Dishing social media: Four Facebook posting tips

Even though Facebook's stock is on a social rollercoaster right now and some of the 1 billion members are apparently your daughter's imaginary friend, it's still an amazing force to reckon with. If your company does have representation on Facebook but you find yourself floundering, here are some tips to help increase your reach. It's OK to Talk About Yourself People are now finding companies Facebook pages to be more helpful then their main websites. They know exactly how to navigate Facebook pages so they can get to what they want even faster, whether that's a photo album, an address and map or phone number. People are specifically going to your Facebook page to learn about you and your company so post what you're up to. Any awards the company has recently received? New office design? A company outing? Talk it up, if they "like" your page, you are free to talk about yourself. (Note, this does not apply to Twitter.) Be Entertaining It's important to continue posts on a daily basis after you've started your Facebook page but don't just post to meet your quota, post something that people are going to enjoy. Facebook business pages (B2C) are most looked at around 8 p.m. where you are competing with friends and family posts of baby pictures, vacation videos and golf scores so you have to post something that is witty or educational or beautiful, etc. Be Positive or Negative, But Not Neutral Are you a neutral Nelly? Sometimes it can be challenging to pick sides but you'll be thankful you did on Facebook. Studies have shown that posts that are either positive or negative get more shares. If your stance is in between, what are you really saying anyway? Don't be afraid to take sides. Every so often it's ok to post something that the majority may not like, it will get people talking. Words To Use vs. Words To Avoid Due to the enormous number of Facebook members you have to remember that everyone is not quite as techy as you may be so keep to phrasing around "Facebook" and "How To's." Some words you should use are: why, most, world, how, health, big, best, video, you, top, first. Also, try talking about food (pictures help), it's one thing everyone can identify with. Stay away from words referencing other networks, particularly Twitter. Other words to avoid include: talk, sentiment, quit, easy and keep. Random Tech Fact: There is a wallpaper called "Metapaper," which blocks Wi-Fi signals from escaping the home. Diana Podaski is marketing and social media manager for Linear Retail Properties, Burlington, Mass.