Our non-profit’s Facebook fan base has grown by 300% over the past year. I’m thrilled. But I was recently reminded that this isn’t enough. (“Use social media to help build your own platform on your site or through your email instead as that audience you will always have full, unrestricted and free access to.” Marko Saric)
Don’t let these fans show up as numbers only on Facebook. Organizations have to draw them in. Facebook is a great first step.
One way to draw them in, of course, is continue to provide them with great, relevant content where you first met — Facebook. But you must them part of your organization (not just Facebook’s). One of the best ways to do that is to get them to sign up for your e-mail list.
Encouraging e-mail list sign-ups on Facebook
1. Use Facebook’s Call to Action button. Just below the Facebook cover image, there is a Call to Action button, which can be activated and edited. To use it to grow your e-mail list, choose “Sign-Up” as your Call to Action and link it to your web-based e-mail sign-up form. (Thus far, this has been the most effective way for us to get e-mail sign-ups from Facebook fans.)
2. Use Constant Contact’s Facebook Sign-Up App. In the left column of your Facebook page, you can install Facebook apps for your page. One of these is a Constant Contact Facebook Sign-Up app. It can be edited.
3. Ask fans to sign up through posts and include a link to a web-based e-mail sign-up form.
I created a separate list within Constant Contact for Facebook sign-ups so I can track how well we are doing in this area on Facebook.