Social media in general but Facebook in particular has become a crucial marketing tool that small businesses need to be taking advantage of. Not only does having a consistent Facebook presence give a business personality and character, but it also helps develop brand identity with consumers. Unfortunately, most small businesses are overwhelmed with other tasks and they do not devote enough time and resources to developing a solid social media strategy and as result, they miss out on all the great marketing opportunities that Facebook has to offer. We know that it can be a little overwhelming when first embarking on your Facebook journey, so here are three native Facebook tools that you can take advantage of immediately once you’ve established your Facebook business page.
Facebook Contests
Facebook contests such as sweepstakes, caption contests, promotions and so on, are excellent ways to increase fans, promote brand awareness, and create buzz. Determine something that will work for your business, as well as something you believe your customers would find of value. For example, a pet store may have a caption contest for a photo of a puppy. The best caption could win a gift card to the pet store. Contests are beneficial because they encourage your Facebook followers to essentially do your marketing for you through sharing, commenting, and Liking. Also, most people are willing to give a little information, like an email address, to get something in return, thus creating another way to establish a relationship with them and connect with these potential customers in the future.
Facebook Advertisements
Facebook advertisements are located along the sides of the Facebook page. Using Facebook ads can be an effective way to increase Likes, as well as encourage traffic to your page and website. Facebook ads are useful in that it allows you to choose exactly who you want to target, whether it be a certain age group, people in a particular location, people with a specific interest, etc. This capability helps to ensure that your ad is reaching the appropriate demographic so you get the most ROI. An ad could simply promote the company’s Facebook page, website or a specific product or service available.
Promoted Posts
Promoted posts on Facebook is a useful way to create exposure and increase impressions of your company’s page. To promote a specific post on your Facebook page, you simply pay a flat rate and choose the audience you want to target. You can target people who like your page and their friends or you can target a specific age, location, gender and/or language. How much you are willing to spend will determine how many people the post will be promoted to; the more you spend, the more people it reaches. Promoted posts can be utilized to drive traffic to your page and increase interaction with consumers who would’ve otherwise not have seen your post or brand. Such posts show up in users News feeds rather than in the right side panels so they appear much more natural than your typical Facebook ad. Keep in mind, Facebook users tend to favor visuals, so try promoting a unique picture or graphic that would interest your particular demographic. This will increase the likelihood of the post being shared, commented on, and/or Liked.
Being a small business on Facebook can be intimidating, but give these three tools a go. Implementing these suggestions in conjunction with insightful and regular posts will surely increase your following, as well as your social media presence.
*Before running a contest, advertisement or post promotion, be sure to consult Facebook’s Pages Terms and Conditions – https://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php
