No, you can't automate engagement...

There are 4 ways to bring outside content into your Facebook Fan Page.

  1. RSS or any application that pulls the RSS automatically
  2. Notes – Facebooks own way to pull an RSS
  3. Embedded Link – Just start typing the link into the box
  4. The “Attach a LINK” button.

I believe the LINK button is the best – here’s why.

sharesomething

Agree or Disagree with the article or Video you are sharing?  You can state your case right at the top in the “write something…” box.  Set the stage, entice the viewer, or just simply share why you are sharing.

Once you Attach the LINK – Facebook will go to that post and then give you the choice of a Thumbnail.  You can pick any of the images it provides or none at all.  Sometimes a picture is all it takes to pull someone into wanting to learn more.

Facebook grabs the Title of the post or article.  Click on this Title and you’ll be able to rename that Title.  That title is a hyperlink to the article (we call it Anchor Text)  This is important in two ways…  First, you can rename that link to something a little more enticing to your Friends than it is now.  Second, Google loves Proper Anchor Text.  Instead of adding a link like this: http://areweconnected.com/post123 most any search engine is going to give more juice to a link that looks like this: The Best Way to Share Information on Facebook even though both links go to the same place.

Facebook also grabs the first paragraph (50 or so words) of the attached article and displays that.  Just as the Title is Anchor Text, so is this article description.  As an example, look at the first 50 words in this post.   Perhaps the first paragraph isn’t as enticing as you might like.  No problem!  Click on the text and change it.

Here’s the last reason and it’s just for all you SEO Peeps.  The links you attach in this way are all “DO Follow”.  Yes your Facebook Fan Page is indexed by all the search engines including Google and Yes your Facebook Fan Page can have a PageRank(http://www.facebook.com/MikeMuellerConsulting has a PR of 3)  And since the Links have a Do Follow if you are sharing your own articles, you are driving PageRank to your own website or blog.

That’s it.  The BEST way to share information on your wall.  Yes, I realize this takes a few moments of your time, time is money, yadda yadda yadda.  Yes, I realize there are faster easier ways out there that automate this.  To that I’ll argue you get what you pay for.  You can’t automate engagement.

NOTE: I use a wordpress plugin that does much of this for me.  Share this article on Facebook in the same way and the title will be “You can’t automate engagement” with the 50 word description “There are 4 different ways to bring outside content into your Facebook Fan Page.  Here’s the BEST and WHY.”   The same thing happens when you see this article in a Google Search Result.

 


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9 commentsMike Mueller • February 02 2010 03:37PM

Comments

Thanks for the info. Plenty of good information.

Posted by REISA - 317-663-4173 over 2 years ago

I use this to share my posts all the time.  I also choose which page to post it on (I have three possible pages personal, business fan, and an area information page) and I sometimes post AR link and sometimes my outside blog link depending on how I want it to show up as a Real Estate Blog or as a Blog post from my Hudson Valley Happenings blog.  Thanks for highlighting this method for everyone.

Posted by Paddy Pizappi PineBush & Hudson Valley NY Real Estate (RJ Smith Realty Real Estate Solutions) over 2 years ago

Mike, I love your teaching videos!  I've not done very much with FB, for the main reason of not knowing exactly how to!  But I won't be able to use that excuse any longer!  Well done, well done!

Posted by Lee & Pamela St. Peter Raleigh Realtors® Raleigh North Carolina Homes for sale (Prudential YSU Realty - (919) 645-2522 ) over 2 years ago

Always good info from your posts -- thanks for sharing.

Posted by Benjamin Realty LLC over 2 years ago

Thanks for the Facebook SEO insights, Mike! I need to change from using Notes to the Attach a Link option. I definitely see the value in adding a little bit of an intro to some of my content, which should improve clicks and traffic.

Posted by John Novak - Las Vegas and Henderson NV Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace) over 2 years ago

As always...very informative and helpful. Thank you!

Posted by Maria Marriott | Real Estate Home Loans www.SacramentoMortgageInfo.com (First Priority Financial, Inc.) over 2 years ago

I was wondering about the FaceBook Fan Pages being DoFollow... I have been meaning to look.  Thanks Mike!

Posted by Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) over 2 years ago

Good information. I have a sharethis app set up on my outside blog that I use to share with Facebook, but I could use the attach link feature more effectively with other posts.

Posted by W. Darrell Walters - Envoy Mortgage Ltd over 2 years ago

Mike - I like to add content via the share ap.  i will have to try using the link feature so that i can change the title.

Posted by Pam Dent - REALTOR Charlottesville Virginia Homes and Horse Farms (Montague Miller & Company) about 2 years ago

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