As the Facebook audience continues to grow and the average news feed gets more and more crowded, it’s gotten more challenging for small businesses to get attention on the social network. In the third quarter of 2022, there were 3 billion monthly active users on Facebook.
If you’re running a business page how do you get your share of visibility among those billions of users?
We have compiled tips in this article on how to get the most traction on Facebook for your small business. Check them out by reading further.
1. Keep your posts short
Nobody wants to read a lengthy post. So, keep your posts short and sweet. The length of your organic posts should be 1 to 80 characters and your paid posts should be 5 to 19 words only. Anything more than these will be cut off and your readers will see a see more to expand your text.
Curious about the different Facebook post types you can employ? Check them out below:
- Text post. A simple status update with text only.
- Photo post. Share images or graphics along with captions or descriptions.
- Video post. Post videos, including live broadcasts or pre-recorded content.
- Link post. Share links to articles, websites, or videos with a preview image and description.
- Carousel post. Display multiple images or videos in a single post that users can swipe through.
- Slideshow post. Create a slideshow of images or videos with transitions and music.
- Event post. Promote an upcoming event with details like date, time, location, and a call-to-action button.
- Offer post. Share discounts, deals, or special promotions with a claim button for users to redeem.
- Poll post. Engage your audience with a question and multiple-choice options.
- Review post. Share customer reviews and testimonials.
- Milestone post. Celebrate achievements or anniversaries of your business.
- Check-in post. Let users share their location when visiting your physical business.
- Fundraiser post. Raise money for a charitable cause or nonprofit organization.
2. Link to longer articles
Although people prefer actual posts to be brief, they like posts that link to longer articles. Articles between 1,000 and 3,000 words get the most engagement. In the same source, Facebook was mentioned as a tool that drove more traffic than Google. So, if you’re aiming to increase traffic to your blog post, don’t forget to link it to your Facebook post.
To make your Facebook post cleaner, delete the URL link when the preview image appears on your post.
3. Post at off-peak times
The best time to post on Facebook is between 1 pm – 3 pm during the week and Saturdays. It was also found that Facebook engagement rates are 18% higher on Thursdays and Fridays. However, it is still better to trust the data that you have. If your Facebook analytics suggest a better time for posting because of a certain track record, it would be best to trust that instead.
4. A picture (or a video) is worth 1,000 words
Social media video is totally having a moment right now. Hubspot found in a recent study that video is the most preferred content online. While images get more engagement than any other type of post, videos are the type of content most likely to be shared. Work on creating shareable videos and photos. Facebook Live is a great option for short, attention-getting videos.
Read more: How to boost your sales with social video
5. Cross-post your content strategically
While cross-posting isn’t necessarily bad, it has to be done strategically so that it stays unique across different social media platforms. For instance, if you’re sharing a recipe on Instagram with a video along with a short caption and a link to the complete recipe, you can cross-post to TikTok with a voiceover and a quick step-by-step process of how you prepared the dish. The key is to understand your audience on each platform to optimize your content.
6. Ask questions
Hootsuite recommends asking for followers’ opinions to get the engagement ball rolling on your Facebook page. Questions get more likes on Facebook than any other type of post. They’re also a natural way to stir up users and get them talking to each other. You can also create a Facebook group to encourage meaningful interactions among your followers.
7. Offer value
Facebook viewers are not too keen on just being sold to. It is best to drop the sales-y posts and switch to content that will educate, inspire, and entertain viewers. Quality content creation can be difficult which is why outsourcing is often a good solution for companies who require a lot of content.
8. Post 1-2 times daily
According to Hootsuite’s Social Marketing Team Lead Brayden Cohen, “Daily posting will grow followers 4x faster than posting less than once a week. Makes sense: more visibility.” From the company’s own study, the average Facebook Page shares 1.55 posts per day, which means that for Hootsuite’s social goals, 1 to 2 posts per day is just right.
