Lately, I’ve encountered one too many Facebook pages that seem to lack the understanding that they are in a space called SOCIAL MEDIA.

What I mean by this is that the pages lack personality. They lack relationship-building and honesty. They lack engagement.

You know who I’m talking about.  The brand you liked only to find out that they pepper you with obnoxious questions constantly which makes it painfully obvious someone told the person posting to “enhance our page engagement by asking questions that provoke a response!”.  You want more action, we get it.

But to think that you can throw out discussion topics constantly in a completely transparent effort to create uncomfortable “first date” type of conversation with your loyal fans is pretty lame.

Now, I don’t want this to become a rant about all of the wrongs that people are committing. I want it to be a call to action to the Fan Page Admins who are trying to enhance their experience on Facebook. I want it to be a call to arms to do the right thing and actually participate in this great experiment called Social Media.

Here are a few things that I find essential to Facebook marketing:

1.  Social Media Takes Personality.

One of the greatest benefits of Facebook Fan Pages is the ability to give your business or corporation a personality. By administering your page, you have the opportunity to bring some life to marketing. The ability to put the “face” in Facebook.

This can be achieved through humor, intriguing content, seeking advice from your clientele. The possibilities are limitless. Some pages upload images, others upload photos. Some admins enjoy blogging, others like asking questions.

The medium is somewhat irrelevant. What it really comes down to is that you have the right to be a human being and it’s actually beneficial that you act as such on Facebook, rather than a robotic, lifeless marketer.

Simply put, there’s no shame in being yourself on your Facebook Page. People actually like knowing that human beings are running the companies that they care the most about.   (Note: this should make you think twice before you set up an automated posting system that generates status updates every 90 minutes)

2. Social Media Requires Conversation

Let’s not forget that the word “social” is important here. In fact, “social” is really at the core of the entire concept.

One of the most important things that “social” points to is the ability to carry out conversations. Now, no matter how quiet or introverted we might be, the conversation is one of the oldest aspects in culture itself.

Great ideas have been born out of conversation, like democracy for example. Great people have inspired others through conversation, like Jack LaLanne (RIP). Great achievements have required conversation, like peace between hundreds of countries for thousands of years. The point here being that conversation is powerful and for the first time ever, you and your company have the ability to converse with your fans!

Now, in social media, this is where engagement takes place. When fans ask questions on your page, don’t hesitate to answer them. When your fans post an image, tell them what you think. Open the forum for discussion on your products and ideas. Sometimes it’s about responding, other times it’s about listening. Find the balance and do so aptly.

My advice? Converse and listen.

3. These Aren’t Just Fans. They’re People.

One of the most beautiful aspects of social media is the ability to build and grow relationships. You can rekindle friendships from high school. You can talk to your family who live thousands of miles away. Relationships are integral to social media. Simple as that.

Now, some of the key aspects of relationships are honesty and trust. If you’re not being honest and open with your fans, they will know. In fact, we live in an age where cynicism helps individuals weed out the honest and throw away the dishonest.

We must realize that when someone “Likes” our page, they are giving us a part of their trust. In doing so, we are then responsible to treat them fairly and respectfully.

Conclusion

I know it sounds kind of preachy, but I think we’re called to a certain integrity when we ask people to “Like” our Facebook Fan Page.

So, let’s keep up the personality.

Let’s carry out conversations.

Let’s build and grow relationships.

Let’s be honest and never deceitful.

It’s a lot of work, but at the end of the day it will be worth it because you will see fans invest in you, just like you invest in your fans.