Facebook is regarded as the most popular social media platform - according to Forbes, it’s used by nearly 9 of 10 businesses today. However, engaging users on Facebook is quite a bit different than the other platforms we’ve covered. Read on to discover what Facebook is, who should use it, why and how.
What is Facebook?
Facebook is a powerful online networking site that enables both users and businesses to communicate with their audiences en masse. You’re probably familiar with the personal profile - studies show that there are about 1.2 billion active monthly users on the site alone. It’s important not to mix the two, so Facebook allows businesses to create fan pages (or Facebook for business) that users can like and follow updates from each business.
Why would businesses use Facebook?
Much like Twitter, Facebook is used successfully by businesses to communicate with other businesses (for those that sell B2B) or with end consumers (for businesses that sell B2C). However large your business and whoever your audience may be, a Facebook fan page is really the first step into the social media for business world. Here are some compelling statistics:
- 700 million people use Facebook every day
- An average Facebook visit lasts 20 minutes
- 25% of Facebook users check their account over 5 times per day
- Each active user spends over 8 hours on the site per month
How can I get started?
1. Sign up. Visit facebook.com/pages/create, and walk through the steps to set up your page. Facebook will ask you to define what kind of business you are, upload an avatar and cover photo, write a few sentences about your business and fill in other important details.
2. Build a profile that’s consistent with your brand. Make sure your username is the same as other social media accounts you have so your business is easy to identify. Upload the same picture and use the same description (or a shortened version if necessary). If you have a cover photo on Twitter, it may make sense to use the same or a slightly different version to help with brand recognition.
3. Create a few powerful posts. Prior to promoting your page, make sure all of the important information is filled out and you’ve posted a few updates. Updates between 100 and 200 words are shown to get 60% more likes, so keep it short. Visual updates also get quite a bit more love, so be sure to post photos when appropriate as well.
4. Invite people to like your page. Chances are you’re already a Facebook user. Start by inviting your friends, and asking friends and family to share your page, encouraging their audiences to like it. You may also invite contacts to like your page via email. You should hit a good number of likes in no time!
5. Create a content calendar. Decide how often you’re going to post and stick to the plan. The only thing worse than no Facebook presence at all is one that’s completely stagnant. Start with posting 2-3 times a week, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Do some testing to see what times and types of posts engage your audiences best.
6. Consider running a Facebook ad to increase likes and engagement. Facebook advertising is a tool that’s substantially different than typical pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Whereas traditional PPC mines for information based on user behavior, Facebook advertising can actually target people based on the demographics they provide. For as little as $5.00/day, you can run ads that will get a more diverse fan base on your site. Here is a quick guide to getting started.
There’s so much more to dig into on Facebook - be sure to leave a comment with your questions and I’ll follow up in my advanced Facebook techniques blog in a few weeks. If you have any questions, please feel free to browse my website at jackiesteinmetz.com or email me at jackie@jackiesteinmetz.com.
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