Why have a Facebook Page for Business?

Is it a total waste of your time, a distraction, a gimmick for the Marketing set ? 30+ Facebook tips.

Who is Facebook for Business for ?

Can you identify your audience ? How do you connect ? Is a social media channel like Facebook an option? Targeting is critical, otherwise you end up advertising to the wrong crowd.
Identify the necessary steps needed to connect with your audience, create a plan, give someone the responsibility to manage the plan and then review performance regularly, so that you can continually tweak the plan. Before you post anything, do a bit of research to see what other people, bigger companies, in your business are doing on Facebook, to help give you some ideas for design and layout to make you look good. (Not too much time on research, get that page up ASAP). Facebook ads work, but you may have to do some work too. Stick with it, A/B test until you get it right.

Facebook Tips to make it perform well for you

1.   Create most of the content in your website first and then post link it in Facebook
2.   Include a good engaging sized image as it encourages clicks, larger ones rather than the default small ones, include a CTA Call to Action, that should ideally bring people to your website, where you can engage with more information or offers.
3.   Add some content to make the image better such as a bit of pertinent intro text
4.   Create and add Video content or repost interesting video. It can be raw and rough, but video for mobile is going to be huge, ideally with subtitles or explanatory text, as many people wil not click a video until they know what it is about
5.   Background – make sure that your Facebook page has your corporate imagery, Logo etc and looks well, telling the story of what you do
6.   Share Testimonials via Facebook using Teasers with the main content on your own website pages
7.   Have good Company information in your About page to answer questions, give contact details and contain keywords to help you get found
8.   Use Facebook to create Authority, to show that you are an expert in your field
9.   Posts should be 80% useful or interesting content and no more than 20% about you or your products and service
10. Facebook button on your website – show you have a Facebook page and allow website visitors connect via Facebook if they use it
11. Have Share button options on your website articles
12. Timely – use content that is current or trending, so in early Feb mention Valentines Day or June 21st longest day and so on
13. Promote events in Facebook
14. Promote your Customer Newsletter which will do exclusive offers – which will help get followers to stay connected. This way they identify themselves for you
15. Ask for opinion or feedback to start a conversation
16. Special offers work well such as a discount or 2 for 1 or Promo code
17. Calendar – as with everything have a plan, schedule your posts for particular days and set times – be consistent
18. Target your posts to the right demographic, age, location, sex etc Be specific, niche down until you get it right
19. Run competitions to engage audience
20. Analytics – look at the reports, the Page Insights and review the performance the posts. Are you using the right call to action? Are you promoting at the right time of the year? Time of day or day of week – it all matters.
21. Invite Business Contacts, invite Friends, Invite potential customers
22. Connect – identify the businesses you want to meet, follow them, like their posts and enter in to a conversation. Show a connection or interest.
23. Be authentic and respond to any comments, staying consistent in the way you post and respond, in your personality or character and in the way you post content
24. Create adverts to boost your post and get seen by the target audience – Boost some of your posts and gauge reaction. Try advertising in a small way and find out what works for you – Facebook advertising works well and is really low cost
25. Repeats what works based on your Analytics reports
26. Post content that is of interest to your audience rather than post simple obvious sales pitches
27. Use Tagging to connect with other companies or content – use the @ sign
28. Use #Hashtags to connect via Twitter
29. Copy some of your Pinterest content in to Facebook
30. Use Facebook to get feedback on option A or B – ask a question and get feedback
31. Test your Facebook Advert copy to ensure you do not have too much text – FREE check here  Keep text below 20%. Make the image high quality, tighly cropped and showing a CTA Call to Action
32. Get tips or training  from the Specialists such as Amy Porterfield who I recommend highly. NB: Prepare to give it some T I M E but Amy can help you get on top of Facebook or even just understand it, so that you understand what has to be done to become successful. Amy is capable, experienced, professional and offers training if you need it to create a Social Media Sales Funnel.  If you do not mind someone who is more sales pushy have a listen to Pam Moore who has loads of energy and great tips.
33. Facebook offers Advertising Tips here
34. Go back to the audience you have created to ensure that you are advertising to the right people. Look at the message and ensure it is working.
35. Ensure you add the Facebook pixel code in to your own website.

Metrics – Measure your return on time invested, so that you do not waste your time. Facebook can be seen as a Social Distraction and can certainly be a waste of time, if the time invested is done without a proper plan and subsequent analytics. On the other hand you can use Facebook to connect with your audience, to engage with it and to channel interest or sales.

Time – if you have the time or have someone available who has the time required to manage Facebook that is great, if not then simply outsource it to someone who specialises in this work, for as little as one hour a week at around €30 an hour. You do not service your own car or boiler, so why feel that you have to manage your Facebook account. Oversee it, but let someone else manage it. Set targets and check performance quarterly. Be sure that the content you put out is suitable for your market.

Bottom Line – Copyblogger turned off its own Facebook page, because whilst Facebook has certainly got the traffic, it is looking to increase advertising revenue and will make businesses pay to be found. Reach has been significantly reduced, as in read about 10%, so posts do not get seen as much, so native advertising is the way of the future, for smart marketers.

All advertising, including Content Marketing, has to have a point, increase sales, reduce costs, speed up delivery or improve customer satisfaction/retention.

Facebook does work for business, but business has to work for Facebook – in other words it takes some time, so plan for that. It is Social, so get involved with your friends, suppliers and target market – be nice 🙂 Show some personality and show that you care.

Facebook Business Page Tips for Sales   Facebook Business Page Tips for Posting