Facebook is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of social media. It is no surprise given the massive size of the platform; there are over 2.2 billion monthly active users, good enough to be the third busiest website in the world!
Given this information, it makes sense for Facebook to be a cornerstone of any marketing campaign. Facebook also has a powerful suite of business tools that I will discuss later on. It’s also worth noting that Facebook and Instagram share many business tools such as ad tools; this means your Facebook marketing strategy should go hand-in-hand with your Instagram marketing strategy!
I have a simple four-step solution to get started with Facebook marketing. Before I get to that, here’s a brief list of some facts that show you how powerful Facebook marketing can be:
- Nearly 20% of ALL marketing on the Internet happens on Facebook . Talk about a dominant market share!
- Facebook is used by 94% of all marketers, and 61% of all marketers say it’s the most important platform! This is according to the Social Media Examiner , the longest running study on social media.
- 1.7 billion Facebook users are mobile users– they mainly access Facebook through the mobile app. Take in that the mobile-only audience on Facebook is bigger than the overall audience on other platforms. You better make sure the content you link to your Facebook page is mobile friendly.
1. Fill Out Your Business Page Completely
This is such a simple step and it’s hard to believe it is often overlooked! Your business page needs to make a great first impression on potential future clients. Here are features you need to have to make an impressive Facebook page:
- Profile photo – high quality image, preferably your logo
- Header photo – engaging, high quality rectangular image
- Call to action button – Facebook added this feature a while back. You can create a specific button with a link to a site of your choice. The button can have messages like “contact us” “visit us” “learn more” “book now” and more.
- About section – this includes contact info and a brief but concise description of your company. Make a good first impression in just a few sentences!
2. Integrate Facebook With Your Overall Marketing Goals
Before you get further, you need to see how Facebook marketing will fit into the overall picture of your marketing plan. This is similar to what was mentioned regarding Instagram marketing.
A typical goal for Facebook marketing includes showcasing a lead magnet to grow a list of leads. A lead magnet is an incentive that you offer to potential leads for free, often in exchange for an email address or other contact information. Common lead magnets include discounts for your products or services, printable worksheets, product samples, and more things along those lines!
This is considered a multi-channel strategy since you are using multiple methods (first Facebook, then email). This is often the most effective type of marketing strategy! If you are going to use a multi-channel strategy, you will need to plan this out before going too much into detail on Facebook. If you are integrating your email marketing, I suggest using ActiveCampaign.It is great for both collecting emails (via a landing page) and managing your email marketing campaign!
3. Create a Consistent Content Schedule
You need to plan out what type of content you’re posting and how frequently you’re posting. Here are some content ideas:
- Post updates about your business
- Share blog posts from your company website
- Share photos from your company Instagram
Remember that visual content is preferred. In fact, researchshows that visual content generates up to 65% more engagement on Facebook than text-only content!
When it comes to posting frequency, the benchmark is approximately one post per day, although it varies greatly by industry. For example, the food & beverage industry averages 0.5 posts per day, while media averages 8.2! It is unlikely your business is a news outlet, however, so I recommend sticking to the overall average of one post daily.
4. Learn to Use Facebook Ads
Facebook ads are where the magic truly happens. It is an extensive topic that is definitely an article of its own. However, this should pretty much give you a good idea of where to start.
The two main alternatives are:
- Use your ad money to boost posts that are already doing well
- Create dedicated ad campaigns with a specific purpose
Remember that visual content is preferred. In fact, research shows that visual content generates up to 65% more engagement on Facebook than text-only content!
Regardless of which method you use, the process is the same: set an objective and target an audience. Your objective can be set to either post engagement or link clicks. Facebook will target people who are more likely to interact in the way you want.
The second part, targeting an audience, has to align with the target demographic of your business. You’d be surprised how detailed the Facebook targeting is. You can target based on gender, age, location, detailed demographics, interests, user behavior, and more! There is a lot of experimenting to be done. If your target population is too large then it won’t be effective. If it is too small, then you won’t reach many people. It is an iterative process, which is why you need to track your results and adjust.
Putting it All Together
You should always start with making an accurate, complete, and impressive profile page. Determine what your marketing goals are and how Facebook plays a role in them. Create and share content to your page on a consistent basis, and supplement your organic reach with paid advertisements that can target very specific audiences. There is a lot more to discuss, especially when it comes to Facebook ads. However, this should get the ball rolling for you. All you need to do now is get started!
