5 Facebook Posting Secrets Every Small Business Owner Should Know

 

Ideas For Facebook business Pages other than making regular posts

Is your Facebook game feeling a bit stale? Keeping up with your Facebook Business page can be a chore. It seems like you are always doing the same thing and you want to make sure that your audience doesn't bored. Here are 5 tips for jazzing up your post content on Facebook.

1. Videos

March 2018 saw 12 million video views on Facebook. It is still king of the Facebook user experience. Use that momentum by making your own videos using Adobe Spark, Animoto, Ripl or any other video creation software. Even better, Go Live! Push the live button and show around your store, show a product, or talk to camera about your service. You can do anything you want to do! Remember, video is the number one way to reach your audience on Facebook, so you MUST use it often!

2. Offers

When you create an offer, it allows you to

• put a the name of whatever is on sale

• the discount or price

• a time when it expires

• a photo to catch interest

• where people can redeem it in store or online

If they redeem it online, you can put a promo code that they can put in a check out to get the offer. You can also add terms and conditions. The best thing about an offer is that it will continue to remind anyone who saves the offer to go back and redeem it until the day it expires. Talk about a set it and forget it system!

3. Call/Message Now

The Call Now or Message Now post is super cool! You can create a post to say whatever you want to say then assign the call to action button to call or message now. So when someone pushes the 'Call Now' button, it will dial whatever phone number you have attached to your Facebook account. In the same way, if someone pushes the 'Message Now' button, it will immediately open up FB messenger and start a conversation with you! So if you’re looking for immediate contact with your audience, you can use this tool instead of writing a post directing to your website. As we know, there is a time and place for pushing web traffic but you can never beat one-on-one interactions. There is a BUT to this though...

If you’re not in a position to respond to calls or Facebook messages right away, you might not want to use this one. Plan ahead to where you know you will be avalible for at least an hour after you put up the post. The last thing you want is for people to get frustrated because you asked them to send a message or call, and you’re not answering!

4. Events

You can use events if:

• you have an event in your store

• you’re going to be at a public event

• you’re having a sale for any amount of time

How do events work? People can mark interested or going and Facebook will remind those people about the event. Also, the event will show who has clicked, thus showing social proof, which means that your customers friends will will show up in the going list. Many times, the friends will see that thier friend is doing something and sign up. FOMO for the win!

5. Polls

The last tool is to create a poll. If there is one thing true about the internet, it is that people LOVE to tell you thier opinion on things! So, use that to your advantage. Ask something fun like 'What’s your favorite flavor of coffee?' or something related to your business like 'What product do they want to see on sale?' When you ask your audience to interact with you, they will respond! So the more you ask for your tribe’s opinion, the more conversation you’ll have on your page. And as we all know, more conversation means Facebook sees your page to more people.

Which idea stands out as something you may not have tried before?  Or have you tried one of the ideas on the list and had it work out like gangbusters?  Please Share!

Facebook Funnels: The Growth

In my last post, you learned about writing a blog.  After you have started to create content and post it to your website and share on your social media channels (we are focusing on Facebook for this series), it is time to start growing your audience.

This is where you will run your first Facebook ad.   In the early days of Facebook, businesses 'bought likes' to raise thier numbers.  That practice has been proven to be a horrible idea.  You want to attract people to your page who want to be there.  The more active your followers are on your page (likes, comments, shares), the more people will see your content for FREE!  So, you need to run an ad directly to those who will be most likely to love you.  Lucky for you, Facebook makes it super easy to dial in on your super customer! 

Why do "Like Ads" work?

They work for many reasons. But mainly it's because:

• they have great social proof -- ie. they show pages your friends have Liked.

• they're the easiest ads to set up -- and tend to be the least expensive

• they get your page instant exposure to new fans

I suggest that you use 10% of Facebook Ads Budget to run a 'Like' campaign.  It will be a constant, low cost ad just like you may be using for your local newspaper.

How To Create A 'Like' Ad

Step 1: Go to Your page

The easiest step of all! Just head to the page you want to run a "Like Ad" for.

Step 2: Look at the bottom of your left column

At the very bottom of the left column, you will see a blue promote button like this:

Once you click, you will choose Promote Your Page

Step 3: Choose Text and Image

The Text and Image will be automatically filled in for you based on your cover photo and the text in the About section of your page.  Click on the pencil icon to edit this part.  

HINT: Keep the cover image the same. You want the ad and the cover image to match! Change the text or description to tell what your customers can expect from your page.

Step 4: Choose Your Audience

Remember your Super Customer?  This is where they come in for the promotion part.  

Select Audience criteria PLUS Details.

Criteria:

Gender, Age, Location

Detailed Targeting:

 Products they use, TV Shows they watch, Activities, People they follow, Places they shop

HINT: You can also exclude people who do not fit into your super customer profile.

Step 5: Budget & Duration

Depending on your page size, you will see different amounts to spend per day to promote your page. Decide what amount is best for your budget and how long you would like to run the ad.

I'd recommend starting with a smaller amount and 7 days first to test the ad -- and then you can increase it later.  Also, if you have not ever run an ad before, you will need to input payment information.

Step 6: Click "Promote"

Once you're satisfied with the ad setup, hit the "Promote" button.

What will the Ads Look Like?

