Facebook can be an ingenious way to grow your small business. Whether you sell in person, online or through an app, we all want to know what to do next as businesses grow. Facebook, essentially, allows you to build relationships with customers, encouraging endorsement and spreading positive word of mouth.
Here’s the hard part. Actually doing marketing on Facebook is a whole other story.
Here’s our 5-minute guide to help you start seeing the results you want.
Have a clear goal and strategy
It is very important to have a clear goal on Facebook and a strategy to achieve that goal. Setting these gives you an idea of what you want to focus on for Facebook marketing and a way to determine your success.
Create a voice for your business
We all know that Facebook users enjoy talking to other people. The manager of your Facebook page must be able to write in a voice that sounds real and likeable, using a style that suits your particular business. They will need permission to express things in their own words, not just the company’s ‘official line’. Are you the one who is writing on Facebook for your small business? Remember to keep it fairly casual but be respectful and most of all respond quickly to posts.
Posting content
Content is key! Social media is built around frequency. Many Facebook users check their pages several times a day, and they need to see that businesses are regularly posting new content. Depending on where your business stands, it would be appropriate to post material twice daily. However, do not just post anything for the sake of posting. You must post interesting and informative content. Every post you made should be thought out carefully. How it will build your brand and increase interactions?
Visual component
Pictures and videos are a significant part of Facebook’s appeal. Try to utilise them frequently to keep friends and customers engaged. A visual post always gets much more attention from the user and Facebook promotes those posts more.
Become interactive with offers, contests, games, surveys etc. People are drawn to Facebook due to its fun element. So try to keep it fun yet engaging and informative. Users want something that they can’t get any other way.
In order to further understand your audience, you can also distribute customer surveys. If you do this, make sure that you keep surveys short and sharp. Provide a survey link that users can easily click, ignore or share with their friends.
Interaction
Engage with your followers. Users love to talk to people and share their news and views. Reply to queries and respond to comments, including any complaints. You can also encourage discussion and feedback – positive user-generated content provides a very powerful endorsement for your business.
Like every comment on your posts. If someone took the time to comment, you should acknowledge them because it helps build interaction. They will be more likely to interact again and Facebook will more likely to show them your posts. The ultimate goal is to get as many likes and comments on a post as possible.
It takes time to build good relationships with Facebook users. Engage honestly in conversations, provide useful content, and develop rewards for loyal customers to help nurture positive relationships.
Timing is crucial
The timing of posts is crucial because Facebook promotes your post to more of your followers if you and only it gets likes and comments quickly. This sometimes requires trial and error to see when your followers react best. Posting posts late at night is a sure fail. Posting during the middle of the way day is not going to be entirely effective either. The most ideal times to post would be late afternoon and early evenings on weekdays and mid-afternoon on weekends.
TIP: A useful tip when using Facebook to promote your business would be to utilise the tools Facebook provides. Facebook Insights can tell you more about the people who choose to like your page. You can tailor your posts and offers to meet their needs and interests.
Facebook will help you create an image of yourself, your brand and your company that people are attracted to. This is the key to any marketing campaign.
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