I have yet to see a business that cannot benefit from the power, reach, and speed of Facebook. It is quick, convenient, and essentially free.
There are many features within Facebook business pages that allow businesses to get in front of their ideal client, create community, and encourage engagement. Facebook business pages allows you to schedule posts ahead of time, create call-to-actions, and target very specific audiences. It also gives you insights so you can manage and track your metrics to see what is working well and when it might be time to pivot.
To keep it simple, let’s look at 3 ways you can use a Facebook business page to leverage your business today.
Give Value
Many businesses fail to give value after creating a Facebook business page. They think it is supposed to be used as a soap box or billboard and that is simply not the case. Your Facebook business page should first, and foremost, always be about giving value to your audience. Share with them your knowledge and your expertise. Give them tips of the trade, share articles that are relevant to your business, and tell them why you are sharing that particular article. You will get the opportunity to talk to your audience about a new product, service, or workshop but first you must build trust and interest. Give them nuggets of value and they will keep coming back for more.
Create a Group
Creating a public or closed group is an excellent way to build a very specific community. Perhaps it is specific to retirement goals or parents starting to save for college tuition. Use the group as a chance to get to know people on a deeper level and keep the conversation and content very specific to that interest. Give, give, give...there will come a time when you can ask for an endorsement or share an upcoming workshop or offer, but for the most part, the group should be about giving value and building a supporting community. You want to build trust and allow your audience to really get to know you. Soon the group will manage itself and the group members will begin to talk and support each other too. The goal is to stay top of mind.
Be Consistent
Many businesses get really motivated in the beginning but taper off after a few months and sometimes weeks. A silent page can often be worse than no page at all. Before diving into setting up a Facebook business page, create a plan. Who is going to be managing the page? Identify the audience you are trying to reach? What are your goals for having a Facebook business page? What kind of content will you be posting to the page and how often? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you plan for the unexpected and keep a consistent schedule. Keeping content fresh and up to date shows that you are still in business, interested in building a community, and listening to those who may be looking for support.