5 Secrets Of Facebook Success For Your Business
Proven social media tactics for contractors, interior designers, health & wellness professionals and the everyday entrepreneur.
By Jennifer Elias
There are many reasons all small businesses should be on social media.
For starters, social media presence increases brand awareness and loyalty.
When you’re sharing valuable content consistently, your audience not only has a chance to discover you and the valuable service you offer, but they also grow to like you and think of you as an authority in your niche.
When you have a strong social media presence, you will be top of mind if your followers are ever in need of your services – or if someone else asks them for a referral.
Secondly, social media can greatly increase traffic to your website.
Your website exists so that clients can find you and book your services. By creating social media posts that link to your website, you’re giving a whole slew of people the chance to explore your web pages and schedule a call.
The more traffic you can drive to your site, the more opportunity you’ll have to get bookings.
But even if you understand why you should be on social media, knowing which platform to start on can be pretty overwhelming.
Today we will cover the most popular social media platform – Facebook – as I share my secrets for small business social media success.
All small businesses should be on Facebook. There’s really no exceptions.
The number of Facebook users is expected to reach 1.69 billion in 2020, meaning no matter who your ideal audience is, they are guaranteed to be on Facebook in some capacity.
This is a platform well worth your time, but to have the most success here, you’ll need to take a few proactive steps to make your business shine in a sea of competition.
Here’s how to get started:
1.) Create A Facebook Business Account
Do not try to promote your business from a personal page.
A Facebook business account gives you numerous capabilities that you just can’t tap into when you use a personal account, and it’s incredibly easy to set up with this guide from Facebook.
Even if you never plan on using paid advertising, take the time to do this step the right way so you can utilize all the free perks the platform has to offer.
2.) Be Thorough And Strategic On Your “About” Page
When you set up your business account, you’ll be prompted to fill out an “About” page.
This is one of the first things so many small business owners get wrong. They do a half-hearted job, or skip the “About” section entirely.
But if a visitor on Facebook has never heard of you before, it’s crucial that they can quickly skim your “About” section and find out who you are and what you do.
If you’re too vague or the information is incomplete, they have no reason to follow you.
Tips for a great “About” section:
- Include Your URL First
Your entire “About” section won’t be visible unless a visitor clicks to read it, so make sure your web page link is a priority at the top of the section.
- Make Your First Few Sentences Matter
Try to sum up who you are and what you do in a few concise sentences right off the bat.
You can expand and share more about your brand and story, but make sure any visitor that stumbles upon your page can fully understand your services in the first few lines they read.
- Get Detailed
“Once your Facebook Page is live, you can log into your account and click the Edit Info button to add details and content. Fill in as much basic information as you can to tell your entire story and fully explain what your business or organization does, where you’re located, how to get in touch with you, and so on.
All of this information appears in the full About description that people see when they click on the top-level About link on your Facebook Page. If someone is interested enough to click this link to view your full description, you want to make sure they find as much information as possible.”
3.) Share Content That Encourages Engagement
Now that you have your “About” section filled out, it’s time to think about the kind of content you’ll be sharing.
If you have an interior design or a contracting business, your audience wants to see mainly one thing – your work.
No matter the kind of social media account you choose, taking high quality photos that showcase your best stuff is going to be a critical part of your game plan.
Invest in a smart phone with a good camera so you can snap pictures, edit if needed, and post all from one place.
When it comes to the captions and actual content you choose to post, variety is key – especially at first.
Try asking your followers questions, posting design tips, or answering FAQ you get from clients in a quick weekly video.
Pay close attention to which type of content gets the most likes and engagement, and then do more of that! Your audience will let you know what they want to see more of if you know how to listen.
And make sure you reply to each and every comment if possible – you want to reward any visitor or follower who takes the time to engage with your posts.
4.) Always Include A CTA And Link To Your Website
No matter where you’re posting content, the number one rule is to always tell your audience what you want them to do with the information you’re sharing.
This is called the “Call To Action” or CTA. Each and every post needs to have one – it can be as simple as ending with “To find out more about my work, visit my website here.”
If you make sure your direction is clear, your web link is working, and your visitors know what you want them to do, you’ll be sure to get website traffic.
5.) Build Your Fans Organically
Creating a solid fan base is one of the hardest parts of starting a new Facebook business page, but with a little patience and method, it’s 100% possible.
Here’s how:
- Make Sure Your Website Links To Your Facebook Page
Just like you want Facebook visitors to visit your website, the reverse is also true.
If a visitor stumbles upon your site from a search engine, encourage them to follow along on Facebook and also give them a reason why they should.
Maybe you’re giving away valuable design tips on your Facebook page, or they can see a time lapse video of a home build. Find something compelling that will encourage your web visitors to become your social media fans.
- Know When To Post
This is one area that small business owners often overlook, but there are actually optimal times to post to social platforms.
A good rule of thumb is to post to your account 4-6 times per week – more than once a day can be considered overboard for a lot of people.
On the other hand, if you don’t post consistently, it will negatively affect your growth. Whatever you choose to commit to, make it a priority to stick to your posting schedule!
As far as the days of the week, and the time of day that’s optimal, that can change year over year, but according to Sprout Social :
- Wednesdays receive the most engagement
- It’s almost always best to post mid day on a week day
- Sundays receive the worse engagement
- And there’s no point in posting content before 7:00 am and after 5:00 pm, ever
- Go Out And Engage
Find out where your audience hangs out online and go engage with them as the face of your business.
There are thousands of Facebook groups created for DIY home projects and interior design sharing. Join these groups, and add comments and value to them whenever you possibly can.
People who appreciate your advice will follow you over to your business page to learn what you’re all about.
- Ask Your Fans To Share
One of the easiest ways you can grow your social media following is by simply asking your current tribe to share your content.
Don’t be afraid to ask your friends and family to help promote your new business page to their friends as well – a little word of mouth on Facebook can go a long way.
While it’s true that social media success does take a bit of leg work, it’s one of the best forms of free advertising in existence, which is why smart business owners make sure they’re visible and active on Facebook.
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And if you’d like to take your business marketing plan to the next level, I would love to help. Contact me here today!