It’s hard to believe that something that didn’t exist 20 years ago is now part of the daily routine for nearly a billion people around the world – but that describes Facebook perfectly. The brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg has become a global phenomenon, with 936 million people using the social media platform on a daily basis. That means nearly one out of every seven people on the planet checks their Facebook at least once a day. Clearly, that’s an enormous audience you want a piece of.
If you’re a business that isn’t using Facebook (and other social media sites) as part of your marketing strategy, you’re missing out on a tremendous opportunity. Facebook should be a part of every business’ marketing plans in 2015.
Whether you’re just getting onboard the social media bandwagon, or you’re an early adopter who wants to shake things up, we can help. Here are five things you should know about marketing on Facebook:
It requires a daily commitment
Just like those users who are browsing Facebook every day, you should be active on the site daily. Check for new interactions from fans, address any questions you may have received, and post something new every day.
It’s an excellent customer service tool
It’s become common for disgruntled or confused customers to interact with brands on social media in search of answers. This may seem like a possible annoyance, but it’s actually a great opportunity for some very public customer service. By assisting customers through Facebook, you not only address their issue, you also do it in front of your entire social media audience. That’s great publicity for you, and it demonstrates your dedication to creating happy customers.
Your reach will be limited if you don’t pay for advertising
Whether you want to invest some of your budget into Facebook’s advertising program is up to you, but just realize that your organic reach will be very limited without it. Facebook limits the organic reach of posts so that only a small percentage of your followers are likely to see them. Of course, you can guarantee more eyeballs if you pay into their advertising system.
Self-promotion should be kept to a minimum
Your followers on Facebook have joined your page because they believe in your products/services or think well of you as a company –they didn’t sign up just so you could sell to them more easily. Therefore, keep the sales pitches and self-promotion to a minimum. Otherwise, you may find your following falling instead of steadily rising.
Pictures are always a good idea
Social media is not meant to be so serious – it’s an escape. Therefore, your followers don’t want to see you be all about business on your page. Mix in some photos, especially if they have nothing to with your products or services. You can post pictures of new office equipment, a company party, even a pretty day outside your office. Regardless of what it is, your followers will almost certainly enjoy the post, and you’ll get more “likes” than you’re used to.
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