Using Facebook for business is one of the best ways to increase awareness and online sales for your small business. Now, the majority of businesses have a Facebook presence, but just having a presence doesn’t necessarily mean success. Having an unprofessional presence or outdated information can do much more harm than good. That’s why it is important to learn the basics to ensure that your small business’ profile stands out from the rest.

#1 Quality Visuals

Like any other social media platform, quality graphics and copy are the most important facets of your marketing strategy. If a post is not visually pleasing, no one will take time out of their day to try and understand your message. Stay away from using only stock photos and make some unique designs or pictures of your own.

#2 Ads Galore

Facebook marketing offers ads, use them! The many targeting options are also the reason why ads should be chosen instead of boosted posts. Boosted posts are great to get a small increase in likes, but won’t get the same results as Ads. Take a look at our previous blog about the differences between ads and boosted posts on social media.

#3 Respond to Everything

Yes, everything! Whether it’s a comment, review or someone just shared your post, you should always be replying! While it can be time-consuming, not all replies have to be paragraphs long. For reviews, thank the writer for their feedback and suggest a solution to a problem that may have been addressed. For comments, give an on-topic response and share your appreciation that they interacted with your content! If someone has shared your post, give it a like and say thanks! Responding on a regular basis will help you stand out from the competition. However, it is extremely important since it can boost interaction on your page when consumers feel they are having a dialogue with your business instead of just talking to an empty room. #4 Post Before and After Work

Facebook is a busy platform and if you post at a peak time, your post may be lost in the sea of other updates. A good rule of thumb for Facebook marketing is to post before and after work or dinner when most people are free and checking in on the platform. Schedule the posts in advance to make sure that the posts go out on time, consistently!

#5 Promote Your Page Off of Facebook Too!

If no one knows you have a page, how will they be able to follow it? In addition to ads on the platform, make sure you are advertising your page elsewhere. Have a link on your website as well as on any emails you may send. #6 Work With the Algorithm, Not Against It

The Newsfeed algorithm shows some pretty heavy preferences when it comes to Facebook Marketing. Although you may boost or advertise a post, the Newsfeed prefers and promotes certain post types over others. Videos are strongly preferred over their text and photo counterparts, Live Video even more. Live Videos are best for behind-the-scenes sneak peeks and live announcements! Normal videos take a bit more time and effort to plan, but are definitely worth it! Facebook users consume more than 100 hours of video content daily . Remember to include captions since the large majority of users watch videos without sound.

#7 Solidify Your Brand Personality

Using Facebook for business can be tricky, but having a defined brand personality can take some of the stress away. Make sure your content also shows off your brand, either by colors, filters or logos. This way, you have a starting point when creating every piece of content and consumers have an easier time differentiating you from the rest. Pick a profile and title image that reflect your brand’s personality. You should also use the same tone of voice across all posts. Your brand should already be solidified before you start planning your social media marketing strategy.

Using Facebook for business can be highly successful, but also confusing. That’s why we’re here to help! Call ( 888) 353-1484 today to schedule your initial consultation and learn what social media marketing can do for your business.