Are you trying to better connect with renters on Facebook? What you do is just as important as what you DON'T do. Read on for a list of 5 things NOT to do on Facebook.

Say “Facebook is Dead”

“Facebook is dead.” “No one is using Facebook anymore.” Have you heard some variation of those phrases? My response to that? Take a look at the numbers and decide for yourself. According to the Pew Research Center, about 73% of online adults use Facebook, making it the most dominant social networking platform.

The bottom line is this: if your audience is active on Facebook, you should be too.

Complain about Facebook’s Organic Reach

We’ve all heard it again and again (and again). Facebook’s organic reach continues to decrease. And I’m not going to lie here…it’s the truth. But instead of focusing on how many people you can’t reach, start focusing on creating useful content that your followers will find valuable and want to interact with, thus increasing your organic reach.

Also, consider Facebook advertising. It’s a relatively low-cost marketing tool that allows you to reach folks based on a number of different factors including demographics, interests and behaviors.

Ignore or Hide Negative Posts

When someone posts something negative about your community on Facebook, it’s tempting to hit “hide” or “delete” and just pretend like it never happened. But that’s not the best way to handle it. For one, if an angry resident sees that you’ve deleted her post from your page, it may just add fuel to the fire. She’ll get angrier, leading her to post negative content on other social media and reviews sites. In addition, responding to a negative post on Facebook can be an opportunity to turn a negative interaction into a positive one. If you respond to a negative comment, the person who commented (and others who are looking at your page) will see that you listen to your customers and truly care about their concerns.

Post Text-Only Updates

We live in a very visual world, so it's no secret that images perform well on social media. According to eMarketer, photos are the most engaging type of content on Facebook. Keep things interesting by posting a mix of images, text, links and videos on your page.

Talk to Yourself

The purpose of Facebook is to have conversations and make connections. Don't make it a one-way conversation by constantly talking at your audience. Instead, post content on your page that encourages engagement. Here are a few ideas:

• Ask questions: For example, on New Year’s Day, post a link to an article about successful New Year’s resolutions, and ask your audience to share their own New Year’s resolutions.
• Polls: Let’s say you manage an apartment community in Seattle. Link to a blog post about the top 10 things about living in the Emerald City. Then ask your audience to weigh in on which is their favorite.  
• Caption this: Post a silly photo on your Facebook wall (for example, an image of a pet in a funny costume). Then, challenge your audience to post their best caption for that photo.

Then, when folks do interact with your content, acknowledge their comments and keep the conversation going!

What Facebook “don’ts” would you add to this list? Please share in the comments below!