3 Simple but Effective Facebook Tactics for Small Business Owners

For the small business owner, social media management often takes a backseat to other more pressing issues. With so much on your plate, overseeing a company Facebook page or Twitter account can feel like a drain on your already depleted mental energy; but that outlook is outdated and can lose you customers and hinder company growth.

When used effectively, Facebook can be a powerful marketing tool for business. You can grow your customer base, gain valuable product feedback, and boost sales. Here are three simple but useful Facebook strategies to build out a relevant Facebook presence without burning a lot of time or energy.

Ask Questions

Use Facebook as a forum to gain insight from existing customers. Short of sending out surveys, knowing clients’ likes and dislikes can be difficult. Review sites like Angie’s List offer customers the chance to rate local businesses, but these evaluations tend to be overwhelmingly negative or positive and not particularly constructive criticism.

By asking Facebook followers brand-specific questions through the company’s profile page, a company’s most loyal customers get the chance to provide their feedback.  Beyond asking questions for the sake of improving your services, you can grow your customer base by asking simple questions that invite responses and increase page engagement. The more people interact with your Facebook page, the more your audience expands, and the more customers you gain down the line.

Tip:  For advanced learning, research the concept of ‘EdgeRank’ to better understand what gives you the most visibility in Facebook’s NewsFeed.

Use Images Anywhere & Everywhere

Pictures are a great way to draw attention to a company’s Facebook page. Images are more likely to be shared and liked, and tend to display more frequently in newsfeeds than links or simple text. Take advantage of free image editing options (like Skitch or PicMonkey) to crop, brighten, or add text to pictures before posting on Facebook.

Create an attractive and descriptive cover photo. Think of Facebook as free publicity. As you grow your community and increase the number of followers, your site benefits from increased exposure across the Web. So, make sure the company’s profile and cover picture are relevant and visually appealing. It’s usually a good idea to include the logo front and center – and any taglines or mottos should be included too. Again, try photo-editing site PicMonkey to create a collage in the exact dimensions of the Facebook cover photo. Include any images that are pertinent to the mission of the business and use the different design options to edit and adjust the image to perfection.

Tip:  No time or skills for design?  Get it done on the cheap through sites like Fiverr.com and oDesk.com.

Advertise Exclusive Product Discounts

Offering a deal that is visible to anyone checking out the company FB page is one option, but if the promotion is exclusive to those who “like” the company’s profile, you can grow the business’s fan base and exponentially increase real-life customers. Facebook ad campaigns are simple to set up and just require a clear set of rules and guidelines. Make sure the description of the deal includes any fine print to avoid confusion or pushback from customers and be prepared to see an uptick in sales.

Try promoting a customized status update. Like Facebook ads, a promoted status is a great way to increase page exposure. Use Facebook as a marketing platform for other company media outlets. Do you write a company blog, but lack readership? Write a catchy status on the Facebook page and link to the latest blog post. Choose to promote a status if you want to encourage engagement and send the post to the top of friends’ newsfeeds. For a nominal fee, you can enhance brand visibility, increase page likes, and boost your blog’s viewership. Most companies can target an audience comprised primarily of Facebook friends and obtain over 1,000 impressions with a single promoted status.

Facebook is most likely not going to boost a company’s image overnight; however, setting up and managing a Facebook page are crucial for companies to establish themselves as credible businesses. In today’s fast-paced professional environment, a well maintained Facebook page could be the main differentiator that sets your business apart from competitors.

Don’t let the time and effort required to maintain the social media platform prevent you from reaping the benefits of a company Facebook page. It’s truly an essential component of a successful marketing strategy.

About The Author

Brian Patterson is an SEO professional for Washington, DC-area based Go Fish Digital and works with clients such as Online Trading Academy to boost their rankings in the search engines and carve out solid market visibility in social media.