Even as the social media market continues to grow and change, Facebook still holds the biggest share of active users and remains an excellent way to connect with your audience while building brand awareness. However, many small businesses still struggle with creating and executing an effective social media marketing strategy, and as such, are missing open opportunities to reach their target audiences with relevant and engaging content.
Measure Marketing is an inbound marketing company located in Mississauga that helps small and medium sized businesses understand and use social media marketing to their advantage. While business owners may be keen to capitalize on the latest trends and newest social media platforms, they can’t ignore the power of Facebook. Facebook is certainly a more casual and relaxed social media platform, where users are looking to be entertained, but that doesn’t mean that your business can’t use it to support your online lead generation or content marketing strategies.
Understanding and managing Facebook’s constantly changing algorithm isn’t easy. Small businesses get frustrated when they see a strategy that was working well before all of a sudden produce limited results. Facebook has become much more complex and a lot more challenging than it used to be. Getting results takes a bigger investment in time and money. If you are willing to commit to a solid Facebook strategy though, the results will be worth it for those that persevere. Don’t forget that social media marketing success is a marathon and not a sprint!
To make the most of marketing your business on Facebook in 2017, make sure your strategy includes these essential elements.
Facebook Strategies For Small Businesses
1. Optimize Your Company’s Facebook Page
This tip may seem overly simple but with all the recent changes to company pages, it is surprising to see how many business Facebook pages are not updated to take advantage of the new features. Your Facebook company page is an important asset which means your entire profile should be filled out, including the icon and the cover image. All images should properly reflect your brand and should ideally be updated every few months to either share details for promotions or to reflect seasonality. One of the newest updates to company pages includes a call-to-action button which is a fantastic way to drive conversions.
2. Use Videos
Video has become an essential element when it comes to your Facebook marketing efforts. Posting videos to your page achieve a higher engagement rate than any other type of posts and Facebook Live videos gives your audience a real chance to connect with your business. It can feel really overwhelming to start creating and posting videos, so taking some time to practice and find your voice is a good idea. Keep in mind that video can be more than just a person talking. Great video content also includes videos on how products are made, tours of stores or facilities or a recap of a great event.
3. Use Your Page To Engage
If someone leaves a comment on your page, don’t miss your chance to engage! The more users react or comment on your posts, the more they will receive your future content in their feed. (www.thenewspocket.com) Encourage discussion – ask questions or ask for feedback. Remember that even though Facebook can seem casual, having timely and professional responses to questions and complaints not only supports your brand image but increases your Facebook efforts too.
4. Paid Facebook Advertising
Many people now comment that Facebook now operates as a ‘pay to play’ platform, meaning that unless you are putting some money into Facebook advertising, your business page won’t get the results you want. While there is still lots of room for properly curated organic content, including paid advertising components will really make the most of your efforts. It is important to note that all advertising options on Facebook are not created equal! Promoted posts that appear in people’s news feeds are one of the most effective options, while boosting a post may not be the best way to help you achieve your goals.
Building The Right Strategy
So now that you know more about key tools to include in your Facebook strategy, are you ready to create a plan? If you are interested in making Facebook work for your business, but aren’t sure where to start, talk to an expert at Measure Marketing. We’ve worked with Mississauga and Toronto area businesses across all industries and have years of experience creating plans that work.
Why spend valuable time and money spinning your wheels when you can work with an inbound marketing company that can elevate the way your business uses social media and content marketing? The winning strategy your business needs is just a phone call away – 1.888.569.3032.