9. Try holding a contest
Giving away a prize attracts attention. You can build requirements that get more people to your Facebook page. For example, have contest entrants share a photo and whoever gets the most Likes wins the contest.
10. Mix it up
It’s important to have a wide variety of content to cater to your audience, (i.e. text, images, videos, questions, etc.) to engage a broader audience. It caters to different preferences, grabs attention with visual elements, and allows effective storytelling. This provides you with improved algorithmic reach, increased interactivity, educational opportunities, targeted marketing, avoidance of audience monotony, and enhanced overall engagement in your social media strategy.
11. Include calls to action
Calls to action (CTAs) on a Facebook page can be highly effective when used strategically. They provide a clear direction to your audience whether you want them to visit your website, sign up for a newsletter, or make a purchase.
However, the effectiveness of CTAs can vary depending on factors like the clarity of the message, the relevance to the audience, and the quality of the content surrounding the CTA. A well-crafted CTA that aligns with your audience’s interests and needs can significantly boost engagement, conversions, and the overall success of your Facebook page.
CTA buttons by popularity
- Shop Now – 74%
- Learn More – 10%
- Book Now – 8%
- Download – 4%
- Sign Up – 4%
12. Combine organic reach with paid promotion
An average Facebook user clicks on 12 ads per month. This stat proves that users continue to pay attention to and engage with Facebook ads, rather than tuning them out.
Your organic posts and paid promotions should go hand in hand with nurturing current and prospective Facebook followers. This is because it allows you to strike a balance between engaging with your existing audience and reaching a wider, potentially more targeted audience.
Organic reach helps you connect authentically with your current followers, which helps you foster a genuine community around your brand. Meanwhile, paid promotion enables you to extend your reach to new potential customers, which uses Facebook’s ad targeting to connect with those who are most likely interested in your offerings.
A combination of these strategies optimizes your visibility and engagement. You’ll be able to expand your customer base and achieve your marketing goals more effectively.
13. Make it mobile-friendly
When it comes to Facebook browsing, 98.5% of people use mobile phones. Make sure all your videos, images, and other content are optimized for mobile viewing. Otherwise, it would give your users ultimate discomfort if they have to pinch and zoom every time they have to read your content. Some examples of mobile-optimized content are vertical videos, readable posts with short paragraphs, and mobile-ready landing pages.
14. Measure results
If you have a Facebook business page, then you have Facebook Insights and other tools at your disposal to track the results of different Facebook approaches. Reading and analyzing this data will show you what resonates with your customers well.
15. Stay focused
Make sure your Facebook strategy is serving your overall marketing strategy. It’s easy to get caught up in getting likes and shares and lose sight of whether those likes and shares are driving more people to your website, store, or restaurant.
In building out a Facebook content strategy, it’s important to figure out who your target audience is, the best post frequency, the content type that works, and the company branding you should remain consistent with. Remember to avoid too much sales-y content and to find a balance between informational and promotional content.
16. Get professional help from marketers
Want to get better results from Facebook without a lot of effort? Enlist Facebook marketing experts who can help you build your audience, get more likes, and boost engagement. There are a number of social media marketing professionals out there, so it’s best to shop around for an agency that will work best for what you need and for your budget.
Make online marketing work for your business
Having an effective Facebook content strategy is only one piece of the whole ecosystem which is digital marketing. While Facebook continues to hold the top spot for getting the most social engagement, there are other social media platforms and digital marketing tools that you can work on to greatly boost your online presence. However, having a good Facebook marketing strategy is a good start to getting brand awareness and customer engagement working for your business.
Aside from Facebook, you should ensure that your website is also discoverable online. With that, you need Network Solutions’ Business Directories to list your business in top online directories. This helps your potential customers find you easily, especially if you have the products or services they’re looking for.
Head on to Network Solutions and get discovered online today!
GET PROFESSIONAL HELP FROM ONLINE MARKETING EXPERTS
