Facebook, statistics show, is the king of social media with over 59 per cent of the total social network users. And with the pandemic rearing its ugly head this season, the accompanying movement restrictions means that many of us will have to drum up business a lot more on social media. As a businessperson, you can’t afford to ignore Facebook with the platform having 2.6 billion monthly active users. There are however some dos and don’ts while creating an effective marketing plan on the platform.
1. Do create content constantly
To keep people glued to your page where you advertise your products, you need to keep on coming up with great, captivating and interactive content. The power of attractive advertisements cannot be overstated. Some people pop in out of curiosity and if the content is engaging and interesting, they are converted from just interested viewers to regulars, who might end up becoming customers.
When you have great content to share, more people are going to tune in. Share articles, images, and videos that will keep your fans coming back for more. Not only will they come back to your page to see what is new, but they are likely to tag along their friends. The wider the fan base, the higher the chances of making a sale.
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2. Get audiences to keep notifications on
Your fans could select to receive notifications on your page whenever you post. That way, they will not only chance on your posts but will be made aware whenever there is a change of product or when there is a change in pricing. These notifications mean that they will always be in touch with what is happening in your company. It also saves you the agony of trying to capture their attention whenever you feel you have a new announcement to make.
But there is a way of getting them to keep the notifications on for your page. You do this by simply creating engaging, useful and entertaining content. For example, if you sell cooking oil, you could have some recipe videos, cooking tips and funny clips of say cooking disasters. Keep your audiences trained for your updates.
3. Embed your posts
If you have a blog, or a website, or any other social media handle, embed your Facebook post. Embedding refers to the integration of links, images, videos, gifs and other content into social media posts or other web media. Embedded content will appear as part of a post and supplies a visual element that encourages increased click through and engagement. That means that someone could see your products even if they are not on Facebook, and once they click on it, they will be redirected to the platform where they can get all the information they need on the product(s).
4. Encourage conversations
Create a conversation with your fans. When they ask questions, answer them. When they make comments, react to them. Like in physical businesses where people appreciate warm treatment, engaging your followers will make them feel appreciated and they are more likely to keep viewing your content. As you interact with them, some may end up becoming your customers. Or they may end up attracting others to buy.
5. Consider doing Facebook ads
If reaching fans organically becomes a challenge, it is advisable to resort to Facebook ads. Promoted Facebook posts are usually highly targeted and reach more people.
Facebook’s tools will make it easy to target a specific audience. You can target people who like your page or by location, age, gender and interests. Facebook collects user data which can be used to target an advertisement to those who are most likely to be interested in your product or service.
The platform also features an analytics tool to help you understand which ads drive interest and sales. In this way, you are able to reach many more potential subscribers than you could ever have without using targeted ads.
Boosting a post is a quick way to put money behind an existing post from your Facebook page, while a Facebook ad is a more thought-out campaign created in Facebook Ads Manager.
6. Use all Facebook features available and promote your products dynamically
Engage your audience in various ways. Do not only post content and leave it. Take advantage of other Facebook features that keep on coming up and which are a big plus for your business. Here are some other features that you can use for audience engagement:
Facebook Live: You can choose to go live and engage with your audience, where they follow in real time and could pose their questions. After they have received a notification that you’re going live, they can tune in to watch. The recording is made available for playback so followers can watch later if they are unable to tune in.
You could consider also bringing in experts who can explain how the product you are advertising is used.
Facebook Video: Video is being used a lot by many people and increasingly. Use of the video platform will automatically draw in a lot of people that end up becoming potential customers. A lot of people will prefer watching videos to reading posts. It is more engaging, more attractive.
Facebook Stories: This one works pretty much like WhatsApp statuses, and creates as much attention. To let the fans know what is happening around your business, you could use the stories, which appear on user’s feeds for 24 hours and then expire. The stories appear at the very top of the page and will therefore easily attract users.
7. Promote other fan pages, and they will promote you in return
You can share other fan pages’ content on your page. Pages you have promoted will most likely also share your content. As you bring their content to an audience they might not have reached, they will also be taking your content to an audience that you may not have managed to access. Use other brands to create a bigger audience by also doing them a favour of promoting their content.
