A Simple Guide to Facebook Marketing

You probably expect this article to start with the benefits of Facebook marketing and give you stats on how powerful the social platform is in Kenya and beyond. But we will just consider that you have been in the loop and understand just how effective Facebook is. We will not get into the details and stats of Facebook. What you are going to read is a simple guide that gives you an idea of how you can promote your business on Facebook.

How to get started with Facebook

First of all, you probably need to know that you cannot promote your business using a personal account. You’ll need to have a Facebook page dedicated to that business. Creating a business page on Facebook is simple. Make sure you include information that is brief and clear on your business page. Upload pictures that are neat and look professional.

Remember that the business page is what portrays your brand on the social platform. Many people who have never heard about your business will visit the Facebook page and have an impression about the entire brand. So do all it takes to make that first impression count. A few factors to consider when coming up with a Facebook page include:

• Create a strong page name that will help you to rank on Facebook search
• Add some keywords if you can to the name of the Facebook page so that you increase your chances of ranking higher.
• Type your URL starting with http:// so that Facebook automatically turns it into a link and refers your visitors to the website or blog.
• Upload photos with a professional look and feel on your Facebook page
• Include a link on your website directing web visitors to your newly created page

What to Expect Promoting a Business on Facebook

Before you even get to promote your business on Facebook, it’s good to understand how things work a little bit. For a start, you need to understand that not everyone who likes your page will be shown any posts you publish.

Facebook utilizes certain algorithms to determine the reach of your posts. For instance, if you have 500 people who have liked your page, only 6% of them are likely to see your post organically. For you to increase the number of people who view your posts, you’ll need to do several things which we shall mention in the sections below.

The other thing you need to know about Facebook advertising is that, it doesn’t work if you use it for product promotion only. You need to interact with your visitors in so many different ways. Instead of updating posts with your products or services, try and share some funny quotes or interesting articles that cover certain aspects of your field.

When your fans can identify with your page, and the kind of information it offers, you are likely to get more exposure on Facebook. The more people liking or commenting on your status update, the more reach it gets. The goal is to come up with posts that people want to like and/or share.

Facebook Ads – How they Work

You’ve probably heard of sponsored ads on Facebook. Well, this is the platform that most businesses use to expand their reach. Since you cannot rely on Facebook’s organic reach alone to promote your brand, there’s a lot you can do to get more exposure and one of those things is by paying for your posts to appear on newsfeed and other sections on Facebook.

This means that even people who are yet to like your page can see your post or advertisement and you could attract new fans and customers from that. However, Facebook’s sponsored ads have to be done right if they are to emerge successful. You need to consider factors such as the kind of users to target and the times of day when they are likely to be interested in your product or service.

For instance, if you sell food, then the best time to run Facebook ads would be during lunch hours or dinner. The region where you promote your brand is also important because it helps you to focus on your target market. Sponsored ads do not have to cost a lot of money if you know how to use them well. You can get very desirable returns with sponsored ads on Facebook.

Best Tips to Boost Facebook Marketing Campaigns

Finally, you need to learn some simple ways to make Facebook marketing work for you. We will share with you a few that are common but often misunderstood.

• Connect with similar businesses on Facebook and try to learn a thing or two from them. Share and interact with other business pages on Facebook.
• Keep your Facebook page fresh and interesting. Post daily, even if it’s just a simple image or quote. But make sure all your posts are somehow connected to what’s going on in your industry or region.
• Interact with your customers on Facebook by commenting, liking and sharing content. Never make customers feel like the page is abandoned by ignoring their likes or comments.
• Most importantly, do not be boring on Facebook. Remember that this is a platform people use to interact and get involved so try your best to encourage this.

The Ultimate Facebook Marketing Tip

As we come to the end of this simple guide, we will agree that there’s still a lot more to be done when it comes to advertising on Facebook. However, the idea is to start with the basics and then continue working on your campaign as you learn what works for your target audience. Facebook advertising, like any other form of social media marketing, should be customized to suit the client’s unique tastes.

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