Small Business Tips For Managing Facebook

So your business is up and running and you’ve set up a Facebook business page account. A few months go by and you’ve barely had a hit. What are you doing wrong?

Follow these tips to maximise your exposure, generate followers and potential sales.

Tip1: Housekeeping

First thing’s first: You need to create a Facebook Business Page and not a personal profile. Enter your business contact information in the about us section and ensure your details are correct (test them).

Add a great cover image that reflects your business. Write a short description of your business that describes who you are, what you do, and what differentiates you from the pack.

Remember to add a call-to-action button at the top of your Facebook Page. It’s what you want people to do when they visit your page? Buy? Click through? Sign Up? There are seven pre-made button options to choose from including “Sign up”, “Shop Now”, “Contact Us”, “Book Now”, “Use App”, “Watch Video” and “Play Game”.

Tip 2: Utilise graphics, pics and video

Posts with relevant photos or videos attract more attention than ones with text only.

Posting an engaging great pic or video, combined with relevant text is an easy way to enhance your business – create a photo album with images of products or past events that people can preview.

Tip 3: Engage your audience

If a customer makes an enquiry, make the response as quick as possible. Be helpful and accommodating and if your feedback is negative, keep a calm head and answer in a friendly and professional tone.

Tip 4: Monitor your progress against your strategy and refine

Check your analytics regularly and keep an eye on which posts get a lot of views or comments. Which post generated a sudden surge in traffic and sales?

Post more of the type of content that resonates with your customers, and eliminate the sorts of posts that aren’t getting any reaction.

 Tip 5: Posts – When to and tone

This is the million dollar question – when is the ideal time to post and what should the frequency be? There is no hard and fast rule of when is the most optimum time to post is – only you will know your customers / members and only by trial and error and gathering data will you be able to establish when they will be the most receptive to your posts. Regular posting is the key here.

Only you will know your audience and the correct tone to use. Don’t make your posts too jargonistic and technical if it would alienate your customer base. Conversely don’t patronise your customers with information they would already be familiar with.

*Listen to your customers. If you are posting ten times a day and the feedback you are receiving is negative, then strip it back to half as many posts.

* Set up a Facebook posting schedule — whether it’s once a day or once a week — stick to it for several weeks and then check the data and refine if necessary.

Tip 6: Utilise your data and analytics (insights tool)

In your brand’s page in Facebook, go to Insights and click on Posts to see the data of when your viewers are online.

What does your data tell you? Quirky fun posts result in more engagement? Posts that are too sales focussed are ignored? This is valuable, cost effective market research that can tell you a lot about your customers – use it. If a monthly offer / giveaway or competition, or customer profile is increasing leads and sales, make it a regular post.

Post more of the type of content that resonates with your customers, and eliminate the sorts of posts that aren’t getting any reaction.

Tip 7: Boost your important posts / Facebook Offers

Posting special offers or discounts is a great way of rewarding your customers. For example, you can offer a discount or giveaway to people who share your post or mention Facebook when they come into your office / shop / business.

Or, for extra mileage Facebook Offers increases your reach to an audience beyond your customer base.

Boosted posts can help you reach wider audiences with greater accuracy. You can enter a designated amount and Facebook will tell you instantly how many people your post will reach.