Twitter provides a great list of best practices for business on their website. However, these guidelines are also relevant for business Facebook pages. Here is my retake on Twitter’s best practices from a small business or sole proprietor’s perspective:

1. Share best practice information
   1. Share best practice information related to your area of expertise.
   2. Give away your best advice online and people will begin to see you as an authority and someone to go to for answers. An abundance mentality lets your followers know you have their best interests in mind.
   3. Subscribe to blogs in your industry and retweet or post selected articles that are relevant to your clients.
2. Regularly monitor comments
   1. Monitor comments about your own small business, but also pay attention to comments about your clients business.
   2. Use Google Alerts to find out what others are saying about your customers and encourage them to listen as well.
3. Ask meaningful and relevant questions
   1. Engage in dialogue with your customers and clients but don’t ask questions you already know the answer to which will always appear self-serving.
   2. Ask questions that will help you understand your customers. Use current topics to spark dialogue that will educate you as well as your clients.
4. Respond to compliments, criticisms and feedback always!
   1. Apologize publicly and followup privately to resolve problems and respond as quickly as possible.
   2. Nutshellmail is a great listening tool for making sure your followers comments reach you in a timely manner. This is especially true if you are not connected to your online presence 24/7.
   3. Invite your vocal supporters to give you a recommendation on Linkedin or a review site such as Yelp, Superpages, Google Places
5. Regularly reward your followers
   1. Provide special offers, coupons, discounts, giveaways and time-sensitive deals. This practice answers the question, “Why should I like your page or follow you on Twitter?”
   2. Occasionally select a first responder to a FB or Twitter post for a giveaway. They will be delighted and become engaged spokespersons for your site.
   3. Wildfire Apps is a great application for quickly developing an engaging promotion targeted to your specific customers.
6. Champion your stakeholders
   1. Acknowledge feedback from your followers and ‘friend/follow’ their companies and businesses as well. Repost events and relevant information about your customers on your own social sites.