I read a great article today by Mashable about maximizing your company or brand’s reach on Facebook.   I was so surprised to find out that most brands are actually only reaching, on average, 16% of their fan base – even when they were posting 5 to seven times per week!  This made me do a double take when I thought about my own social media campaigns and efforts for my own clients!

You can view all five of the tips from Mashable here, but the one that really resonated the most with me was “Don’t Play Hard to Get“.  In this tip, we are told that we should not “be coy” with our requests for readership and fans.  Go ahead…ask someone to “like” your page.  Pose questions.  Ask for comments.  Poll readers.  It sounded silly at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought…”Hmm, if a page I “liked” asked me to like a post for one reason or another, would I?”

I think that the answer is…yes.

So, if you are self-employed, manage your company’s social media campaigns, or are just a social media enthusiast…try this theory.  Test it out.  Don’t be coy, be direct.  Let us know how it goes!