Stirring Facebook Page engagement with good questions

What’s a sure-fire way to get engagement going with your fans on a stagnant Facebook Page? Ask them interesting questions.

This tactic stood head and shoulders above the rest in a recent roundtable discussion of best Facebook marketing practices at Social Media Breakfast Chicago, and for good reason:

• Questions are less about you, the brand/Page owner,  pushing your products and services, and more about them. Much more interesting!
• Questions are explicitly asking your fans to respond and take an action. You’re asking them to share their opinion, tell their stories, etc.
• Good questions lead to more comments and Likes, increasing the chances of that post appearing in your fans’ News Feeds. That leads to more exposure for your Page, and potentially more fans/Likers, meaning even more engagement.

So just how do you ask a good question to your Facebook Page fans? Here are a fived recommendations, accompanied by actual examples from brand Pages:

Keep it simple

The Kraft Foods Facebook Page does this really well, posing open-ended questions that are relevant to the brand (seeking recipe ideas and suggestions) and easy and fun to answer. Dozens of comments typically flood into the Wall within minutes.

Tap into their dreams

As TOMS Shoes does here, ask an aspirational question of your fans. How can they make the world a better a place? What inspires them and moves them to action?

Appeal to their creative side

A recent post from Sears asks its fans to submit short poems. Haiku entries, photos, or videos would work here as well. If your fans care enough about your brand and you’re giving them a regular platform to show off their creative skills, they’ll respond (and yes, that includes with the occasional negative comment, too).

Let them show what they know

Encourage your fans to share just how much they know about the inner workings of your products, as Best Buy does here. Ego boost for them, and plenty of commentary for your Page!

Fill in the blank

Notwithstanding the boy-band question, who doesn’t like a little fill-in-the-blank fun? ING Direct and Target are smart to take this approach.

These are just five ideas for jumpstarting Facebook Wall discussions. What else would add to this list?