We tell our clients that they need to be everywhere their clients are. If your target market is on Facebook, you've got to be there, too. Chances are that they might be, since in 2010, Facebook surpassed Google as the most visited website.
When we build custom Facebook pages for our clients, the adage "If you build it, they will come" doesn't hold any weight.
Here are some of our proven strategies to increase your Facebook likes -- we have some more up our sleeves, too... You are free to ask!
1) Facebook Ads: This is a pay-per-click campaign that, best of all, allows you to control your costs and spending. You can specify who you want to target with the ads - for example, for a wedding DJ client, we targeted women who recently added "Engaged" to their profiles.
2) Use a Like-Gate: A like-gate is an entry point to your Facebook page where your target market must click "Like" to get through to the coupon, contest or exclusive content. This can be done with a special Facebook app - there are a number of them out there. Remember not to ask your friends/potential customers/clients to just "like" your page - it's not that easy and you need to put some effort into this. Entice them with a free gift, coupon, exclusive content, tip sheet, etc. For our clients in the Food & Beverage industry, we recommend that they take pictures of their patrons - and tell the customers to visit the bar/bakery/restaurant's Facebook page to see their photos!
3) Beat your competitors to the punch: If there are industry or competitor websites where the company is being unengaged and unresponsive, swoop in and comment on behalf of your company. This is a great way to build a larger fan base.