In order to maintain a successful Facebook fan page, it’s important to understand what your fans are looking for. According to a recent ExactTarget study, the number one reason for “liking” a brand on Facebook is receiving discounts and promotions. Showing support for the company to others came in a close second, at 39%. 

What does this mean for brands? First, discounts and promotions are strong incentives for encouraging users to ‘like’ your page– after all, who doesn’t love free stuff?  A giveaway can be an effective tactic for increasing your Facebook fans, especially when you’re in the early stages of building your community.  Offer exclusive promotions that are only available to your Facebook fans.  As an example, Ford unveiled their 2011 Explorer exclusively on their fan page, giving away a free Explorer to one lucky fan.  Their fan page reached 30,000 fans prior to the unveiling, and currently has more than 62,500 fans.

Additionally, consider creating a message calendar and planning your promotions in advance to maximize buzz for upcoming giveaways, contests, etc.  Make sure to advertise your upcoming Facebook promotions on your blog, website, email list, tv and print assets, in addition to your other social networks. This will ultimately increase participation as well as grow your Facebook fan base. 

While discounts and promotions are tempting incentives, 39% of users ‘like’ brands’ on Facebook simply to publicly show support for the company.  Essentially, your Facebook fans are your number one advocates - they promote your brand for you - at absolutely no cost! With word-of-mouth recommendations being the most trusted form of advertising, Facebook fans can have a huge impact for your brand.