How to Get Maximum Value from Your Facebook Marketing – Part 1
You’ve likely already put Facebook marketing to work for your business. If you’re not, you better get going. But it’s not just a question of having a Facebook page and using it. You’ve got to use it correctly to get maximum results. The last thing you want is to put all this effort into it and get little in return.
We see a lot of small business owners dive into Facebook marketing headfirst with a lot of enthusiasm not really knowing what they’re doing. At some point you do have to dive in, right? You can’t just wait around. Doing it that way, you may even get some decent results. However, I’m willing to bet the results you’re getting are not as good as they could be.
So… let’s review the basics you need to know to earn a big return on your Facebook investment.
Step 1 – Create Your Page.
If you don’t already have a Facebook page for your business, the need to creating one. To do it, click the plus sign at the top right-hand side of your page once you’re logged in. (Note: This used to be on the Pages sidebar, which has been removed with the latest Facebook update.)
You’ll be prompted to enter information about your business including what type of business it is (eCommerce, local, B2B).
Step 2 – Use Consistent Branding
When you create your Facebook business page, make sure to use consistent branding. When people find you in social media, it should be similar everywhere they find you online. That means using the same photo across all social media sites. My recommendation is to use your company logo as your profile picture.
You should also keep your language consistent with your brand’s tone and personality. It’s a must to create a seamless cross-channel experience for customers when they interact with your company on social media or your website.
Step 3 – Optimize Your Listing
When you add your profile picture, you should also be optimizing your listing. You’ll need to include:
- A link to your website
- Your business hours
- Your physical address if you have one
- Your contact information
You may also want to add a call to action button that will appear on your page. Some of the options include:
- Learn More
- Sign Up
- Shop Now
- Send Message
Decide what action you want visitors to your page to take and use that as your call to action to get the best results.
Step 4 – Use Facebook Groups
One thing that a lot of business owners forget on social media is that the social part is just as important as anything else. People follow their favorite brands on Facebook because they want a give and take.
You can start by joining Facebook groups or maybe even start your Facebook group. Research shows that approximately 1.4 billion people use Facebook groups. More importantly, consumers welcome brands’ participation in groups provided they offer real value and aren’t just trying to make sales.
Step 5 – Interact with Your Customers
The name of the game in Facebook, and in all your social media marketing, is engagement. If your followers aren’t liking and sharing your posts, commenting on them, or asking questions, your marketing strategy isn’t working.
In other words, if someone comments, write back! If they ask a question, answer it. If they share a post featuring your product or brand, reshare it with their permission. The more you do to let your followers know that you see and hear them, the more loyal they will be.
Check the part 2 of this article where I share 4 more steps for maximizing results on Facebook.
