This is day 1 of a series of 5 day posts, on engaging with your Facebook audience more effectively - Whether you run a blog or an online business, social media engagement is vitally important for establishing and building solid relationships with your audience, whether you see them as readers for your blog or potential customers.

One of the most widely used social platforms for connecting with more people online as you know is through Facebook, there is not more denying it, whether you love it or hate it, your business can’t miss out on 1 billion monthly active users, amongst those are hundreds and thousands of people waiting to reading your content and connect with your brand, products and services.

Creating a Facebook page for your business is simple and if you’re still not too sure where to start, check out the following post –

Read: Simple Steps to a Facebook Page for your Business

If you already have a Facebook page, then that’s great. If you already have a hundred fans or so, then that’s even better.

So let me ask you this, what are you doing to promote your brand and to connect your business with your Facebook audience better? Everything and anything… So do you feel as if what ever you post on your Facebook timeline just gets ignored? Do you feel as if you’re wasting your time and effort? Ask yourself this – Are you targeting the right kind of people to follow you in the first place?

You might want to check the following post out, after reading this one of course –

Read: 5 Ways To Get More People on your Facebook Page in 2012

OK, in this post I’d like to share with your some effective ways, which I use myself, to engaging with your Facebook audience more effectively.

Over the course of the next 5 days, we’re going to establish a better connection with our audience on Facebook. The steps you take each day will help you understand better what your fans are looking from your page, so that you can cater for them better in the future, and get the absolute most from your Facebook marketing efforts.

Now, go and grab your favourite beverage, and let’s get started with 5 days to engaging with your Facebook audience more effectively, day one…

Engaging with your Facebook Audience More Effectively: Day 1 – Share a useful link or resource

OK this is something that we all do on Facebook every day, posting and sharing links, but on a business page, perhaps not as effectively as we should. Seriously, some thought needs to go into what you’re sharing with your audience, especially if they are not appearing to respond to what you’re sharing with them already.

If you’re posting everything and anything you find on the web, stop! Chances are you’re giving them irrelevant stuff. Stuff they couldn’t give two hoots about and stuff that doesn’t make them feel connected with you. If you’re only posting stuff from your own blog or website too, stop! You need to diversify.

Think about what your fans would really find interesting, and above all really find useful too, something that they can use, get results instantly and thank you for.

So in the first day of engaging with your Facebook audience more effectively, you’re going to share something useful, in this case a link to a resource. If you run a blog then look at some of the stuff your fellow bloggers are posting, check to see if you think your own Facebook audience will find it useful too.

Scour the web properly with a fine tooth comb and find other interesting, useful and helpful content to share, this could also be some kind of online tool, or a free service. Remember in day one it’s about sharing a valuable resource, and a relevant one at that. Here’s an example –

Blogger A publishes a post on a cool new SEO tool he’s found on the web. You can either share the post from his blog to your Facebook audience, or check out the SEO tool yourself, use it, and post your findings with a link to the resource (SEO tool) on your timeline.

When you’ve found something good, don’t just post it on your timeline with no further thought, but instead write a short little message, for example something like –

“Hey folks check out what I’ve just found, I think you might find this very useful for [subject matter], really worth checking out, let me know what you think?”

Then add the link to your resource.

You’ll find that you’ll start to get a few likes or maybe even some comments for the resource you’ve shared. When you do, make sure you acknowledge the likes with a simple thank you, or and add a reply to the comments.

Remember it’s about increasing engagement, just as you would on your blog, you would never leave a comment unanswered.

Meanwhile let me know your thoughts on the tip for Day 1 of, 5 days to engage with your Facebook audience more effectively. Leave me a comment below.

Stay tuned for day two, oh and if you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to find me on Facebook