We have been able to engage Ottawa’s Facebook fans so much more by simply asking them to give their opinion or asking them to take action. Facebook is a place to connect with people and talk to them. It is not a press release distributor. Our philosophy is, if you sound like one of our commercials, you aren’t doing it right. Since figuring out this “secret” we have become very good at figuring out how to get fans to comment and like with even the most tedious updates. For example, say you need to send an update about an upcoming choir event. Put a question at the end. “Do we have any choir alumni on this page? Leave us a comment and tell us the year you were in it!” Don’t fret about negative responses. Every fan page gets them. It comes with the program. Look at it as an opportunity to talk to them personally and prove to them that you appreciate their opinion. (That is, if it isn’t just flat out rude or mean. You can delete those and ban that person from your page. More on that later.) Address the comment, you might even win them over and they will give your brand even more respect.