Turn a Facebook Friend into a Facebook Page Fan

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If you're like most business owners on Facebook you've got "friends" who are actually customers or clients of your business.  That's fine, it's great to know that they think enough of you to want to be your friend. But if they are just a friend, they miss out on all the great business related items on your actual business page like: news, promotions, staff highlights, fun photos and more.  So if you're like me, you need to convert those friends into fans.

Here are a few things to try:

• First, use the conventional method of inviting your friends to "like" your business fan page.  Here's how that's done:   

• First, go to your business page on Facebook. From that page you'll see the admin panel which is divided into sections.  The lower right section has some of your friends listed and the words "invite friends."  To make it easy on yourself click "see all" to the far right.  This will bring up a box of all your friends. 

• Check to make sure that "Search All Friends" is selected from the drop down menu on the top left in the box. This will show you all your friends on Facebook.  The friends that are already fans or have already been invited are grayed out leaving the friends you have yet to invite in full color. 

• Check mark the box next to each friend and when you are finished selecting, click the "submit" button on the bottom right of the box.  This will automatically invite your friends to become fans.

Now, let's say you've tried that and got a few new friends but not everyone.  Okay the next step would be to  put an announcement on your Facebook wall (timeline) and let them know you've got a cool new page and you need their help to get more fans.  Link directly to your business page in the post.  That should bring in a few more friends.

When you see your customer "friends" online, send them a message using the Facebook chat and ask them directly to like the business page.  Be sure to have the link ready to send them in the post to make it super easy.

Okay you've tried those options and you've still got a lot of friends who are customers and you need them to become fans.  Now is when you have to get really creative. And I would say at this point bribery is not out of the question.  How about a discount for a limited time only to those who are fans of the business page?

How about posting a question on your business page and giving something away to a few of the correct or best answers? Once you post on your business page you can personally "like" it and "share" it with your own friends and timeline which will elicit interaction.

Hancock fabrics (one of my favorites) has a great thing going where they are asking fans to post photos every Monday and awarding gift cards to their favorites. Funky Threads has been successful simply sharing their creations on both the business page and her personal Facebook page. Use your imagination and if you find something that works well please share it here!