If your school has a Facebook presence, but you’d like to see more wall banter, why not have some fun? Facebook isn’t just for posting cat pictures! Give your Facebook fans something to comment on, just for the sake of commenting. After all, engagement it what it’s all about, and it’s a painless way to engage your alumni.
John Haydon, in his column for SocialBrite.com, put together 16 ways to engage your nonprofit’s Facebook fans. Here are a few things to consider.
- Ask a fill-in-the-blank question. For example, you have an annual event fast approaching. You could post: “Fill in the blank: At Spring Fling ___________ ate the most __________.” Or, Fill in the blank: My favorite place to study in the library was __________.” Design your fill-in-the-blank questions to elicit happy memories!
- Post a photo and ask your fans to provide a photo caption.
- Crop a piece from a school photo and ask fans to guess what it is. The next day, reveal the whole photo and see how many right answers there are!
- Post a fun fact related to your school. Lead it with “Did you know that …” You can also post historic photos. In either case, ask your fans to “like” the post if they knew the fact or if the photo brings back a memory.
- Post answers to FAQs. What are some of the most common questions you get about your annual fund, for example. Post an “answer of the day.”
- Ask for input. What would your fans like to see at next year’s Homecoming, for example. Do they have an idea that would make an annual special event more exciting?
“Getting fans to comment on your Facebook page can take a lot of time and effort,” writes Haydon in 16 ways to get more comments on your Facebook Page. “Asking questions is probably the easiest way to get fans commenting. If they have to spend time trying to understand a question, they’ll be less likely to answer it.”
In short, keep it simple and keep it quick. The walls your fans look at are updating constantly—you need to catch them in the minute. If they have to think about it, they won’t linger … and they probably won’t come back. Make sure you are keeping up with the comments, and be sure to reply.
For more Facebook ideas, check out Socialbrite’s Facebook tools category here.
Additional ISM resources of interest
ISM Monthly Update for Admission Officers Vol. 11 No. 1 Attention-Getting Facebook Content
ISM Monthly Update for Development Directors Vol. 8 No. 3 The Problem: Mission Alumni. The Solution: Log on to Facebook!
ISM Recorded Webinar Building Your School’s Social Media Marketing Plan
Resources for ISM Consortium Gold Members
Ideas & Perspectives Vol. 35 No. 1 Faculty and Staff Use of Social Media: Sample Policy
To the Point Vol. 15 No. 9 Social Media Made Simple: Take and If-Then Approach
