As much as I would have loved to get this post out earlier in the day, my laptop has been conspiring against me since I arrived in Arizona yesterday, leaving me no access to the interwebs, save the live tweeting I was able to do via @adCenter on my phone.

Of course, there is a business center with pay-per-minute internet access here at the swanky Westin Kierland Resort (where SMX Social Media Marketing is being held)... a smart person would have checked their closing time before hopping on the phone with tech support, but alas, I am not that smart person. You haven't lived until you've typed out a blog post on a cell phone; let it never be said that I don't earn my event press pass...but I digress -- on to the goods!

Today's first session, Free Facebook Tactics to Drive Traffic and Conversions, featured three speakers with different goals, and therefore, different approaches in how they reach and engage with their audiences. As such, I'm going to split this first session's coverage into three separate posts. Up first was Kevin Scholl with Red Roof Inn... here's his best practices for brand-based marketing via Facebook.

Tactic #1: Talk is Cheap

Invest in time: spend most of your energy sourcing valuable, relevant content. Conversation about your business should come naturally...leverage your expertise to drive discussions. Engage your community by showing them you care about their feedback, opinions and what they care about; take all the things you're doing in person and simply move it online.

Tactic #2: Customer Created Content

Brand advocates can be one of the best members of your social team...they work for free! Once you have shown your community that their involvement is welcome and valued, you may find that you have more content than you know what to do with.

Tactic #3: Content is King

It's better to have 10,000 engaged followers than 100,000 disinterested ones. Create content that shows you care, e.g. this year, Red Roof Inn partnered with The Disabled American Veterans organization for Veteran's Day, donating $5 for every new "like" received in November and offering a discount of 15% off for vets throughout the entire month.

Tactic #4: What do you think?

Use Facebook as a springboard for customer comments, feedback and input on the content you're creating for your community. Involve your followers in the brainstorming process; they'll be more interested and engaged when you publish the final product.

Tactic #5: Social is Different

Not all content has to be about your brand. Ost funny videos, insightful infographics, news that might be of interest to your audience, etc. Think outside the box!

Tactic #6: Respond

Engagement is a two-way street...the only way to drive and increase engagement is to not only seed conversation starters, but nurture discussions with lively back-and-forths with your community.

Tactic #7: Partner

Partner with causes your community cares about. Red Roof Inn has a pet-friendly policy, users who like their Facebook page regularly post pictures of travels with their four-legged friends. Partnering with pet-friendly non-profits serves the dual purpose of raising awareness of those causes, as well as making supporters of those charities aware of Red Roof Inn's pet-friendly policies.

So...what do you think? Have you tried any of these tactics? Were they successful? Can you believe I just typed all that out on a tiny phone keyboard?

Be sure to follow Kevin School on Twitter (link to: www.twitter.com/RedRoofInn).