A few years ago, when a Facebook survey showed that just over half of U.S. adults get their news on the social network, you’d think that updates from your business would be flying off the page. But a more recent survey shows that not all businesses are proficient at utilizing Facebook. To take full advantage of your social media marketing efforts, you need to understand Facebook’s advertising tools. Here are some best practices for promoting your small business on the social network.
- Know Your Facebook Advertising Options
- Know that your Facebook Page is the best way to stay on brand
- Know that owning a Facebook page not only helps your business grow by expanding your target audience, but it also keeps your message top of mind for those people
Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads are, without a doubt, the most powerful tool you have at your disposal. A well-designed and targeted Facebook ad can significantly boost your sales, that’s why Facebook, in 2020 Facebook generated close to 84.2 billion U.S. dollars in ad revenues.
In terms of ROI, Facebook Ads are second to none, but that doesn’t mean that this tool is an all-or-nothing affair.
Marketing experiments can be incredibly powerful, especially if you set them up to a do-follow rate and publish at a certain time. For instance, posting late at night is not going to have a huge impact on your results, but if you target followers and only post at certain times – you can achieve huge results (and boost conversions).
All you need to do is stick to a proven plan and find the right creative options for your budget.
Have A Plan
There’s a lot of marketing automation software out there, but they all do something different. It can be easy to get overwhelmed with all the tools available, so it’s helpful to have a plan. An easy way to get things started is to use Facebook’s free Messenger tool to connect with customers. Start by sending them a welcome message, with a link to a website or blog. You can even link to a SurveyMonkey survey if you want them to provide feedback about their experience. These responses provide a great starting point for some more in-depth conversations.
Consider integrating with third-party tools to help you expand your marketing. By building a Facebook Messenger campaign, you can expand your customer base. When you add paid ads, you can target your audience with actionable insights. Building a powerful Facebook presence requires both time and money, but the positive response you get is well worth it.
Spend Time With Customers
Before you start trying to make friends with Facebook users, take some time to understand what they’re looking for from a business. There are many social platforms that focus on certain niches, like Instagram for food and Foursquare for shopping. As you find where your customers are hanging out, visit their pages to ask for their thoughts about your business. Be ready to answer questions and respond to their comments to make them feel like you care about their experience with you.
Approve Reviews And User Comments
For many people, the best way to interact with a brand is to provide constructive feedback. Make sure to take all reviews seriously, and consider hiring a social media expert to ensure you’re posting the best content. Use the opportunity to ask for feedback on your posts. The first few lines of a post provide a great opportunity to get someone’s attention. While you shouldn’t automatically reply to all reviews, it’s important to respond to all legitimate posts. Some companies even give out reward points for taking customer feedback, so it’s worth it to offer some incentives.
Prioritize Quality Over Quantity
When setting up a marketing campaign, it can be easy to think you can’t do it all. Start small, use an automation tool to get your content started, and build on it over time. Use the time to improve your content strategy, and stay active in your online community. You’ll notice how much your efforts have improved as a result. In the end, the most important thing is to stay motivated and continue to build your reputation as a high-quality business owner.
The main takeaway here is to think about Facebook as a vital asset to your business. And even though there are many Facebook marketing tools available, they can only do so much. What’s more important is to have a business strategy that provides you with great marketing opportunities. Now that you know the most important things to keep in mind about using Facebook for your business, start planning your strategy to be successful in 2021.
