Chloe CameronWith over 500 million users on the social networking platform, keep in mind the do’s and don’ts of using Facebook for your business so that you can utilize your marketing strategy the right way. Running a Facebook account won’t necessarily guarantee success for your business, as almost every business has some sort of online presence now. This increases competition, which can make it challenging to stand out in the industry.
Do’s
1. Fill out your ‘About’ page
While this may seem self-explanatory, you’d be amazed and how many companies leave their ‘About’ section blank or vaguely filled out. Establish authenticity by filling out your ‘About’ section, as many consumers will head over there to read briefly on what your business is about. If your ‘About’ page is empty or barely filled in, this makes consumers feel skeptical and questioning whether your business is a legitimate and genuine one.
2. Be active and engage with customers
Take advantage of social media and engage with the community! Respond to inquiries from customers and participate in discussions to show that you care about concerns or opinions your customers may have about your brand. Even liking a comment is a good way to start interaction! Also do your best to answer as promptly as possible, as most people generally don’t like to be kept waiting for answers to their questions.
3. Post consistently
Make sure you post on the platform consistently so that it becomes a routine pattern. Staying consistent can help keep your social media handle on track and relevant to your customers’ News Feed. Keep your posts short and sweet, as posts with a lot of text may be too overwhelming and lose the interest of readers. Create a schedule for social media posts and research what times are most likely for posts to reach engagement.
4. Offer promotions and deals
Everyone loves a good sale, and you’re bound to attract attention by advertising sales on Facebook. Make it fun by hosting a contest to hype up customers and get them excited! Get creative when posting about discounts and promos on Facebook, and consider limited time offers to make it all the more exclusive. For example, SinaLite promotes exclusive deals on Facebook regarding monthly promotions on products such as custom t-shirts, coroplast signs, presentation folders, and more.
5. Include links
If you post about a product or referencing another organization, be sure to include a link to the source. This helps users, educating them as well as showing that you aren’t just about promoting your own products.
6. Use proper hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to track content, and it’s ideal to have at least one hashtag exclusive for your brand. These are also a great way to track marketing campaigns, which many companies have used to their advantage to boost more engagement. Examples include:
- #MyCalvins campaign from Calvin Klein
- #ShareYourEars campaign from Disney
- #ShareACoke campaign from Coca-Cola
- #LikeAGirl campaign from Always
- #BeyondFiveStars campaign from Uber
These companies used social media marketing efficiently by creating these exclusive hashtags to send a message to their audiences that they can relate to. These campaigns have successfully gained support from audiences and encouraged them to take part in the social movements, sparking more engagement and interaction from users. However, don’t go overboard with the hashtags; keep it to a maximum of two hashtags!
7. Include media with your post
Whether it be an image or video, add some form of media with your post. Facebook posts generally perform 2.3x better with images or videos to go along with it. Videos are more likely to be shared than any other post type, and live videos are watched by users 3x longer than pre-recorded videos.
8. Pin posts to your page
For any important posts, pin them so that they appear at the top of your page every time a user visits. Pinning posts can get more attention for your posts as it will be the first thing users see when they go to your page. For example, SinaLite pins the monthly promotion post so that customers can know what exclusive deal they can get on which products for the month.
9. Watch over your Insights
Data is important, as it shows how well your posts are doing and how much engagement is happening. Track KPI’s and use the data you acquire to improve areas that aren’t doing as well.
Don’ts
1. Overpost
Posting too much can be not only overwhelming, but annoying in general. Limit your page to 1-2 posts a day. Posting too often can also make it seem as if you’re desperate for attention from users, or can even come across as too “spammy.”
2. Overuse hashtags
Just like with your Facebook posts, limit the number of hashtags you use. Don’t use more than 2 hashtags per post, or else users will have a harder time tracking your post.
3. Post irrelevant content
If the content isn’t relative to your brand, don’t post it just for the sake of engagement. Your audience follows you for your brand, and by posting irrelevant content, you drift further from your brand’s original content, which will lose the interest of your customers (eg. SinaLite only posts about the print industry and business marketing; you would never see us post about a Netflix show that you’re currently binge-watching at home).
4. Self-promote too much
Of course your Facebook page is where you advertise your business, but don’t overdo it. Exclusive news on upcoming product launches or changes to the business are important, but refrain from self-promoting to the point where your Facebook page becomes filled with advertisements. Self-promoting too much with your sales pitch actually drives customers away. In order to make successful sales, you need to establish a proper relationship with your customers first, and this won’t happen if you’re constantly self-promoting.
5. Buy followers/likes
Many companies do this, but it’s not as effective as you think. More and more companies are buying followers and likes, and this tends to backfire and hurt your business as you’ll find yourself having to sort through which accounts are bots and which are real customers. Also because of the trend of buying fake followers/likes, customers are beginning to get better at figuring out when a company is buying their followers. If their services don’t match up with the number of dedicated customers and good reviews, then it’s not hard for customers to know that you’re faking it.
Managing a Facebook page for your business can be tricky and challenging at times, even if you follow the Do’s and Don’ts of using Facebook for your business. With proper time and effort, you can slowly increase the popularity of your page as you continue to engage with customers in the social community. Check out SinaLite’s Facebook page and start increasing profits for your print business when you sign up for a free account at SinaLite.com.
VERY ENLIGHTENING PIECE.