address their issues with clarity and courtesy.  This will help ease those niggling thoughts about you and help make them more open to communicate with you freely.

Ask questions. Whether you get glowing reviews, rabid rants, or mere indifference, receive them all with equal grace. This shows your readers that you are professional enough to handle anything they throw at you. Also, when you ask questions, make it easy for them to say yes.

 Engage your readers. Share your own REAL experiences with your product. Remember that your blog is a community with you as the head. Whatever you do on your blog sets the tone for your readers’ responses. So start the exchange of honest opinions – testimonials – by sharing your own first.

Never underestimate the power of the shared word. How about you, what techniques have you used in encouraging your readers to give positive feedback on your blog?