Facebook's director of Local, Emily White, recently chatted with USA Today about how merchants can boost their fan engagement.

Facebook is a top channel for local business research, but how can small business marketers make their brands stand out in the increasingly cluttered social space? Facebook's director of Local, Emily White, told USA Today that “authentic content” is marketers' best approach.

Competition for being a well-Liked business on Facebook is getting fierce. Still, White explains that some extreme tactics, such as buying Likes, may do businesses more harm than good. She says marketers should “want someone to Like your business because they really do.”

To generate Likes, she advocates high-quality, branded social content. When USA Today asked her about the best-performing offers brands can post on Facebook, she responded, quite simply, “It's all about authentic content.”

White also reminds marketers of the value of the company's recent integration of Places and branded Pages. She explains this is a good way to boost brand loyalty by showcasing fans who check-in at businesses. It's also a good way to get user-generated content.

But above all, she encourages marketers to take the time to get involved in social networking. “The way people are interacting with online materials is really starting to mimic what they're doing offline. A small business not on Facebook is missing a ton of opportunity,” she said.

It seems many businesses are working to ensure they're not missing any chance to engage customers this year. As Brafton has reported, social budgets are one the rise, and social marketers are increasingly adopting local strategies.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.