Facebook is an incredibly powerful platform and one of the most commonly used social networks for small businesses. It’s amazing that something that started from such humble beginnings, as a forum for connecting friends, has turned into a huge marketing tool that can boost your business sales and spread the word about your company.

Almost everyone with a Facebook profile has posted some form of content at one time or another. But did you know that on any given day, more than 1500 Facebook posts will compete for attention on your News Feed? Crazy, isn’t it? Of this, Facebook states the following:

The goal of News Feed is to deliver the right content to the right people at the right time so they don’t miss the stories that are important to them.

So, how do you ensure your content makes it to the top? The sheer popularity of Facebook as a marketing platform makes your job even harder. You have to be that much smarter to make your brand stand out and to get your posts displayed on your audiences’ News Feed. This is particularly true given the fact that Facebook’s organic reach has dropped dramatically in recent years, sometimes to as low as 2% for brands with over a million likes.

If this worries you, read on…

4 Facebook Marketing Goals for Small Business Owners

Facebook Marketing that Stands Out

Facebook’s popularity remains unrivalled because it works. Amongst its many offerings, when used smartly, Facebook allows you to position your brand in front of the right audience, to positively build brand awareness, generate qualified leads, deliver optimal customer service and drive traffic to your website. So, to give yourself the best chance of success, make sure you follow these tips for your Facebook Marketing campaigns.

Optimise Your Facebook Presence

Your brand’s presence on social media can make a huge impact on your brand’s visibility and popularity, and creating a Facebook Page is no exception. An optimised Facebook page will improve your visibility, extend your reach and help you stand out from the crowd.

Your Images
Your cover photo and profile picture are going to be the first things someone sees when they look at your page. Incorporating your logo or brand message with something bold and eye catching is highly recommended, if not essential. If you really want to stand out, consider engaging the services of a professional photographer to take a professional headshot photograph that can be used as your profile image. Also consider using a skilled graphic designer to design a striking cover photo that incorporates your logo, strap line, brand values and/or contact details. Feel free to update your cover photo every so often, and in particular, whenever you have special events, promotions or new product launches.

Your About Section
The ‘About’ section lets people know who you are and what your brand stands for. Your page information should be short and sweet, containing the key elements of your company and the values it holds. Be sure to have your contact information clearly listed as well. You can also list milestones for your brand (anniversaries, date of founding etc.) so that you can share important dates and events with the people who follow you.

Did you know that your About section also influences your rankings within Facebook’s Graph Search? That’s why it’s important to pay particular attention to your Company Overview, Short Description and Location details, ensuring they’re keyword rich and relevant to your brand.

Your Content
The content on the page is also terribly important. The things that you post on your timeline should be varied and engaging. Think about your brand and develop the appropriate tone of voice for your Page. Your tone of voice should be open, positive and most of all, authentic. It should be reflective of the values your business holds true. That being said, the very nature of Facebook allows businesses to adopt a more conversational voice, in a way that invites audiences to engage in conversation with them.

Your tabs can also be used to display landing pages and large amounts of content that simply won’t fit on your timeline. They allow customers to explore your brand further.

Gaining Fans
Your fans are the driving force of your page. They are the ones who are going to react to your posts, share the latest news, and, most importantly, purchase things from you and then tell their friends. When you are building your fan base always have their interests in mind.

Page content is critical when it comes to gathering fans. Regular and high quality posts are an integral part of building and maintaining a healthy follower base. The whole point of these posts is to make your followers want to look up your page every day to read your posts because they are engaging. Of course, you never want to post too much and so the recommended amount is two posts a day. This keeps the balance between interesting and engaging and becoming boring.

Your Posts
There are a variety of types of post that you can include on your page as well, and Facebook works to try and make these as user friendly as possible. Posting links to your website generates a really clear and good looking preview with an image to attract customers. Images tend to attract more people to click on your link, so think carefully about the ones you want to accompany it. Posting videos directly to Facebook that are not anywhere else helps to generate engagement but also gets a higher organic reach than those posted from other sites.

 

Anatomy of a perfect social media post

The Perfect Post?

So, how can you ensure your posts get displayed on everyone’s New Feed? Is there such a thing as the ‘perfect Facebook post’? Here are a few things to bear in mind:

  • Include a link
  • Be brief, 40-60 characters
  • Publish at non-peak times
  • Include an image or a video
  • Include hashtags, exclamation marks and emoticons
  • Always have a call-to-action
  • Create content that either entertains, educates or rewards your audience

Try creating your content according to a calendar or schedule and sticking to it. Your calendar should describe the ‘type’ of content you intend to post, as well as the date and time you plan in posting it.

Creating your Facebook page is no easy task, but it doesn’t have to be complex if you follow these simple and easy tips. As a final piece of advice, always remember to check your insights every day to see who is reading and engaging with your page, where they are, and what age/gender they are as well. This will help you to discover your audience, making advertising and tailoring your content a lot easier. Marketing with Facebook has never been so simple and enjoyable, you are bound to see the results in no time.

Nina Epellé
Nina Epellé
Founder and Principal Consultant, Digital Gold HQ

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