With more than 2.7 billion active users on Facebook, it's no secret that this social network is the place to go if you want to reach a large audience. But it's not enough to have a business page; you have to know how to use that page to connect with both existing and prospective customers. Following the right strategies will help you reach more people in your market and, in turn, convert them to customers.
Benefits of a business Facebook page
More than one-third of the world population is active on Facebook, so many businesses consider it a hotspot for finding and connecting with customers. Here are some of the advantages of having a Facebook business page, according to Business Queensland, a division of the Queensland, Australia, government:
A Facebook business page is free.
You can create a Facebook business page for no cost at all. With so many people on the platform and no extra money involved in making a page, you have little to lose.
Social media marketing through Facebook is inexpensive.
Facebook tends to charge far less than other platforms for digital marketing campaigns. With a theoretical audience of billions, the potential return on investment of Facebook's affordable social media marketing options is significant.
You can showcase your basic info.
Need a quick, convenient way to get your business address, hours of operations, contact info, and products and services in front of a large online audience? Just fill out your Facebook business profile.
You can quickly and easily share media.
When you have a Facebook page for your business, you can quickly share recent photos and videos with a large audience. Posting visuals corresponding to recent updates is an easy way to keep your target audience informed.
You help to establish trust.
As your business accumulates page likes, positive reviews and Facebook followers, the size of your customer base – and its trust in you – will become clear to potential customers who compare your company to its competitors.
You can increase traffic to your website.
Listing your company's website in your Facebook page's About section can drive traffic to your business's website. Use your Facebook page to tease your business and then direct visitors to your website to learn more.
Facebook business pages can help you target your advertising.
You can use targeted advertising to reach not only your Facebook followers but other Facebook users who aren't yet familiar with your company. When you pay for this advertising, Facebook takes user data and alters the usual Facebook algorithm to display ads for your company more prominently to users who fall into your target audience.
How to enhance your Facebook page
While the above considerations are great reasons to create a Facebook business page, they don't quite explain how to enhance your Facebook page to connect with your customers. An enhanced Facebook page increases the chances that you not only reach your target audience but also provide them with helpful and relevant information. Use these strategies to optimize your Facebook presence:
1. Create playlists.
When you're competing with tons of other content in people's Facebook newsfeeds, you need to make your content stand out. One way to do that is to enhance your posts with video. But instead of linking to your videos on external sites such as YouTube, upload them to your Facebook page and put them in a playlist. Then, when people visit your page, they can access all of the videos in that playlist.
You can organize your playlists by category, such as how-to videos and employee video blogs. You can even include some behind-the-scenes footage in one of your playlists.
If you're not sure where to start with creating videos, use an online tool such as Animoto or WeVideo. Then, once your video is ready, upload it to Facebook.
2. Test your CTAs.
You should have a call to action (CTA) in your page's header. A lot of businesses choose one CTA and stick with it year after year, but you should test different ones to get the best results.
For example, try CTAs that encourage people to sign up, use apps, make a purchase, watch a video and contact your company. Gauge your metrics as you test the different CTAs to see which one works for you. Then, test that type of CTA using slightly different language with each one.
3. Use behind-the-scenes media.
Social media gives you a chance to break down barriers between you and your customers. One way to do that is to upload behind-the-scenes photos. This will allow your customers to see the human side of your business, thereby helping to build a connection and trust.
4. Share exclusive offers.
You want to give people a reason to visit your Facebook page over and over again, and one way to do that is by sharing exclusive offers with your Facebook fans. For example, these offers could be small discounts, free trials or product giveaways. However, they must be offered exclusively to your Facebook audience.
5. Harness the power of social proof.
If your business has pages on other social media platforms, you can also post exclusive offers there that require your followers to like your Facebook page. Doing so can increase your Facebook page likes, and as your page becomes more popular, you can better harness the power of social proof.
Social proof is the theory that, as a larger number of people do something, other people will join them. In other words, one person doing something has a ripple effect of more people doing the same. Therefore, as more people like your Facebook page, other people will be more likely to trust and follow your brand.
6. Engage with others, including influencers.
Social media is all about engagement. You have to engage with others to get them to engage with you. With that in mind, expand beyond your page by interacting with others.
You can also tap into the power of social media engagement by getting in contact with social media influencers. An influencer is someone who has a massive following on a social media network and is seen as a trustworthy figure for lifestyle recommendations. If you reach a sponsorship deal with an influencer, your agreement will likely include several posts on the influencer's Facebook account driving their followers to your Facebook page. If you and the influencer work together to run these posts as sponsored ads, the Facebook algorithm will push these ads to the top of users' feeds, further boosting engagement.
7. Pay attention to the About section.
A lot of businesses ignore the About section of their Facebook page, and doing so is a huge mistake. When people visit your page, they want to know more about your business. That includes your business's values and the benefits of your products. Include that information in the About section. Limit this section to 155 characters so that the entire description will show up in the search engine snippet.
Make sure every section of your Facebook business page is complete. It is especially important to create comprehensive About and Services pages to compel visitors to click through to your business website. That said, use your Facebook page to tease your website rather than replace it; include just enough words to provide the basics.
8. Pin important posts to the top of your page.
Facebook business pages default to a chronological timeline, so if you post something, it will get pushed down on your page as you create new posts. Normally, that's fine, but if you have an important post that you want the world to see, pin it to the top of your page. To do so, click the drop-down arrow in the right-hand corner of the post, and select Pin to Top.
9. Use Facebook Ads to boost your page.
Once you've created your Facebook page and built your presence on the platform, you can create ads to amplify your posts, using the data provided by your page.
In addition, consider using the ads for cross-channel remarketing. That way, you can reach people with your Facebook ads whom you've already reached with Google Ads. This makes it easier to push these people through the purchase funnel.
10. Add a relevant cover photo.
A Facebook cover photo serves as more than a decoration; a properly chosen image can enhance your business's brand and quickly tell page visitors about your business's products and services. A cover photo with your logo or imagery that's relevant to your services is a great start, but a cover photo of your team hard at work might be even better.
11. Share blog posts.
A blog post is a leading form of marketing content, and you can use your Facebook page to expand the reach of your blogs. Sharing a blog post introduces it to Facebook users who don't regularly visit your website while educating your audience about the latest developments at your business.
These strategies will help you get more out of your Facebook page. Instead of going for one, include them all so you can boost your traffic, leads and engagement levels.
Additional reporting by Jerry Low.