Congratulations – You’re willing to take the leap on the business side of social media! Welcome to the world of 1.8 billion daily active users (a 12% YOY increase) and 90 million small businesses. But don’t panic, there are many ways that you can stand out among the crowd.
Before you dive headfirst into the digital business world, here are the 5 basics of Facebook marketing that you need to know about:
1. Your Cover Photo is Prime Real Estate
When people go to a Facebook page, your cover photo is the first impression of your business. It shows the overall aesthetic, target audience, and sets the tone of what to expect.
But too many businesses are not taking advantage of these 820 x 315 pixels worth of prime real estate. While yes, a simple photo could get the job done for big brands, a business that’s just starting out needs a little something extra. Just putting your logo or product on the far right side isn’t going to attract potential customers.
The great thing about a photo is that it’s interchangeable – so you’re not stuck with the same look or message throughout the year. In fact, it’s recommended that you change your cover photo at least annually to prevent an “outdated” look. Most importantly, check how your cover photo looks in the preview box when it pops up! Don’t get caught with text cut off at the top or bottom.
For tips and tricks on choosing the perfect cover photo, use this fantastic article by HubSpot.
Pro tip: Facebook cover videos get higher engagement than static photos!
2. Do Not Feel Obligated to Post So Much
When first starting out, it’s really tempting to just blast your followers with tons of content in an attempt to get your brand name out there. But it’s important to remember how it feels to get the same email again and again from salesmen – annoying.
For some brands, it makes sense to post daily about what your business offers. But for the majority of businesses, daily posting is not necessary. HubSpot actually recommends that you publish content 2-5 times per week on Facebook, allowing you to push quality content out in a timely manner.
3. Marketing Results Take Time
Now you have the perfect cover photo and posting schedule, so why does my page still not have a lot of followers? One word: time.
It takes time to build a business, so of course it’s going to take time to build a following around it. The key to social media marketing success is setting small, measurable goals, whether that’s 100 page likes within a month or 300 engagements in a quarter.
Don’t get your hopes up about going viral and getting 10,000 page likes quickly – because it rarely, if ever, happens like that. But one element of Facebook that is crucial to getting your brand out there is the Ad Center. More on that next…
4. Target the Right Audience
Jump starting your marketing efforts with Facebook ads are oh-so-tempting with those personalized recommendations that pop up in your notifications feed. The hardest part about setting up any ad campaign is targeting the right audience. Read that again, “the right audience.”
Setting a target audience of everyone in the United States ages 18-65 (approximately 160 million people) is way too broad to appeal to potential customers or clients in your field. We recommend a target audience size of 1-3 million people – if that seems impossible to reach, incorporate the following elements:
- Interests – Try searching for brands or pages that are related to your business
- Income – If your business offers prestige services in a higher than average price range, try targeting higher income zip codes
- Behavior – This can include engaged shoppers that have clicked on shopping ads within the last 2 weeks to month (perfect for an eCommerce business)
5. Videos Are Your Friend
According to HubSpot, videos are the most requested content for social media. This isn’t at all surprising as we move towards a society that’s more visually engaged with shorter attention spans than ever. So what does this mean for your Facebook posts?
Make videos. It doesn’t have to be very long, even a 10-second clip would do! The great thing about our current social climate is that perfected videos are going out of style for a more at-home, rugged look. So using platforms like Canva, Promo, or even Facebook’s video services make it easy to create professional looking videography at a fraction of the price.
The key to a good video is always short and sweet (unless you’re doing a product demo or YouTube vlogging). State the problem, introduce your brand as the solution, and follow up with a good CTA (call to action) such as “Shop Now” or “Contact Us”.
With these 5 tips, you’re all set to kick your social media presence in gear. Did you like reading about this topic? Comment below and tell us!
