Facebook is far and away the most popular social media platform in the United States. That’s true however you slice it — whatever your preferred metric.
It follows that Facebook is far and away the most important social media platform for U.S. marketers. If your company doesn’t yet have a basic Facebook presence, it’s almost certainly leaving leads and conversions on the table.
Fortunately, launching a successful Facebook marketing campaign doesn’t require a massive investment of financial resources. Nor does establishing a robust, customer-facing Facebook presence that attracts prospects with quality content and compelling differentiators. We’re not talking about Super Bowl ads, here.
Here’s what your organization should do to make the most of its Facebook business page without breaking the bank.
1. Make Sure Its Contact Details Are Up to Date
If your business relies to any extent on inbound leads — and it almost certainly does — then it simply can’t afford to allow its Facebook contact details to get out of date. If you’ve changed your phone number, website URL, or customer email address in the recent past, do yourself a favor and make sure it’s reflected accurately on your Facebook business page. While you’re at it, fill in any missing fields, too.
2. Share Informative, Compelling Content
Your Facebook page shouldn’t be all about your company, all the time. Your prospects have their own needs, wants, and problems, too. Take a hint from the Facebook page for InsureOne, a leading auto insurance provider, and share or repost informative, compelling third party content that your followers want to read and see.
3. Post Hours
This is especially important for businesses with physical locations. Even if your home office isn’t open to the public, let prospective customers know when to call by posting your open hours in the appropriate field. If your customer service team is available around the clock (or you’re the type of business owner who’s willing to hop out of bed to answer Facebook messages) then make sure you specify that you’re open 24/7. But don’t claim that if it’s not true.
4. Include a Workflow-Oriented Call to Action
Invite your prospects to enter your lead-generation workflow by adding a straightforward call-to-action on your navigation sidebar. InsureOne’s, for instance, is “Start Your Quote” — a sensible choice for an insurance company.
5. Respond to User Reviews and Comments As Soon As Possible
Lastly, respond thoughtfully and politely to user reviews and comments — positive and negative — as quickly as possible. Before you do, avoid alienating anyone by reading up on these best practices for responding to Facebook reviews.
Facebook Is Your Friend
How many Facebook followers does your business have?
Unlike some social media platforms, the most important measure of success on Facebook isn’t total follower count. Rather, it’s follower quality. The five tips on this list are all designed to improve the quality of your prospects’ engagement with your brand, rather than creating a situation in which your Facebook following is a mile wide and an inch deep.
However you choose to approach your Facebook business marketing strategy, and whichever tips you choose to follow or disregard, remember one thing above all else: When it comes to business marketing, Facebook is very much your friend. Non-engagement is not an option.