Once you start an ad like this, Facebook actually creates 3 sample ads for you:

1. Sample ad for laptop/desktop users -- to appear in the right column for users on laptop/desktop computers

2. Sample ad for mobile device users -- these first 2 ads will look similar to the image below

3. Sample "Sponsored Story" ad -- shown in the News Feed. This could show up on desktops or on mobile devices.

I used my page for the examples above, and if you need a visual here is a video of me navigating from start to finish.

The 10 Minute Fix to Perfecting your Facebook Business Page

At some point in the past, you started a Facebook Business Page.  Maybe you did it yourself, maybe your employee did it.  Either way...it is done.  Here is the killer question: Was it done well?  Are there elements that are missing that could be impacting your business?  Do you look as professional as you should?  

Have no fear!  I am going to give you a 3 quick fixes to make sure you are maximizing your pages potential.  Ready, Set, GO!

1. Vanity URL

Your Vanity URL is the name of your site in the Facebook web address (ex. Facebook.com/BuzzHustle) AND it is also the tool used to tag your business in conversations (EX. I Love @BuzzHustle so much!).  If you are missing this important key, it is a super easy fix!  

On your main page, click on About.  Then Click Username.  A new box will pop up where you can enter your wonderful name.  If it gives you an error, pick another one because the one you want is taken.  

2. Cover Photo

Your Cover Photo is super important.  If you already have one, go to it and make sure it follows these rules.  If you do not have one, do this immediately!!!

Rule 1: Make sure all text fits in the box on both Desktop and Mobile.  In July, Facebook began rolling out a new business page format.  This made cover photos not display correctly.  Make sure yours does!  If your photo is getting cut off on the sides on mobile, try cropping it to 838px X 315px.  This should adjust correctly on both devices.

Once you get your Cover Photo Uploaded and looking awesome, click on it.  See that box to the right?  Fill it in with information about your business AND your contact information.  Small Change, BIG impact!

TIP: To make your Cover Photo have maximum impact, Use it to showcase something impactful about your business.  You do not have to use your logo or any words or you can make it nothing but text,  but you do need to showcase what is awesome about your business!  Here are a few good examples.

3. Profile Photo

Look up at the cover photo examples again.  Notice the profile photos on the left?  

The profile photo is a logo for a company and the person's face for a personal brand.  If you are a company, your logo should be simple, bold, and easy to read.  If you are a person, your photo should show your face clearly.  Remember that the profile photo is most often seen next to your posts and comments.  It is REALLY small!  Make sure you can see it well on any device!

Again, just like you did for the cover photo, click on your profile photo and add a sentence or two into the description box to the right.  Make sure you include a way to contact your company.

That's it! DONE!  

See that wasn't so bad, right?

5 Keys to Attention Grabbing Facebook Posts

The only thing worse than doughnuts at the office on the first day of Whole 30 is spending hours on posts for Facebook only to have them fall flat with no engagement.  So, here are a few tips to make sure people are not only seeing your posts but are compelled to pay attention!

Tip # 1

When it comes to content, ask yourself “Is this something I would want to read?”  Is it boring, flat, humorless, offensive, poor quality, or error ridden?  If you wouldn’t want to read your own content, then no one else is either!  Remember these few tips!

• HAVE FUN! Talk to your audience as if they are your friends. As a small business owner, they should be! These are your people who like your stuff or store or food. Speak to them as if they were in your place of business.

• Work Smart! Write your posts in Word prior to posting to check for grammar or spelling mistakes OR download an addon like Grammarly to check as you go! Also, check all your links before you hit send. Nothing is more annoying than an engaging post that doesn’t go anywhere!

• Keep your content short and sweet. Social Media Examiner suggests 100 characters or fewer.

Tip # 2

Engagement on a personal level with your audience is key!  A few ways to keep engament high are:

• Images (use a photo editor to add your logo, quotes, or slogans)

• Ask a Question at the end of your post text. Where, When, Should...or do a ‘like if you would’ type questions. No Why Questions. People will skip responding if they have to think or type to much.

• Do 'behind the scenes'. How do you celebrate birthdays, decorate for holidays, in addition to how you do your day to day operations.

• Special ‘secret’ deals for FB users. For example, I have a promo code that I only publish on Facebook and I make sure they know it. "FB EXCLUSIVE JUST FOR YOU!"

• Take advantage of current events: Women's Day, Elections, Olympics. It proves you are relevant and active in modern culture.

• Give directions aka call to action - Post, Comment, submit, like, tell us, share

Tip # 3

Mix status updates up: educate, entertain, promote, inspire - track the analytics of your posts to see what works the best with your audience.

Tip # 4

Relate what you are posting to the type of media required.  Videos get the most engagement, but if you posted videos everyday people would lose interest.  

Consider the point of the post.

• Icing tip? Video.

• New blog post? Link with picture

• Special Event? Photo.

• Question? Text in a graphic.

Tip # 5

Post at the Right Time

If you don’t post your Facebook updates when your audience is most likely to see them, you can’t expect good engagement. When is the right time to post? Well, it varies depending on your audience.  For example, if you know your target group consists of working mothers, lunchtime and evenings are probably going to be effective times for you to post because that’s when they’re likely taking a break.

My advice is to always post half an hour before the prescribed optimal time. If the majority of your fans log into Facebook at 8pm, your update should go live by 7:30pm. That way, when your fans come online your post will already be in their news feed.

Adapted from Social Media Examiner