Despite Instagram and Tiktok’s rapid growth, Facebook remains the leading social platform, with 60.6 percent of internet users.
Keep reading to learn about ten ways you can use Facebook to grow your business in the coming years.
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Start a Facebook page
You’re not going to get very far without a Facebook page representing your business. Sure, you can post on your personal profile, but if you want to take advantage of some of the business features that Facebook offers, you will need to make a page for your business. These features include ads, collaborating with influencers and the new business suite that allows you to cross-post with Instagram.
To create a business page, head to the Facebook page creator, follow the online instructions to add your business name, header and description.
2. Start a Facebook group
One of the fastest and most effective ways to grow your brand on Facebook is by creating a business group. A group is like a 24/7 version of a networking club. Organic reach on Facebook is hard to come by these days, but not if you build an active and engaging group!
When you get started, be sure to post every day to encourage conversation and accelerate engagement. As more people join and post, comment, and respond, Facebook will reward an active group by displaying posts in the group members’ newsfeeds and showcasing your group to like-minded Facebook users.
3. Host FB Lives
According to recent studies, ‘82% of consumers prefer live video from a brand to social posts’. Hosting a Live broadcast on Facebook gives you the chance to connect with your audience authentically, respond directly to feedback, and answer questions in real-time.
Keep reading for some great ways to add FB Live broadcasts to your marketing strategy. You could run Q&A’s with customers, host product or service demonstrations, offer something educational or inspirational, and even interview prospects or peers in your niche. Think creatively, or better yet, ask your customers what they’d love to see from you on their social feeds.
4. Utilise FB Native Video
If you’re not quite ready to go live just yet, you can pre-record a video and upload it directly to Facebook. People love real and authentic content these days, so should the inspiration catch you, don’t be afraid to whip out your phone, record, and post!
If you don’t fancy getting in front of the video camera at all, then utilise apps like Biteable or Lumen 5 to create image-based or animated videos. Just be sure to add value.
5. Post high-quality images
Grainy, low-quality images do poorly on social media. These days most phones have inbuilt high-quality cameras, which deliver quality images off the bat, however apps like VSCO or Lightroom can add stunning filters to images in a few clicks of the button.
If the thought of running a photo through an app doesn’t excite you, simply use the filters embedded in Instagram or download Snapchat and get your teenager to show you how to create and save fantastic images directly on the app.
6. Use hashtags
Hashtags have always been available on Facebook, but they are not used as widely as they are used on other apps. Facebook is actively working to change that and is encouraging brands to utilise hashtags to ensure their posts are shown to the right people.
Add some choice hashtags to your posts to increase your chance of being found organically on Facebook. Don’t go overboard; just 3 – 5 relevant hashtags will ensure you’ll pop up when someone searches for your keyword.
7. Utilise FB Stories
Everyone loves a good story! Stories were created as a way for people to show what was happening in their lives on a day to day basis. If you scroll through stories, you’ll find quotes, memes, videos, photos, gifs, and a (sometimes unwanted) exploration into the minds of your friends, family, and favourite brands.
FB stories recieve over 300 million viewers every day.
Think about what questions your customers might have. You might decide to answer customer questions on your FB story. You could record 15-second videos, upload a screenshot of a Q&A typed on your notes app, upload photos of your products, create discount codes, or even run a quiz. Get creative or once again get the kids involved and make stories part of your ongoing marketing strategy.
8. Set up & use FB Messenger
When you create a Facebook Page, you’ll have the option to turn on messaging. While this may seem like a big job to manage, FB lets you add an ‘away’ message when you’re not around, as well as a list of answers to common questions, which will be automatically delivered depending on the question. You can also use an external messaging bot to do the job of a customer service assistant.
Turning on messaging is an excellent opportunity to get direct feedback from your customers. You can use this content as a springboard for your posts, videos, and stories.
9. Post entertaining and relevant content
To stand out from the crowd, you need to lose the corporate-speak and talk to your audience like people. Post content that adds value by solving problems, entertaining, informing, or otherwise meeting your customers’ needs.
For inspiration, look at other successful brands and businesses in your niche. How are they connecting with their audiences? Then create something similar for your business.
10. Boost posts and use FB ads
Last but not least, don’t be afraid to boost some of your more engaging posts or run a Facebook ad campaign. Costs have risen for FB ads over the years, but they’re still far cheaper than a newspaper campaign and a lot more targeted.
Select your audience by gender, age, location, interests, and behaviours. It’s impressive how granular the data is and how targeted you can be to ensure you’re displaying your content to only those interested in your business or brand.
Summary
Social Media is one of the most powerful ways to communicate with customers and prospects. As long as you’re willing to listen to feedback, look to other brands for inspiration, and get creative, your business can reap benefits from being on Facebook.
“The opinions expressed by BizWitty Contributors are their own, not those of BizCover and should not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice. Please read our full disclaimer."
