Did you know Facebook is the most widely used social platform in the world? Boasting over 1.28 billion active users a day, Facebook offers a prime opportunity to grow your brand and your business with social media. Whether you're new to Facebook or simply need to fine-tune your skills, this guide provides the essentials on how to successfully use Facebook to grow your business.
Creating a Business Page. To set up your business page, you first must have a personal Facebook account. Note: your personal profile and business page are not the same; keep them separate. If you're operating your personal profile as your business page, here's a step-by-step guide on how to convert it into a business page. Once you're logged into your personal account, go here to create your business page. Next, choose the page type and category that best fits your situation. Since this is your business page, you may want to enter your first and last name as your company name. If you have a name for your small business, enter that instead. If you work for an organization, first check to see what your company's guidelines are on creating individual business profiles. Finally, choose a profile picture that represents your brand, whether it be a professional headshot or a company logo, and be sure to upload a cover photo that matches your brand and conveys what you're all about. Don't forget to add a short description of your business and customize the call-to-action button below your cover photo.
Creating a Content Strategy. Your business page is much more than a glorified Yellow Pages listing. It's a place to build awareness and engage with followers. To do that, you have to share meaningful content on a regular basis. Make sure your content is relevant and adds value to your audience, and be careful not to bombard your followers with too many promotional posts about your products and services. Finally, stay in front of your followers consistently by creating a content calendar and scheduling your posts ahead of time.
Managing Your Page. Just as important as the content you post is how you manage engagement with your page. Running your business page cannot be an afterthought or something you plan to do only on weekends. Rather, it requires time, consistency, and thoughtfulness. This means responding to comments and inbox messages promptly and using those opportunities to provide exceptional customer service. Like it or not, customers judge businesses based on their social presence, and how well or poorly your Facebook page is managed could be the difference between a customer choosing you or going with your competitor.
Using Facebook Ads. Facebook offers the option to promote your posts as paid advertisements, which is an excellent way to increase exposure and target specific audiences. For instance, if you want to expand your reach to a specific demographic and geographic location, you can use a paid ad to get your content in front of those people. You can even target people based on their behaviors and interests. This helps you generate better leads and reach people who are interested in your business. Click here to learn more about how Facebook ads work and what you need to get started.
Monitoring Page Insights. Once your business page is up and running, don't forget to measure results with Page Insights. This helps you:
Track page performance over time
See who's connecting with your page and how
Get reporting on number of page views, page likes, post engagement, and more
Identify what type of content performs well and what doesn't
Be sure to monitor Page Insights regularly so you can optimize your posts based on what works best for your audience.
Facebook is a powerful tool that can help you increase exposure, develop brand loyalty, and grow your customer base. Put these tips to work to launch your Facebook marketing efforts today.