When you set up your Facebook business page, you get to decide how much interaction you allow your fans on your wall. This is an important decision because it determines how much interaction you give you fans with your business and within your fan community.

• Before You Start: You have a Facebook business page.
• Learning level: 2 | Getting Started
• Article Last Updated: Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Facebook Fan Interaction Options

When you set up your official (business) page on Facebook, one important component is your wall settings. Your wall is the default page your fans and potential fans see when they visit your page. Your wall contains the items you post including information blurbs, status updates, photographs, videos, and links to other web destinations.

Facebook only allows people who like your page to post on your wall, and you decide what kinds of things they can post. You can allow fans to post any combination of these items to your business page wall:

• Comments
• Photographs
• Videos

You can choose not to allow fans to contribution anything to your wall. However, the whole point of being on social media is to have a conversation with your community. A conversation means that you talk and listen. If you don’t allow your community to speak, you aren’t having a conversation: you are broadcasting your message. You can’t build an community if you don’t listen to them.

Facebook Fan Contributions

If you allow fans to contribute to your wall, you have to decide how you handle their contributions. Facebook gives you the option to separate your contributions from fan contributions. You set this on the Wall Tab Shows option.

• All Posts. This option intermingles your contributions with fan contributions. Wall items show up in chronological order (Most Recent) or in order of importance as determined by Facebook (Top Posts). The avatar (image) on the left and the name identify if the contribution is from your business or a fan.
• Only Posts By Page. This option separates your contributions and fan contributions. When anyone lands on your business page wall, they only see your contributions.
  

Here how Facebook appears to when you separate your contributions from fan contributions.

If you allow fans to post all types of content to your wall. Notice that the page name (Entrepreneur Magazine) appears on the right in the wall box and is the default setting. This means that visitors see only posts by the page as the default.

People who like your site can see the posts contributed by other people who like your page. They click Top Posts or Most Recent and the fan contributions are mixed into the page contributions. (Note: This page does not allow fans to contribute photos, videos, or links.)

If you don’t allow fans to post on your wall:

The decision you make for this option is important, and something you should think through carefully. Here are some factors to consider.

• Separate contributions from others. You might choose this option if your business uses Facebook to communicate important messages to your customers that you don’t want to get lost in a larger conversation.
• Mix in contributions from others. This option lets people see the dynamic interaction of your community with your business. People can see the level of community engagement. They can also see if you respond to questions and issues people may raise on your business page.

Separating fan contributions can look like you don’t value fan contributions. If you choose this option, it’s even more important that you engage in conversation with your fans in their contributions.

Your turn: Do you allow the people who like your official page to contribute on your wall? What content do you allow? Do you separate their contributions? Share your experiences.

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