Within the world of social media, Facebook is often considered the holy grail. The world's largest social network now boasts more than 2 billion active users across age groups, demographics, and geographic regions. That, in turn, makes it a natural opportunity for any business or professional looking to grow their brand.Of course, the network's persistence and success also makes it immensely competitive. Chances are your competitors are already on Facebook. That means you cannot just create a page on the network and be done with it. Instead, you need to be strategic in how you attract, convert, and engage your most relevant followers. More specifically, that strategy has to include three major components;
- Attracting people to your Facebook page.
- Converting Facebook page viewers into page likes.
- Prevent unlikes by encouraging continued engagement.
Each of these steps need to be well-defined and strategic for your presence to be successful in attracting brand attention and conversions. This article will discuss each in more detail to help you increase your Facebook followers and maximise engagement.
1. Attracting Relevant People to Your Facebook Page
Once you create your business or brand Facebook page, the first thing you need to do is attract attention to it. You can use a wide range of initiatives to accomplish that goal. Many of them are free, and many can be easily integrated into your existing efforts. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Add a Facebook follow link to all of your printed materials, including brochures and sales receipts.
- Integrate a 'like' button or feed of your Facebook page on your website.
- Invite existing contacts from your personal Facebook feed to like your brand page.
- Engage with other relevant Facebook pages to encourage reciprocity and reach their followers.
- Send emails to current and potential customers about your Facebook page, and why they should follow it.
- Run a promotion that rewards current or new followers with promotional giveaways, then promote that promotion through all of your existing marketing channels.
In addition, Facebook also allows you to go further. While all of the above is free, you can spend some of your marketing dollars to raise awareness of your page as well.Facebook offers low-cost advertisements that allow you to highlight your page. You can either promote individual posts or create an ad for the page itself. For as little as $5 per day you can reach a targeted audience that will be likely to actually follow through and begin following your brand on the network.
2. Converting Facebook Page Viewers into Page Likes
Of course, getting potential customers to your page is only one part of the equation. Now, you need to convince them that following your content will be worth their time and effort.The key to success in this stage is value. From your audience's perspective, what do they have to gain from following your page? The easier this question is to answer for you, the more likely it is you will actually turn Facebook page views into page likes.
First, make sure you get the basics right. That means creating an engaging 'About' sentence or paragraph, along with just the right profile and cover images. Facebook now allows for GIFs in profile images and slideshows instead of static cover photos, meaning that your creative possibilities are increasing. The more easily you can catch your audience's eye once they get to your page, the better.Another important step is to highlight the type of content your audience will find most valuable. You can take a number of steps to make that happen:
- Pin an especially valuable or relevant post to extend its shelf life and display it at the top of the feed.
- Choose highlighted videos that will display prominently on your page.
- Add a physical address to pinpoint the location of your business for local audience members.
3. Preventing Unlikes and Driving Facebook Page Engagement
With the right promotional strategy, you get views. Through the right Facebook page, you turn them into followers. Now, it's time to consider your content strategy in your effort to engage your followers and prevent unlikes.A successful content strategy needs to include:
- The right frequency. Post too little, and your followers will forget your page even exists. Post too much, and they will get annoyed and unfollow you. Research shows that the ideal frequency is one Facebook post per day. Try to post at least three times per week if once per day isn't possible/viable.
- Value in every post. Frequency matters little if it is not supported by value. Followers who see overtly promotional or repetitive posts will become more likely to unlike your page. Instead, try to answer pressing questions and pain points of your audience with each post.
- The right voice. Even if multiple people handle your Facebook page, each post should be consistent in its voice and tone. That brand voice should be consistent with your business identity. For instance, a kid's fashion brand may benefit from playful emoji, while a men's custom tailor should probably convey a more subdued, business-like attitude.
- Content variance. Facebook allows brands to post images, videos, links, GIFs, surveys, and more. While visual content tends to generate the most engagement, it makes sense to vary your post content in order to reduce predictability and monotony.
- Opportunities to interact and engage. More engaged followers will not only see future content more frequently thanks to Facebook's EdgeRank algorithm, they will also become less likely to unlike your page. Encourage comments and shares, while responding and engaging with each comment to start conversations and build relationships.
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In other words, your content strategy on Facebook needs to balance both quality and quantity. A written content calendar can help you ensure consistency in both areas, making sure that your audience keeps seeing and engaging with your posts without getting annoyed by them.
Turning your Facebook Page Into an Integral Part of Your Business Strategy
Each of the above steps will, over time, ensure the success of your Facebook page. As a result, your business will be able to leverage a variety of advantages benefits that a successful presence on the business tends to bring:
- Increasing brand awareness among your target audience.
- Creating a competitive advantage by promoting thought leadership content.
- Building a unique brand voice that represents your core business identity.
- Engaging members of your target audience until they're ready to buy.
- Improving customer service through real-time responses to questions and problems.
- Maximising customer retention through interactions with followers and customers.
As such, a Facebook page should be a core part of your digital marketing strategy! Follow the three above steps, and you will be able to grow your business by attracting, converting, and retaining customers on a sustainable basis.
Get Help From Social Media College
Of course, all of the above is only an introduction to the complex world of Facebook and social media marketing in general. In addition to reading articles such as this, it makes sense for any marketing and business professional to dig deeper into the topic.That's where we come in. Social Media College are the course owners of the Diploma of Social Media Marketing, the world's first and only formal qualification in social media marketing specifically. We also offer more individualised training for any professional or business in need of expertise. Contact our team to learn more about our courses, and become a social media expert today.
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