If you think about it, most people you know use Facebook. In fact, millions of other people in dozens of other countries use Facebook as well. Doesn’t that sound like a great place to market your business? Facebook offers a number of marketing solutions so that you can profit; here are some tips to help you.
A fun and easy way to get followers on your Facebook business page is to create a contest. Loyal followers will share their contest entry with their own followers and spread the word quickly. The prize doesn’t have to be anything big, a sample product or small cash reward can be enough to spread the word.
A fan base is something that you will want to expand as much as possible. Do not invest in promotions until you have a strong base with thousands of followers. When you hit the 5,000 follower mark, the percentage of people who buy your product should start to rise.
An effective marketing strategy is to offer a giveaway. Offer a contest or a giveaway to your current customers. This doesn’t cost much and has the potential to build a significant following for your brand.
Likes won’t pay your electricity bill, shares won’t bring home the bacon and comments won’t pay your employees’ wages. None of these things directly help you turn a profit. You can easily advertise on Facebook without ever investing in a Facebook business page, so consider other options and how much money they can make you.
If you are replying to a comment that was left by a specific user, make sure that you tag the person in your post. You want to get people to come back to your page as much as possible, and tagging is a great way to get someone to return.
Never rely on anyone else’s advice as to when the best time for updating your page is. While a non-profit may find people are more charitable on the weekend, that doesn’t mean your customers aren’t actually checking out your page at work. Do your own research to figure out when you should be posting.
Don’t be afraid to promote yourself. You often here that it’s bad to hard sell your products on social media, and that is true. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t celebrate milestones and other big moments. People love feeling like a brand is personal, and milestones add to that feel. It’s a human touch that really makes a difference.
When you post something, one of your intentions should be to elicit responses from your community. Therefore, think about each post and figure out how to phrase things so that people will want to comment on what you have to say. Explicitly asking for opinions is one of the best ways to do this.
Your page can “like” and post on other Facebook pages. However, tread carefully here. You do not want to simply spam other walls or post meaningless content. Look for opportunities to add value and interject your opinion. Doing so in the right way could help you be seen as a leader in your field.
Take advantage of the Facebook Places feature. This will allow people to let others know when they are at your place of business. If you don’t link your places page with your main page, people will be sent to a generic page. You want them to end up on the page that has the correct branding, so link the pages as soon as possible.
Do not try to use your personal Facebook page to attract fans. This is not a good idea because personal users have friend limits that business users don’t. You don’t want someone to try to join your page only to be told that you have reached your limit. They probably won’t come back to try another time.
Offer special items to give away to those that Like your page. You could offer a small sample of your product or something as simple as an Mp3. They key is to entice people to like your page, as once they do they will be alerted when you post anything new on your page.
Pay attention to the application boxes that are just under the cover photo on your page. It is possible to make little apps that will direct users to your actual website or to your Twitter page, for example. You can even change up the pictures on the boxes, allowing you to put your unique stamp on things.
Social media sites are all about making connections. If you want your Facebook marketing to be effective, your community has to feel like it knows you. Make an effort to interject a bit of your life and yourself into your posts. If people can identify with you, they are much more likely to buy from you.
If you are suffering from a time crunch and can’t oversee your page, then consider hiring someone to help. This will ensure that your Facebook is regularly updated. Many people simply do not have time to post continuous updates on their page. Employing someone to manage your account may seem costly, but it will be well worth it.
It is hard to think of what the tone of a post is when you’re making it, so try to monitor your tone. Visitors will quickly lose interest in your site if it looks like your content is computer-generated.
Use a mixed media approach on your Facebook updates for the best results. Post photos of renovations or new dishes being offered, short videos of people using your product or having fun at your venue, as well as text posts! This will create a varied and more interesting approach for marketing.
Facebook is not only a place you can use for your own social connections. It is also a site where you can market your business to people. Use the tips here to help you reach as many people as you can. Facebook can be a great partner in your overall marketing strategy, so give it a shot.