Small Business Social: Facebook Tips
Starting in August, we began to shift our focus on the blog to social media. As we’ve said before, social media can be an incredibly helpful tool for businesses, especially for small businesses such as ourselves. We began by looking at tips for utilizing Instagram to its fullest potential, and earlier this month we shifted our focus to TikTok. Today we’ll be turning to look at another platform owned by Meta: Facebook.
Facebook has come a long way since its debut in 2004 as a social network for college students. Today it boasts 2.29 billion daily active users, and 66% of all Facebook users check out a local business page at least once a week. With higher averages in the 35+ age groups than some of these other social media platforms, Facebook cannot be ignored by businesses.
So, here are some best practices to keep in mind when utilizing Facebook for your business:
1. Optimize Your Profile
This might seem like a no-brainer, but we cannot emphasize enough the importance of having a complete business profile on your page. Yes, you need high-quality images for your cover photo and profile photo, but it goes beyond that. You need to make sure all of the “About Us” section is complete. From business hours to location to your website link, all of this is important in providing your audience with a comprehensive view of your business.
2. Post Intentional, Diversified Content
We all know that content is a vital part of social media, so here are some general guidelines. One is that quality does trump quantity. Yes, you do want to be posting consistently; we would recommend at least once a day, but you also want to make sure that your content is aligned with your brand and bringing value to your audience. Utilize different types of content. You can use a mixture of promotional posts, educational content, customer testimonials, and more personal content like meeting the team, behind-the-scenes updates, and even memes. The goal is to keep your audience engaged.
On the subject of engagement, keep in mind that visual content, especially videos, tend to draw a higher level of engagement. So, try to find ways to incorporate reels and stories into your social media schedule. Also, don’t be afraid to use Facebook Live for events like Q&As and product launches.
3. Encourage Comments & Reply
As with all of these social media platforms, engagement is key. You have to respond to messages and comments. Also, engaging with other local businesses or businesses similar to your own is something that we would recommend. On Facebook, you can even engage with reviews and recommendations, which is a great way to step up your customer service game.
4. Utilize Insights
The Meta Business Suite is a tool that should not be ignored. It will help you to understand your post performances, audience demographics, and more. Use this information to inform your social media strategy. This is also where you can manage your paid advertising tools, which can help increase your reach, even with a smaller budget.
5. Connect with Local Groups
There are Facebook groups for pretty much every topic imaginable, and we would recommend connecting with local Facebook groups in your area. It’s a chance to build relationships with other business owners and become a voice in your community.
6. Calls to Action (CTA)
You don’t necessarily need a hard call to action in every single post, but make sure to utilize some kind of CTA when you can. It could be something as simple as clicking a link, signing up for a newsletter, or visiting your store.
We know there are a ton of tips that we could have included here, but we hope this list helps you to get started or to refine your strategy a little. As with all of these platforms, just remember to have patience; growth on Facebook takes time and consistency.
As always, if you are looking for assistance on your social media strategy, we encourage you to check out our services here. We’ll be back in two weeks with a new topic on the blog.