After realizing how important it is for a brand to have a Facebook Page, the easy part is creating one; the hard part is building interaction.

Often, I have been asked “How do you increase interactions on a Facebook Page?” and depending on what industry your business is in, it can become a bit tricky. However, with some guidelines to keep in mind, you may be able to differentiate what would best suit your brands community and what would be a waste of time.

These steps can be applied to your Facebook Page, or any other Social Network you may be using to increase brand awareness and build relationships.

The steps you need to follow are simple, yet easy to make complicated, in a Social Media world we sometimes overlook what may be obvious, and so here are some tips that may help.

1. Get to know the Social Network – Check out other popular brands (big or small) and see how they are engaging their audience, check to see if they are receiving likes, comments or any type of interaction beyond just them posting. Some great ones to have a peek at are Skittles Facebook Page and Ford’s Twitter account, for example.

2. Learn your Community -  Use analytics (the free ones and otherwise) to gauge your targeted market, this can make narrowing topics down to suit the gender, age and location which can include the interests of the specific demographic that such analytics collect. Use this information to the fullest, research topics that interest those who have joined your community based on this knowledge and remember to keep monitoring your feeds for insights. A good example of this is the use of your Facebook Insights, they are free and easy to use, so use them.

3. Be Friendly – Social Networks are not a place for advertisement, the main feed is meant for you to spark up a conversation, and this means that you need to ask questions, leave comments and part take in discussion. Your page allows you to switch between your profile and being a representative of your page. Look for other like-minded pages and add them to your favorites, this way you can interact as your page on another page and open yourself up to a new audience that may end up “liking” your page too, based on the commonality shared between the two.

4. Be Clever with Your Status Updates – No one wants to hear “me, me, me” all the time, they want to feel included as a part of your team and experience moments with you. So get clever, think outside your own business and interact on non-controversial topics that are interesting to your targeted audience without filling them up with what you have to offer as a business, but instead serve the page as a person. This will make your page more likeable, which will help with generating conversation. Think outside your building three times out of four. A great place to find what to talk about is on the helpful site, whattosayonfacebook.

5. Be Genuine – Don’t say things that you don’t mean, or promise anything you cannot follow through on, this is especially directed at promotions and campaigns, but I highly recommend it as a general rule. Be transparent, people don’t like liars and they can smell a fake from a mile away. Understanding that being personable and asking questions with a higher follow-through rate is as important as receiving a paycheck. Marketing beyond the traditional route will take you where the people are, as long as you are a person on behalf of the business.

6. Always respond to Negative Sentiment – Yes, the dreaded fear that has either kept you away from Facebook or Social Media as a whole or has you biting your nails with anxiety, negative sentiment. Reality is that you will never be able to please everybody and some days are better than others. The true watchful eyes wait upon a reaction. Since you monitor your Facebook regularly, you should respond in a timely manner, empathize and give another form of contact to discuss the issue. Or find a way to call them, the best outcome is that you provide a discount on their next service or visit, and apologize for what has happened. Then, follow up on your page with how you resolved the issue. This then lets your community know that you took the negative sentiment and applied a resolution. Do not underestimate the power of the reaction, doing so makes a world of difference.

These are general guidelines that can help your business on Facebook. Take time to thank those who have applied an action on your page and remember that someone is always watching, even when an action is not applied. Always give the perception of good customer service with a helpful hand and many will be happy with choosing to like your page and will look forward to your posts showing up in their newsfeeds.

Remember that lists, captions, and questions attract people, as long as they are open-ended and as long as you remain open-minded, you are on the way to success via your Facebook Page.

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Erin Ryan is a writer for various blogs and a Social Media Specialist who has a keen understanding of the power of Social Media for business and fervently stays up-to-date with the Social Media Industry. Erin enjoys teaching and helping people and businesses on how to use and connect through Social Media. Connect with Erin

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