Bethany Edwards, digital editor for the MetroWest Daily News in Framingham, Mass., includes a question as part of her Facebook posts for the paper as often as she can. That's recommended best practices, and pays off in fan engagement.
WHAT SHE DID: In a post promoting a community blogger (another recommended best practice) Bethany asks: "Why do you run?" and gets several likes and comments from fans in response. In a post linking to a story on her site about the womens' Olympic soccer team, she asks, "Do you think the women have what it takes to beat Japan?" In a post linking to a story on her site about "staycations" in a sluggish economy, she asks, "Are you going somewhere exotic on vacation or staying at home?"
THE TAKEAWAY: Edwards is building a nice rapport with her Facebook fans, and they're responding. Not every post is posed as a question, but more often than not, they are. Studies have shown that fans will comment on and like posts that are posed as questions more often than posts that are not. So, if you want to see increased interaction by your fans on your Facebook page, post a question with your link as often as you can.
GateHouse Media News & Interactive Division staff post best practices on social media uses, as well as information on the newest technology newspapers can use in the social media space.