How to Start Promoting Your Business on Facebook (A Guide for Beginners)
Among all available networks, Facebook remains the largest social media platform in the world. While Facebook is used to connect with loved ones and former classmates, have you ever considered using it for business? With so many eyes on Facebook feeds, boosting your business through Facebook is just a few “likes” away.
Whether you are a non-profit organization, REALTOR, freelancer, or CEO of a major corporation, Facebook has something for you. Best of all, you can use most of its features for FREE.
Below is a quick start guide to get you up and running.
Quick Start Guide to Facebook for Business
Set Up a Facebook Business Page
In order to have a presence on Facebook, you need to set up a Facebook page. Simply visit the Facebook platform and choose the business option when setting up a new account.
Creating a Facebook business page is similar to making a personal page except that Facebook offers special features for businesses. These include business-specific templates, a “Call to Action” feature (which invites customers to contact you, set up a booking, learn more about your business, etc.), and an Insights page to track metrics. You can also assign employees as administrators, editors, analysts, and more; this feature allows employees to access the parts of the page that pertain to their role without using your password.
When choosing your settings and filling out the information sections of your profile, make sure to include the following:
• Business hours
• Contact information
• Services offered
• Links to your social media and website
• Directions to your location
The goal is to make your Facebook business page visible and to provide a pleasant and straightforward experience for customers.
Create Posts and Stories
Creating posts for your Facebook business page will boost your page on Facebook feeds. Professional articles, marketing statistics, links to a company blog, sports teams’ rankings, and inspirational quotes are all tasteful ideas that you can adapt to your brand. A good post will spark conversation, which will expand the reach of your post by drawing more interest.
You can also use Facebook Stories to alert people to your business happenings. Stories are an image with/without text or a short video of up to 20 seconds that provides a “moment-in-time” snapshot of your business. Stories remain active for 24 hours before Facebook automatically deletes them. Some people are more apt to click on a story than to visit an actual Facebook page.
Wondering when the best times to post are? According to the American Marketing Association (2022), posting on Facebook between 9 AM – 1 PM on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday seems to give the highest engagement.
Regardless of whether you create stories, posts, or both, you are likely to have the most success if you share often (quantity) and provide content that gives value back to your customers (quality). Simply asking people to buy your product or services can be a major turn-off.
Use Hashtags
#Hashtags #UseThem #WhereverYouCan
Don’t forget to include hashtags on your stories and posts whenever possible. When words follow a hash mark (#), they create a hashtag: a clickable link to collections of posts that use the same identifier. It will be worth your time to explore existing hashtags within your industry. That way, you can know which ones to use and target.
Hashtags are the SEO of the Facebook and Instagram worlds, so make sure to use them often and with care.
Create Facebook Groups or Events
Facebook’s Groups and Events features allow your business to connect more personally with smaller groups of people. Facebook Groups allow discussions that are only available to the people you invite into the group. Facebook Events allows you to create online invitations to events and even has built-in RSVP features.
Gone are the days when mass mailings and formal invitations were the only ways to connect with clients; in many cases, customers enjoy the ease and convenience of replying online and having a digital space that stores the event’s information.
Expand Your Network with Likes, Follows, and Messages
The “You get what you give” philosophy often holds true in marketing. You can have the best business page, but without others to share it with, there is no point! “Giving” to other Facebook business pages by following the page and liking comments and posts allows you to expand your social reach. Not only will you receive visibility by customers who view the page, but the businesses with which you connect in this way are more likely to do the same to your page in return.
Communicating through Facebook Messenger allows you to expand your network by reaching out to individuals or groups in a more-personal way. Some businesses even use Facebook Messenger’s more advanced features to provide live customer support. Facebook’s official worldwide surveys show that messaging customers helps them to feel more confident about a brand (Facebook.com/business/marketing/messenger). Since Facebook Messenger has advertising options that allows advanced scheduling to deliver messages and ads directly to consumers’ inboxes, why not give it a try?
Use Personalized Ads
Facebook’s personalized ad campaigns will cost you some money, but, considering Facebook’s widespread influence, the expense may be worth it. Facebook offers advertising options for every business and budget. With established privacy measures in place, Facebook’s ads tools link the right people to you based on internet search history.
Due to the many variables that go into Facebook advertising, we advise visiting Facebook’s FAQ and tutorial pages to discover which options are right for your business. One thing to note is that there will likely be a “growth period” after setting up your ads in which the algorithms will learn to draw your target audience to you. As with most things in life, patience with the process will pay off.
Develop a Metaverse Presence
While this form of marketing is still being developed, establishing a business presence in the Metaverse may be an avenue to explore. Ways to market in the Metaverse are many and diverse. Wendy’s, for example, has created a virtual reality restaurant where guests can interact with friends, explore food products, and even play a game of virtual basketball. In the future, increasing numbers of companies may use the Metaverse to set up trade fairs, run online shops, and even to host video calls.
If you’re not ready for the Metaverse yet, keep it in your back pocket as a potential marketing idea. As the months and years pass, the reach and effect of Metaverse marketing will become clearer.
Putting It All Together: Don’t Forget Your Brand
While each of the tips above will help you advance your marketing, keep in mind that all aspects of your business presence on Facebook should reflect your brand. Every section of your profile, photo you display, and word you contribute in posts, messages, and comments tells your business’ story. Take the extra time (or even consider hiring a social media marketer) to ensure that your presence accurately reflects your business’ personality, mission, and goals.
When all of the features work together, Facebook can help bring your tribe to you and allow your business to thrive.
WRITTEN BY: KATIE BARNETT
