With many social networks available to small business owners, it makes sense to work with ones that suit your time and where you audience is at. Overall it does seem to be that many small businesses like using Facebook and setting up a business page to promote their business. If you are spending time there socially, it makes sense to spend time on your business page.
In order to have an effective Facebook business page there are a few things to take into account:
Planning:
Look at your business closely. What goes on in your business that can be communicated to your audience that takes them on a journey? What tells them a story? What inspires them to take action? Do you sit down regularly and look at what your business is doing for the next 3 months, 6 months or 12 months? If you do, then you have plenty of content that can be planned effectively to use on your Facebook page and other social media platforms.
Time and effort:
As with any marketing activity it needs time and effort to market your business. I often see many Facebook business pages where nothing has been posted for weeks, sometimes months, then all of a sudden there is spurious activity with an apology for not posting. The most powerful tool within your Facebook page is the scheduling facility. If you have thought about the planning, then schedule your posts at the beginning of each and make a note to check your page everyday for 5 minutes, responding to comments and saying hello to new followers.
Engage/Interacting:
A post once a week or month is not going to cut the mustard. Think of it this way.... if you went into your favourite shop or visited a favourite website, you would soon not visit if the shelves or content had not been updated regularly. The same can be said of your fans. Going back to your planning, post something that is going to create a response. There are plenty of things that you can do to engage. Help them feel valued. Ask a question, use the poll facility that is already on Facebook. Share a funny or inspiring quote or video. The idea is that if your fans like it they will share it. They start to become your allies/ambassadors. Create a giveaway or competition. With Facebook relaxing their rules recently about competitions, there is no reason why you cannot incorporate this into your planning, especially if you have a new product or service. With a bit of investment your efforts will certainly pay off.
Small amount of investment:
I have seen many comments where people say 'I'm not paying to promote an ad'. Mmmm bit like saying you want to be seen in a magazine but don't want to pay for the space. Facebook is free to use and free to set up a business page, which is great. Facebook has already seen the potential of how it can make money, therefore it's users must also adopt some similar principles. If you have posted great content which has received good comments and engagement then it is most definitely worth investing a few pounds to increase the circulation outside of your current fan base. The insights area on your business page will provide plenty of data to help you decide which posts are worth boosting.
The bigger picture:
You cannot run your business on Facebook alone. Not everyone has an account. If your business has a website it has a much better chance of being seen by more people if marketed and shared correctly across multiple channels [email signature, social media, newsletters, seo etc]. So make sure your website is included on your About section on Facebook or on your cover picture.
I recently read a fantastic article by Jeff Bullas who took a look at Red Bull and their social media strategy. Red Bull create a lot of exciting content and has nothing to do with their product but centres around engaging and communicating with their fans. This link is definitely well worth your time: http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/11/08/is-this-the-top-content-marketing-company-in-the-world/#uL051XAecB5FJaMB.99
In Brief:
· Get planning
· Dedicate time
· Post high quality and shareable content
· Be creative
· Communicate with your community
· Keep growing your community
If you are unsure on how to properly manage your presence on Facebook or other social media platforms, then please do get in contact with me. Now is a good time to review your activity and get a social media plan ready for 2014.
In order to have an effective Facebook business page there are a few things to take into account:
Planning:
Look at your business closely. What goes on in your business that can be communicated to your audience that takes them on a journey? What tells them a story? What inspires them to take action? Do you sit down regularly and look at what your business is doing for the next 3 months, 6 months or 12 months? If you do, then you have plenty of content that can be planned effectively to use on your Facebook page and other social media platforms.
Time and effort:
As with any marketing activity it needs time and effort to market your business. I often see many Facebook business pages where nothing has been posted for weeks, sometimes months, then all of a sudden there is spurious activity with an apology for not posting. The most powerful tool within your Facebook page is the scheduling facility. If you have thought about the planning, then schedule your posts at the beginning of each and make a note to check your page everyday for 5 minutes, responding to comments and saying hello to new followers.
Engage/Interacting:
A post once a week or month is not going to cut the mustard. Think of it this way.... if you went into your favourite shop or visited a favourite website, you would soon not visit if the shelves or content had not been updated regularly. The same can be said of your fans. Going back to your planning, post something that is going to create a response. There are plenty of things that you can do to engage. Help them feel valued. Ask a question, use the poll facility that is already on Facebook. Share a funny or inspiring quote or video. The idea is that if your fans like it they will share it. They start to become your allies/ambassadors. Create a giveaway or competition. With Facebook relaxing their rules recently about competitions, there is no reason why you cannot incorporate this into your planning, especially if you have a new product or service. With a bit of investment your efforts will certainly pay off.
Small amount of investment:
I have seen many comments where people say 'I'm not paying to promote an ad'. Mmmm bit like saying you want to be seen in a magazine but don't want to pay for the space. Facebook is free to use and free to set up a business page, which is great. Facebook has already seen the potential of how it can make money, therefore it's users must also adopt some similar principles. If you have posted great content which has received good comments and engagement then it is most definitely worth investing a few pounds to increase the circulation outside of your current fan base. The insights area on your business page will provide plenty of data to help you decide which posts are worth boosting.
The bigger picture:
You cannot run your business on Facebook alone. Not everyone has an account. If your business has a website it has a much better chance of being seen by more people if marketed and shared correctly across multiple channels [email signature, social media, newsletters, seo etc]. So make sure your website is included on your About section on Facebook or on your cover picture.
I recently read a fantastic article by Jeff Bullas who took a look at Red Bull and their social media strategy. Red Bull create a lot of exciting content and has nothing to do with their product but centres around engaging and communicating with their fans. This link is definitely well worth your time: http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/11/08/is-this-the-top-content-marketing-company-in-the-world/#uL051XAecB5FJaMB.99
In Brief:
· Get planning
· Dedicate time
· Post high quality and shareable content
· Be creative
· Communicate with your community
· Keep growing your community
If you are unsure on how to properly manage your presence on Facebook or other social media platforms, then please do get in contact with me. Now is a good time to review your activity and get a social media plan ready for 2014.
RSS Feed