Facebook Fan Sourcing

I recently shifted from a 90,000-employee organization to a 1,500-employee organization. In doing so, I have been wondering if my new organization needs a Facebook Fan Page. Hence, I am on a journey to find an answer…

So — what are some of the things you need to consider before you decide to create a Facebook Fan Page? I came up with a few below, and I hope to add more to the list very soon. (Based on your views and comments)

• It’s free…well, this does not mean that you have to create it, but this will please your Corporate Communications team.
• There is no limit for the number of fans you can have. You can really boost the number of fans your company has on Facebook.
• Companies get an alternate medium to publish their products / job openings / services. And as the number of fans increase, the visibility also increases.
• You can create discussions and events on the Fan Page. For example, companies create events and provide the recruitment drive, hiring skills, and venue details for the interviews, and candidates can get the information (i.e. anyone can view and RSVP) by checking off the box provided in the event. This is really an interesting way to promote drives.
• Facebook Pages Insights (my favourite!) gives you details about the number of views, “Likes,” monthly active users, as well as demographics about the users visiting your Fan Page. (This report is free, too)
• You can add photos and videos of your organization as well as new events, and this will also help in promoting your organization as a preferred employer.

Example: If your organization has organized a cultural programme, or some internal competitions, those photos can really give a “feel good” factor to the prospective employees.

• It gives you a medium with which to interact with people – clients as well as future employees — via status updates and feedback on the posts that you make. You can send updates to your fans based on any new events in your organization.

You might be thinking, “This is great, why not start right away?”

Hang on…. Just want to highlight a few additional points that are very important to consider before making this decision.

• Does you company have a social media policy? If yes, follow it; if not, then the Corporate Communications team should be informed before you make a move.
• Over-selling of jobs on the fan pages can at times make it just another job portal, so one must be careful with (over) promoting jobs.
• Fan Pages are public; be very careful in terms of updates that are made. You don’t want to be the next Nestle.
• Regular updates and timely feedback are a must, as fans (candidates) might expect you to respond to their questions or quires ASAP.

HMMMM.. so, where is this all heading? Well, its not that difficult once you know your target audience and your Corporate Communication team is well informed, and take into consideration the cost (FREE) versus the benefit.

Keep in mind, of course: plenty of planning and investment of time are required to maintain a Fan Page. And once you create a Page, don’t expect to have huge numbers of followers / Likes instantly. It does take time, but it’s worth the effort as this is a new medium for you to communicate with your followers and interact with them. Also, this helps companies to get instant reactions / feedback on posts made. I say: go ahead and create a Fan Page.

Have you already created a Fan Page? What was your experience? Eagerly waiting for your views and comments about this.