Your Facebook wall is NOT a bulletin board merely for alerts of events and activities. It is a place for you to engage with your fans. Here are 10 tips that will help you maintain your Facebook Page.

1. Post Regularly
It can be hard to find time for Facebook, but it is worth making the effort to keep your fans engaged. Introduce a routine, add other admins and define a posting schedule. Two admins, posting at least twice a week each is a good start.

2. Content
Use a mix of content. Plain text alone won’t get you noticed. Use photos, videos events, notes and website links, especially your own if your website is up and running.

3. Check Daily – Don’t leave fans waiting.
If you are not active on your Page, then your fans won’t be either. Build the conversation, encourage your community of followers. Give credit where credit is due.

4. Increase the “talking about this”
Ask friends and family on Facebook to keep an eye on your Page and interact with it. Each time someone interacts with your Page, all their friends see it and this encourages other people to interact too. There is no point in having 1,000’s of inactive fans!

5. Comment AS your Page.
Commenting as your Page on other Walls means that you are seen by more people, Use your Page to network with other Pages, build relationships and collaborate to help each other. Show you are active in your local community by getting involved in online community conversations. Click the arrow next to the Home link in the top right-hand corner and Click “Use Facebook as Page”, click Switch!

6. Tag!
If there’s an opportunity to tag another Page, use it! Tagging doubles your exposure and builds relationships. To tag use the @ symbol before a Page name.

7. Create & Use events.
Many “empty” events are created but not used! It is important to use a photo, give a clear description and invite your friends. Ask other administrators to invite their friends too. (All pages should have at least two administrators and all administrators can invite friends to events.)

8. Use Notes
The Notes feature is one of the strongest applications that can provide high traffic. Include key phrases in your note and especially in the Title, as they will show up in google searches. Notes can be edited and re-shared over and over. Pictures, links and Tags can be added and then you can viralize your information with a click of a button.

9. Your online presence reflects your offline attitude.
Know how your Page is representing your business. If you are a business/organisation manager and someone is managing Facebook for you, do they have your businesses best interest at heart? Are they giving your business a good image? Are they even posting at all? Don’t presume, check! Respect Facebook Terms of Use and don’t condone unethical practices as your decisions reflect your professional reputation. A Business or organisation on Facebook with “friends” is the biggest mistake that amateurs make; it is a misuse of Facebook and a blatant disrespect of people’s privacy.

10. Be Social, Have Fun!
Don’t go for the hard sell. You are talking to fans – people who like what you do, respect them individually. Give them a reason to stay active. If it seems like too much hard work then maybe Facebook is not for you.

If you are thinking about getting started with Facebook or have set up the wrong way, keep an eye out for the next post.