From its powerful way of connecting businesses with customers to its various advertising options, there is no denying the benefits of using Facebook to promote your small business.
According to Jake McKenzie of Auto Accessories Garage, “Having a Facebook page helps to legitimize your business in the customer’s eye.”
Simply put, a business without a Facebook page is deemed outdated or untrustworthy. That said, here are ten ways on how you can use Facebook to promote your small business.
1. Start With a Facebook Page
If you want your business to have a solid presence on Facebook, your personal account will not cut it. You need to create a business page. Here’s how:
- On the left panel, under Explore, click “Pages.”
- Click the green “Create Page” button, and then choose the option that is right for you.
- You will need to fill out your Page Name and Category.
From there, you will start uploading a profile and cover images for your Facebook page. This is also where you get to customize your page’s tabs ‒ something that you cannot do on a regular Facebook account.
PRO TIP: Make sure that your business information and the images that you will upload on your page are accurate and consistent.
2. Post Valuable Content Regularly
Using Facebook to promote your business is more than just setting up a business page. You also need to post and share valuable content regularly.
As Katie Campbell of Fundera advises, “Post as frequently as you can and, at minimum, once per day. Your audience and customers want to feel like they know your business and can relate to you.”
Luckily, having a Facebook page allows you to schedule posts ahead of time. So you will not need to post your content manually. That said, Buffer’s Sandrine Sahakians has a succinct post on how you can create the perfect social media calendar.
3. Engage With Your Audience
Back in 2018, Mark Zuckerberg announced that they had made changes to Facebook’s algorithm to help you “have more meaningful social interactions.” Meaning, you will see more posts from your family and friends and less from businesses and brands.
Facebook is a social media platform, after all.
That said, other than posting valuable content regularly. You also have to make sure that this content drives engagement on your Facebook page. You can do this by replying to your audience’s comments and messages, as well as hosting polls.
4. Run Promos and Contests
Facebook contests and giveaways are just some of the ways that you can offer something of value to your audience. They also allow another way to engage with your audience.
Examples of promos that you can run are:
- Customer discounts in exchange for “likes” or “shares.”
- Comment or post why they should win your prize
- Create a raffle that will let the winner bring a +1 to your upcoming event
Just remember, the more interesting the deal is, the more your fans will be enticed to join and participate.
5. Turn Your Fans Into Advocates
Since Facebook is a social platform, it is a no-brainer that it is the new form of “word-of-mouth.”
Here’s the thing: People (your audience’s Facebook friends) are more likely to engage with your brand if they see that someone they know does.
Sure, you need to take the public’s interest into consideration. But keep in mind that your business will not thrive if no one knows of its existence. The best way to build awareness around your brand is by reaching the friends of your fans.
6. Run Facebook Ads
Making your Facebook audience grow organically can be time-consuming, especially if your goal is to drive sales for your business.
This is where Facebook advertising comes in.
What’s cool about Facebook ads is that they are cost-effective and hyper-targeted. Meaning, you can run an ad, and it will only be shown to people who are more likely to interact with your business. This targeted advertising allows you to get more bang for your buck.
However, running a Facebook ad might require the help of a professional. You can opt to hire one of the best Facebook advertising agencies in your area.
7. Join Facebook Groups
In case you’re unaware, there are a lot of groups and communities on Facebook that are dedicated to a particular industry or movement. This allows you to reach groups relevant to your business.
For instance, you can connect with food bloggers through various Facebook groups if you own a restaurant.
The cool thing about this tactic is that you can use your personal account to be part of these groups. However, make sure that you interact and share valuable information with the members of the group.
Otherwise, you will be kicked out of the group in no time.
8. Create a Community Page
Aside from a Facebook group, you can also establish a community page for your business.
Why? Because it tends to give a more organic reach than business pages. Not to mention that it is a great avenue for your fans to share what they know. As a result, your community also serves as a user-generated knowledgebase.
PRO TIP: Make your community page an invite-only group.
As Ben Taylor, founder of Home Working Club, puts it, “If you make the page invitation-only it makes customers feel special and is a good place to maintain relationships with them, one on one.”
9. List Your Events
Whether you are hosting an event or speaking on someone else’s, make sure that you create a Facebook event page for it. Then invite your family, friends, and fans to it. You can even share the event page on Facebook groups where you belong!
For one, it is a great way to get an RSVP from your audience. Second, your events can be visible on their friends’ newsfeed. Thus, your promotional activities tend to naturally ripple through the community.
10. Upload a Facebook Story
Facebook Story is a great place to post more casual content. That’s because they do not need to be business-specific.
It could be something like a fun poll, or posting interesting links. You can even host a Q&A via Facebook Story. Doing so increases the likelihood of engaging your audience and driving traffic to your Facebook page.
Perhaps Facebook’s greatest gift is that it allows small business owners to create a community around their brand. It lets you connect with your fans, as well as communicate and interact with them. It is just a matter of consistently sharing valuable content and being authentic when engaging with your audience.
