Few platforms out there have evolved to the degree Facebook has. Facebook began with simple social network features, but the past couple years have brought us Facebook Pages, Deals, Places, the Newsfeed and other developments. With each of these additions, the right question of how does this affect us as marketers has been raised, but no other feature is more important to a brand on Facebook than the Newsfeed.

The Facebook Marketer's Ace in the Hole

The ability to create dynamic tabs using iframes and the new option to provide Groupon-like deals to Facebook users cannot be overlooked, but statistically speaking, engagement with consumers on a brand's Facebook Page stops after a consumer "Likes" the Page. It's their first and last visit to the Page, so an ecommerce tab or exclusive app doesn't do the brand much good if it stands on its own.

The posts from a brand that display on a user's Newsfeed drive everything once a user "Likes" the Page as they offer a link back to a consumer once they leave the Page. It gives the brand a presence in a user's Facebook life even thought they never come back to the Page. Plus, it can be used to support other Facebook efforts by driving to an ecommerce tab, exclusive in-store event or some other promotion.

Don't Overlook the Wall Content

The issue that arises is the wide range of choices available to marketers on Facebook. There are a lot of flashy options like Page tabs out there, but without the content from the brand's posts to support them, they do very little for the brand.

There's a little more pressure on the posts than simply supporting other Facebook efforts. They have to make it to the Newsfeed before they can do the brand any good. Users who have "Liked" a brand Page need to interact with the content on an ongoing basis. Otherwise, Facebook's algorithm recognizes that the content isn't relevant, which leads to it being removed from the "Top News" section of a user's Newsfeed, which proves how important it is to know your audience, know your brand and know the type of content that will deliver value to your Page's Likers to keep them engaged and interacting.

Leveraging the Newsfeed

Mastering the Newsfeed is an essential piece to laying a sturdy foundation on Facebook, and how to best use the Newsfeed will differ by brand. Here are a few suggestions to do just that:

Post Regularly: Start with posting once per day, and see how the conversation goes. If you receive lots of feedback and your audience seems engaged, post more. Share when you have something to share, not for the sake of sharing.
Time Test: Schedule posts for different times, and monitor how they perform next to each other. Eventually, you'll be able to identify certain times that work best for posting.
Encourage Interaction: Include a call-to-action in the posts by asking questions, requesting content or soliciting feedback. Don't speak to people. Talk with them and create a two-way dialogue.
Provide Value: Know the audience and what content your brand can offer that will provide value. Teach them something, entertain them and give them something only your brand can provide to keep them interacting.
Spice Up the Content Types: Balance the type of content you're sharing by peppering in photos, videos, polls and text. Stand out on the Newsfeed by diversifying the content types.

The platforms are secured, the company logo's in place and the stars have finally aligned. You're ready to start tweeting, posting and sharing to drive engagement and interaction with you consumers, but you won't get far without a content calendar.

Often overlooked and underestimated, the content calendar is the tangible piece that lays out a strategy month-by-month, week-by-week and day-by day. It can make or break a brand's success when it comes to social media as it plays several essential roles:

The Worker
The Soulmate
The Taskmaster

The Worker

The content calendar's primary role and focus should be to work for the business. No matter what, the biggest reason a business should be using social media is to achieve business objectives, and the content calendar should speak to it.

All of the content, whether it's text, audio or video, should tie back to the brand. This doesn't mean the focus should be pushing a circular, sharing deals or dispensing coupons. It's deeper than that, but those pieces can still play a role when they tie back to the brand. It also doesn't mean asking meaningless questions that do nothing for the brand like "What's your favorite color?"

Define the experience a consumer can expect to have when interacting with the brand and use that as a filter for what and how content is shared. That experience must tie back to the brand and must be consistent no matter the type of content or platform.

The Soulmate

While the content calendar needs to tie back to the brand, the pieces in the content calendar need to be relevant to the consumer because if the consumer doesn't care, the company is talking to no one and is wasting time and money.

The audience needs to be at the center of the calendar. The intersection of what the brand has to offer in terms of expertise and emotion needs to intersect with the interest of the consumer.

Once defined, that intersection can be leveraged to encourage participation, solicit feedback and drive engagement. Brands have the opportunity to connect with consumers emotionally in the social space. That emotional connection will keep them coming back for more.

The Taskmaster

Plain and simple, the content calendar keeps a brand on track. It outlines a plan of action for what's going to be shared, when and how. It also allows a company to think ahead, prepare, obtain internal buy-in and make sure all parties are on the same page. Knowing what to share and when keeps things moving forward without getting stuck and becoming stagnant.

Don't Set It and Forget It.

The content calendar doesn't replace interaction. If it's done its job, people will respond to what is posted, and they expect brands to be there to respond. It's important to remember to be prepared to respond and interact.

A Best Friend.

The content calendar when done with business objectives in mind and crafted to tap into consumer interests and emotions has the potential to be a brand's best friend. It has to be thought through and scrutinized because, when done right, it can take pushing out content further by driving consistent engagement.