If you still don’t believe that your business needs to be on Facebook? What if we told you that, in 2014, Facebook was responsible for nearly a quarter of ALL referral traffic, which is even more than organic search?
Facebook can be an incredible tool when it comes to growing your business—if you use the right small business social media strategies. Although it’s very easy to START a page for your business, upkeep and following best practices that will set you apart for your competitors and win the hearts of your customers.
Optimize!
Optimization strategies aren’t limited to just your website. Because Facebook ranks high on Google, you can use relevant keywords throughout your Facebook profile page, such as in the about section. Make sure that you add a link to your main website, as well as your name, address, and phone number.
Post content from your blog
At this point, hopefully you have started blogging at least semi-regularly. Posting new blog posts on your Facebook page is a great way to make your followers aware of the fact that you've released new content. It’s also good to occasionally share older content (as long as it’s still relevant) because you never know when someone who is interested in your content is going to come across it. It’s a great way to get more exposure not just for your blog, but also for your brand.
Use Visual Content
Facebook users are much more likely to click and share visual content than they are text-only posts. In fact, experts have found that Facebook posts with videos and links that include images have higher interaction rates than text posts, which tend to get lost in the shuffle.
Engage With Your Followers
Always reply to comments left by your followers as soon as possible and try to respond in an open-ended way in order to incite further conversation. You should also post questions to your followers to get them engaged. For example, when you post a piece of content from your blog, ask them to post their opinions on the content; although it’s possible people might take it upon themselves to comment, regardless of whether you ask them to, people are more likely to respond to directions. When posting comments, make sure that you write in a human voice that's friendly, but still professional. Your followers are only going to connect with you if your brand is relatable.
Hold Contests
Contests are a big way to both engage your current fans and attract new ones. For example, you can increase engagement by holding a competition in which your followers can comment on entries and even vote for to determine the winner. Just make sure you’re following Facebook’s guidelines for promotions to avoid potential negative repercussions.
Join Facebook Groups
There are a ton of different groups on Facebook that you can join—you can even create one yourself! Join a group that is relevant to your brand and then engage the members in discussions. Remember: don’t push your products or services in these groups because that’s not what they are for. Instead, make sure that you contribute to the discussions in a helpful and informative manner. If the members find that your comments are valuable, they will track you down on Facebook and educate themselves about your brand.
Share/Like Other Pages’ Content
Find companies that are within your industry and like, share, and comment on content that they have posted and that you think your followers will find valuable. Not only does this show your followers that you care about providing them with valuable content, whether you've written it or not, but the companies whose content you are sharing will take notice and potentially like and share your content as well, which is a great way to start a business relationship. You should do the same with the influencers within your industry; for example, if you run a small restaurant, then you should find local food critics on Facebook and try to connect with them.
Don’t Discredit Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads is a service that you will have to pay for, but it has the potential to be quite worth the investment. Facebook Ads allows you to target a specific audience based on things such as age, location and gender in order to boost exposure of a piece of content you have published, whether it's promotional or not. While it’s not essential to take this route, occasional usage may improve your page/business’s momentum.
It’s good business practice to be where your potential buyers are, and there is a very good chance that they’re on Facebook. When it comes to small business social media, Facebook is one of the most effective tools at your disposal.
