‘‘There is no sale without the story; no knockout without the setup.’’When it comes to using Facebook to market your business you need more than just a Facebook page. Much more is required for you to be able to use Facebook as an effective marketing tool. Here at 5 Colors Media we will walk you through the essentials. We will also provide you with an easy checklist so that you don’t miss any key details in the use of Facebook as a marketing tool for your business. With more than 2.2 billion active users on the platform, Facebook offers a wonderful marketing opportunity for businesses. If you are a business, you most likely already have both a personal and business page. If so, then congratulations, you have already accomplished the very first step in using this powerful marketing tool. This is the foundation of a strong digital, social media presence. You now have a platform for brand exposure, a place to improve customer relations, and a way of driving website traffic and promoting online offers. Now it is time to capitalize on that presence and ensure that you are using the medium effectively.
The About Section
Have you even checked it out lately? are you sure all the information is still relevant? Did you fill everything out when you opened the page or profile. You better check to make sure your website, username, story, phone number, address, email and every other way for customers to contact you is available here. Remember giving great content on Facebook and then not offering a way for fans to contact is much like having a store that never opens.
Settings
This is where you create what can be seen and what clients can view/do on your page. Make sure your settings allow readers to comment, review and share your information with their own fans. I can’t tell you the number of times I have come across excellent content, the stuff that takes time to create, only to find I can’t share it because the company’s settings don’t allow for it ( and they probably have no idea this is happening). By opening up these settings you are being more transparent and developing more trust and authority within your community. Once you open these settings, make sure you demonstrate how fans can message you. Just be sure you respond promptly to all inquiries. Turn ON your notifications. If you don’t receive the notifications, you’re liable to miss out on a potential client interaction.
Content
Be sure that your digital content reflects your business objectives. Use content mapping to ensure that you are delivering the appropriate content for the audience. And that you are serving that content at the right time. Consider the frequency with which you are posting. You don’t want to overwhelm your client, but you also don’t want to have an inactive page. Try to make a goal of posting about 4-8 posts per week and be sure to add diversity to your content. Perhaps an image, a GIF, a video, a link to a blog or article relevant to their interests. Also think about advertising events and contests to increase interaction from your customer base.
Design
The cover and profile picture are the first thing that new visitors will see, so be sure that you design these images well and that they reflective your company’s identity. Think about the size and quality you need the cover photo to be. This is about 861 x 315 pixels. Keep in mind though, that your profile image should only be about 180 x 180 pixels in size.
Customer Support
Rapid and honest interaction with a customer or potential customer is the most effective way to convert a fan into a customer, or to create loyalty from your fan base. Set a time limit for how long you or another member will reply to private messages, wall posts, and reviews. Usually, you should keep this time frame down to about an hour. This is the ideal. But whatever you do, try not to have your response exceed a 24 hours time period. You also want to answer with care. A well-thought out response can convince a skeptical person to buy from you. Whereas a hasty reply will show you to be uninterested in your customer base. Remember that your responses become the public representation of the company.
Advertising
Like any other form of advertising, Facebook advertising needs to be planned properly. Define your target audience and be sure that you are reaching them effectively. Think about using Facebook ads manager to set up your ads. This allows you to quickly create, manage, and assess the success of your campaign.
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Have a clear call to action. Know what the next step you want your customer to take when they reach your Facebook page? Like it? Go to your webpage? Shop? Figure out what the goal is and make that obvious.
Monitor
Listen and respond to what is being said online about your brand. If a client is unsatisfied with something relating to your business, and he expresses it here on Facebook, respond in a timely manner, and try to implement a policy that makes sure that this oversight does not occur again. If an aspect of the page is not as effective as you wish, redesign it and try new more effective tactic to drive those sales higher.
Insights
Use the sights and stats of your page to your advantage. Go one set further and follow your competition. Know what they do effectively so you can do the same thing only better. Besides, knowing what your competitors are doing helps you stay on top of your industry. Facebook has a lot of opportunities for businesses, but most businesses don’t know how to actually maximize these opportunities. questions to think about before beginning include:
- What is your overall digital marketing strategy?
- What are your business goals for this year?
- Do you want to increase brand awareness?
- Do you want more website traffic?
- Do you want to increase your sales leads?
Whatever your goal is. If you don’t establish the foundations of a good Facebook business page and profile, the rest just won’t matter.
