Social media tips: Using Facebook for business

Over a billion people use Facebook, and three out of every four smartphones have Facebook on them. Facebook has a huge reach and is no longer only used for keeping up to date on all your friends’ gossip. It is a highly effective business tool!

Create social media channels which are consistent with your businesses’ branding and design so that existing audiences will know who you are and new audiences can begin to recognise your brand. Social media setup is becoming increasingly important for businesses – social media can act as a portal for referral traffic, it is an excellent platform for content distribution, for reaching a wider audience and getting customer feedback, and it’s also becoming an increasingly important ranking factor.

If you’ve been struggling a little with your social media setup, our guide to the best uses of Facebook for business will help get you started:

Connect and Share

First things first, customise your social handle so that it’s branded and to ensure you can be easily found. Add this link to your email signature, business cards and to your website to promote your page and posts.

Post business activity updates on your wall as well as links to useful articles and interesting blogs in order to engage your customers and establish credibility. Combine Facebook with your other social media accounts to boost content and create cohesion. You can also check for friends using the friend finder and your existing email address book. Facebook will even suggest other companies or clients that may want to follow your company – saving you searching time.

Grow your number of likes and boost sales by offering discount codes or freebies. This will market your product and give your customers a sense of value for money; it will also encourage brand loyalty and therefore encourage your fans to share your brand with their connections.

Use Network, Group and Fan Pages

Most successful businesses will have a firm idea of who their customer base is. Analyse the social media habits of your key demographic and you can understand the best way to engage with them.

If you don’t have a business profile then you can target potential customers through a group or fan page. Link this page to your company website and fill the page with useful need-to-know information about the business. This is a great way to publicise any upcoming events you may be holding; whether these be open days, interviews or a conference. Don’t forget to post feedback on the event as well! This will entice customers to any future goings on.

Keep on top of your group or Facebook page. Regular updates will keep your fans engaged and any questions they may have can then be answered swiftly.

Advertising

Facebook is an amazing advertising platform! Most online advertising reaches around 30% of its intended audience whereas Facebook reaches 91%. Facebook gives value for money and can offer massive traffic boosts. These ads are also used with specific users in mind – your targeted potential customer. 5 Reasons why you should never buy Facebook likes

Know what you are doing

Set goals and write up a social media setup to do list. Crossing jobs off your list will feel satisfying and knowing your goals will help you to form a content calendar. Planning what you will post and when can streamline activity and help project growth.

Pin point when your customers are most active, perhaps in the evening after work or on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and plan to post at this time. You could even have themed days such as Throwback Thursdays or Thank God It’s Friday – all of this helps to encourage engagement and can help to start conversation. What’s the best time to post on Facebook?

Although you want your page to represent your business in a professional light, don’t be too serious. Have fun and experiment! Vary your post style and write reasonably informally. Facebook works as an informal social media site, keep it that way for maximum results. Check out or social media marketing agency and out Facebook marketing services.