As the largest social network, with almost 1.8 billion active monthly users in 2016 (according to Statista, one of the leading statistics companies on the internet), Facebook marketing is a great way for businesses of any size to connect and engage with their target audience. So, given how prevalent Facebook is in the daily lives of so many people, it makes sense for a business to have a presence there.
However, to be successful on Facebook will require more than simply setting up your business page. If you really want to build awareness of your brand, connect with customers and acquire new leads that convert into sales and/or brand promoters, then you will need to put in some effort.
You could say Facebook marketing – or any other social media marketing for that matter – is like undertaking a romantic courtship. A real life courtship is all about building a trusted relationship – and that takes time and hard work, and it happens slowly, step by step until you’ve built the relationship that both parties wish to have.
Have a Facebook marketing strategy.
It’s important to approach Facebook marketing with your bigger picture in mind – in other words, what you want to achieve through your marketing efforts on Facebook.
Here we’re talking about having a clearly defined Facebook marketing strategy with some very specific goals. Without having such a deliberate and structured approach, you run the risk of easily losing sight of your goals and bouncing from pillar to post without anything to show for it.
Ideally, your Facebook strategy will be an integral part of your overall digital marketing plan, instead of merely being a separate activity with unrelated goals. So, with that in mind, you wouldn’t want to be posting on Facebook merely to chase after a bigger Facebook audience. After all, there has to be a reason for acquiring a bigger audience, not so? And that reason needs to be part of your overall digital marketing plan. For example, your Facebook marketing goals could be to grow and nurture your Facebook audience with the aim of getting them to subscribe to your mailing list, visit your website, try one of your products or services, and so on.
Build relationships by offering value
A well-developed Facebook marketing strategy – one with various, clearly defined goals – will include posts of many different types with one specific call to action (or CTA) for each; calls to action that clearly show your audience what their next step should be in order to get them to move closer to your goal for them.
However, the key in any Facebook marketing strategy is to focus on offering something of value to your audience. It’s about teaching them something useful – something that relates to your specific business or field of expertise – and doing so in a fun or enjoyable way.
Here are 4 tried and tested tips for ensuring success with your Facebook marketing
- Be clear in your message:
Before you even start on Facebook, decide precisely what the message is that you want to share with your audience. A clear message is one that grabs their attention so that they know exactly what you’re about and what you want them to do – such as sign up for your newsletter or checks out something on your website, or maybe simply read an informative blog that will give them a useful insight into something of value. - Engage with your audience:
Every social network is all about encouraging conversations and building relationships and engagement. Conversations and relationships are two-way streets, so be sure to make time to respond to any messages or comments that your audience post. - Be personable:
It goes without saying that if you want to establish a relationship with anyone, you simply have to be ‘personable’. Instead of your page being a boring, sterile, business-only experience, it’s OK to talk about current issues and to post in the first person. Doing so will give your brand an identity and personality, which is what audiences need in order to be able to connect to. Have some fun revealing your company’s unique personality and tone of voice – doing so will go a long way to establishing a rapport with your audience. - Don’t be demanding:
Don’t overwhelm your audience with posts – that’s really just spam. Instead, spread them out over three to five times a week – that way when you do post, your audience will tend to view it as more valuable information. Also include posts that are simply intended to be helpful only – in other words, without a call to action. After all, you don’t want to exhaust them with non-stop demands for their attention, time or money.
As you establish your audience on Facebook and build up your relationship with them, you can experiment with various ways to move them closer to your goal for them, whatever that might be according to your overall digital marketing plan and marketing strategy for Facebook.
If you would like support to develop a digital marketing plan, including using Facebook marketing to build an online presence for your business that ultimately drives leads through your sales funnel and grows your business, then contact the team at Net Branding today. Our digital marketing services include Social Media Marketing, Online Advertising and Email Campaigns, so contact us today to find out more about what we can do for you.
