Does your business really need a Facebook page? If so, how do you even use Facebook for your business? Here’s the straight scoop on all your social media questions for small business.
There’s a lot more to Facebook than setting up a page. If limited social media know-how is holding you back from using Facebook for business, fear not. Setting up a business Facebook page is simple, free, and your page is live in just a few minutes. If you’re already connected to your customers and industry peers with your personal Facebook account, the tool makes it simple to suggest that they “like” your business page, too. If you simply want a Facebook page to be on Facebook, it really could be that simple. The hard part, of course, is ensuring that you draw, and maintain, traffic to your business Facebook page.
You’ll reach some customers and prospects—not all. Who sees what on Facebook is determined by an algorithmic system called EdgeRank, based on three factors: 1) affinity (whose posts you interact with most), 2) weight (the features in a post, including links, videos, photos and the comments it generates and 3) time decay (“recency” of the post). While EdgeRank guarantees that you see things on Facebook that are of interest to you every time you log on, it also guarantees that your business page won’t appear in every person’s newsfeed who iikes your page. It’s your job to get into that feed, based on the very factors noted above. The more they interact with your posts, the more you’re exposed on newsfeeds. Of course, there is always the odd chance that someone will seek your business Facebook page organically, but it’s unlikely. According to comScore, Facebook users spend just 12 percent of their time on the site looking at brand or profile pages.
You must know what moves your customers. The key to getting a customer response is knowing what engages them. Ask questions of them, post images and videos that inspire, and make them want to share the information with others. Address problems, and emotional desires. Be informative and educational. The more popular your posts, the greater the likelihood they’re seen by others. When your posts generate “likes,” positive comments, and shares, you increase the odds that you’ll reach your fans’s News Feeds, and possibly, more prospects. Even with a successful strategy, competition on Facebook is stiff. According to Ignite Social Media experts, just 16 to 17 percent of your fans will actually see your posts.
You can pay for exposure, but there are no guarantees. Facebook now has the option to buy sponsored posts, ads, and offers and you can create an ad in minutes, for as little as $10 a day. But, there is no shortage of paid ads and sponsored posts—and no guarantee that users won’t just skim right past your post.
You must spend time figuring out what works. Facebook Page Insights can help you understand more about your audience, and activity surrounding your posts and page, but you must carve out time to understand it, and experiment. Facebook is always changing, and so is what “works” on it at any given moment. If you’re ready to try Facebook, make sure you have time to pick a strategy, try it, and keep learning as you go.
