There are many ways you can advertise your company without any direct costs. Facebook is a great example. While you can certainly pay to advertise on Facebook, you don’t necessarily have to spend money in order to leverage Facebook’s vast reach.
Let’s look at one benefit that costs absolutely nothing – Facebook Business Pages. These pages are free for small businesses and allow them to interact directly with current and potential customers online.
One important consideration is that businesses are subject to different rules on Facebook than are individuals. Also, while setting up and using an account is free, it can backfire if you don’t set it up and use it the right way. Many small business owners are well-intentioned but make errors on Facebook that can have a negative impact on their business’s brand.
Let’s now take a look at the best practices, overlooked features and tools small businesses should include on their Facebook pages.
1. Get the attention of your visitors immediately
Visitors need to be drawn to your page as soon as they arrive on it. Your profile picture and cover photo are two of the most important things that make a first impression. You need to ensure that they really stand out — in a good way. The photo on this company Facebook page is a good example.
A digital designer can create a cover photo for you. Or you can use a cheap or free tool like Canva to make your own. Whatever you choose, just ensure that the image is high-quality — crisp, visually appealing and in line with your company brand.
2. Use Facebook’s CTA buttons
Facebook’s call-to-action (CTA) feature provides you with an optional and customizable button that will appear in your cover photo and immediately below it. The text can be customized to correspond to your call-to-action. Examples include “like page,” “get directions,” “register,” “call now,” etc. Be sure to take advantage of these free and effective features.
3. Make sure to pin important posts to the top of your page
Sometimes you may want to ensure that a particular post remains at the top of your page, ahead of more recent posts. The normal tendency is for older posts to be pushed further down the page by newer posts until they vanish into insignificance. To increase its longevity, you can pin a single post to the top.
This tool is ideal for temporary promotions, such as holiday sales and limited-time events in the local community. You can also use it to revive old posts or bring back older content. This tool is especially useful if your posts are linked directly to pages on your business website.
4. Use Video and Image Content to Your Advantage
A Facebook page with no videos or images is dull, right? Your visitors will expect you to post at least a few related photos about your business. There are many creative options available depending on your industry or niche. For example, if you’ve got a custom cookie business, you should post photos of your most popular creations. I
You want to ensure that any images or videos uploaded are relevant to your industry. Stay professional by refraining from tagging customers and workers in your photos.
5. To pinpoint your audience, target specific groups
Here’s an oldie but a goodie: “You can’t please everyone.” There will always be people who are unhappy with your product or service. You need to identify potential leads that are relevant to your target audience and eliminate uninterested people.
You will find a small crosshair icon at the bottom of every post. This allows you to target specific users based on many factors such as gender, age, location, likes, interests, relationship status, education, and so forth.
Your digital marketing campaigns’ effectiveness can be increased by targeting users with genuine interests or needs.
Make your Facebook Page work for you
You don’t want to treat your business’s page on Facebook the same way you would a personal account. They are two totally different creatures.
Your Facebook page is the digital face for your business on the most widely used social media platform. The tips we’ve provided here should help your new business page draw in the loyal business you deserve.