This month we are taking a step back from profiling how a winning business promoted their nomination during our contest, and instead we’re profiling a few winning businesses that also have a winning presence on Facebook.

The award for BEST Jazz Club on the Detroit A-List this year went to Cliff Bells. Not only was this jazz club voted #1 on the A-List, but it also has a large Facebook following with over 7,700 fans.  What makes Cliff Bells’ Facebook page so great is that they create diverse and interesting posts that are usually image based. They recently conducted a countdown on Facebook for the unveiling of their new lunch menu, which sparked a great deal of interest among their fans. They took pictures of their new lunch menu and let customers sound off on the new items in the comments. They also run exclusive offers on Facebook such as the week of July 1st, if a fan mentioned the phrase “Got That Swing”, they would receive 25% off of lunch any day that week. They are clearly engaging their fans and encouraging them to come in during weekday lunch, which is usually a slower time for most restaurants. Posting promotions and specials on Facebook also increases the likelihood that a fan will come back to see what is new.

The winning business in the Women’s Boutique category in Detroit, Flirty Fashions, also does a good job with their social media efforts. They use their Facebook page as a medium to display new merchandise that will arrive soon or just came into the store. By posting pictures of items that are coming soon, they create anticipation and keep their store at the top of mind. Flirty Fashions also has an Instagram account and has a tab for their Instagram feed directly on Facebook. An additional way that they get fans to come revisit their page is by posting pictures from fashion magazines with their opinions on the fashion trends. It is a great way for customers to stay up-to-date on the new trends that are arriving in store.

Just Baked, which was awarded BEST Bakery on the 2012 Detroit A-List also has a large following on Facebook with over 10,300 fans. Their posts are primarily image based and they posts pictures of decorative special order cakes, cookies and cupcakes, which shows off the skill and creativity that this bakery has. They also use Facebook as a platform to promote new products in their bakery like their recently added BIG cookies. They run exclusive promotions on Facebook to garner additional likes and even incorporated a contest on YouTube to increase engagement and offer a free dozen cupcakes. The contest is fun as the video submissions are for the best way to eat a Just Baked cupcake, and gives customers another reason to stop by one of their stores and pick one (or a dozen) up.

What are your best practices on Facebook? Let us know in the comments!