Here at Moving Targets we’ve been singing Facebook’s praises for quite some time. Quite frankly it is the powerhouse of social media platforms. So, naturally, we were unsurprised by the results of the 8th annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report. In a survey of over 5,000 marketers, Facebook emerged victorious in a handful of categories, including most popular platform with 93 percent of respondents.
Notably, Facebook has proved most vital to B2C marketers, and 2 in 3 named Facebook the most important platform for their respective businesses. This platform also led the pack considerably in terms of paid social media efforts. While other channels like Twitter and LinkedIn had less than 20 percent of respondents leveraging their paid ad services, nearly 9 in 10 respondents claimed to be using Facebook ads.
The marketing momentum Facebook lays claim to currently does not seem to be slowing down either, according to the report. Over 65 percent of participants claim they plan on increasing their Facebook efforts moving forward.
Clearly, Facebook is a force to be reckoned with. The appeal is understandable. It’s an accessible platform for marketers of every skill level and it has a considerable audience spanning a wide range of demographics. But how exactly can you use Facebook to your marketing advantage? What kind of content wows the crowds? What tools should you leverage? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s a list of quick tips and tricks for getting the most out of your Facebook marketing.
Vary your content
Content reigns supreme for any marketing efforts. The key with content is to strike a distinct balance between sales-heavy pitches and original material. According to Business 2 Community contributor Colleen Seldin, when it comes to Facebook the content should not revolve completely around your business.
Try to engage your fans with quick tips that pertain to your industry, share some local news stories or a funny image. The less your page feels like an advertisement, the better. Variety also pertains to the types of content, any good Facebook page has an equal mix of videos, pictures and written content – switch it up!
Offer some incentives
There is a whole lot of content floating around in the world. As such, it can be difficult to grab the attention of users of any kind. Sometimes, all they need is an extra push. Huffington Post contributor Josh Gershonowicz suggests throwing a little incentive at Facebook fans.
Whether this mean running some exclusive Facebook promotions or contests, marketing leaders can get creative with their offers. The key is to draw people to your page and get them to actually “like” it – this way your posts will show up in their news feeds. Incentives are a fun way to attract a little extra attention to your page and get people to make some purchases they may not have otherwise made.
Don’t mix up your platforms
While different social media platforms can be similar in some ways, it is crucial not to mistake best practices on one for best practices on the other. Seldin noted that while hashtags may be a major feature of Twitter and Instragram they have no place on Facebook. In fact, according to her, posts on FB that include hashtags have less engagement than ones that leave the hashtag out. Don’t decrease your chances of engagement by throwing in a #hashtag – save that for your tweeting time.
However, it is worth noting that sometimes combining platform powers is helpful. Seldin cited research by Buzzsumo that found when images are first posted on Instagram and then shared on FB they receive 23 percent more engagement than when the photo is shared on FB from the outset. The reasoning is unclear but after reviewing 1 billion posts, we’ll take Buzzsumo’s word for it.
Start with friends:
When you first start a Facebook page one of your best resources may be your friends, according to Gershonowicz. This can be especially true for small businesses. Start by asking your family members and close friends to like and share your page. This can help you establish a sturdy foundation of followers from the start. Not to mention a lot of your friends will most likely fall into the same demographic as your target audience.
Play the friend card and get some of those likes rolling in! Once you start posting take it a step further and make an effort to send like invites to people who engage with your post.
Use the insights tool:
Facebook is full of cool marketing tools (check out our post on Custom Audiences) but one of the simplest features to use is Facebook Insights. This tool allows you to gain a better understanding of who interacts with your post and when. Leveraging this information can help you create material that performs well and inform your posting times in an educated manner.
Hopefully, these tips are helpful as you take advantage of one of the most widely-used digital marketing platforms available. Need more tips? Give us a call – we’d love to chat about your strategy!
