Roughly 1.32 billion individuals use Facebook each month, and many of them “like" and “share"…
Based on its December 2014 statistics, it had an average of 890 million active users per day, with 745 million using mobile devices. The numbers also indicate that as of end of last year, it had 1.39 billion monthly active users, with 1.19 billion who utilize their mobile gadgets. It’s no wonder that many companies are staying active on Facebook, because their presence on the social networking site could equate to a boost in their business.
Source: aokmarketing.com/social-media-infographic
The social networking site has what it calls Facebook for Business, and it has features that are meant to help entrepreneurs make the most of the platform to boost their sales. Although the competition may be stiff, the social networking site itself provides some tips on how one’s business can be found on Facebook.
Providing the business’ category, description, and contact information would let potential followers and prospective customers find one’s page more easily, whether it’s via the Graph Search, Nearby, or News Feed. The advice may seem rather simple and obvious, but paying attention (or ignoring) to small details like these could make or break one’s success.
By initiating to make contact, one can start building an audience for the business. This can be done easily by uploading one’s contact list and sending an email invite through the built-in Invite option. And since the idea of having a page on a social networking site is to connect with customers, then it makes sense to start off with a nice invitation and build up from there.
By providing fresh and engaging content, one has better chances of getting noticed. According to Facebook, “News Feed will always optimise for stories that generate high levels of user engagement and filter out ones that don’t.” The company’s advise is, use images and keep the text concise.
Facebook has a feature that generates information on which posts visitors deem as engaging. Page Insight, located at the Page Admin panel or via the drop-down menu right below the cover photo, is a way of gauging what types of content followers and customers enjoy. The business owner can then curate their future posts based on what people like.
Photos and images. Business owners need to remember that the cover and profile photos are the first items that visitors see upon opening the page. Therefore, carefully selecting ones that are attractive and are reflective of what the business offers can draw in (or repel) potential customers. The use of photos in posts also boost engagement, since people often respond more to those with visual stimuli.
Facebook address. Business owners should also customize their FB Page web address to make it easy for existing and potential customers to find them on the social networking site.
Links and Like Buttons. If a business has a separate website or blog, then they must make sure to incorporate buttons that would lead visitors to their Facebook page. Placing Like buttons on blog posts, incorporating their FB page with their other social networking accounts like Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, and putting their FB address on their ads, are other ways of getting found on Facebook.
Response. Business owners need to pay attention to how the people are reacting and responding. They also need to take time to acknowledge visitors and customers who leave comments, even negative ones. People often build an affinity to businesses that make them feel important.
Word of mouth is still one of the best marketing strategies, and used strategically, Facebook can be the platform to let customers spread the word about one’s business.
