With a client opening a brand new business this week, I began creating a social media presence from scratch. This can be a great challenge to businesses, both old and new, who have not had much experience in the social media sphere. With the beginning stages behind us and our client, what better time to offer up some tips on entering the world of social media!
You may know how to use social networks from a personal perspective, but how do you apply that knowledge to your business? If you’re unsure how to answer this question, we’ll help you to fill in some of the blanks.
Let’s start by taking a look at the #1 social network: Facebook. The site does a great job of outlining how to create a page in the Help Center, so instead of focusing on the technical how-to, we’ll provide some ideas on how to make your page stand out from the rest!
1. Plan Your Approach
Like any other marketing channel, you need a social media marketing plan before you start blasting messages to the universe. Our post “Are You a Social Media Virgin?” will provide a good start to developing your social media strategy, so be sure to read that if you haven’t already.
We’d also recommend taking a look at what your competitors are doing on Facebook. What seems to be working? What are the gaps? This is a great way to get ideas.
Once you have an idea of how you’ll approach this new medium, you’ll be ready to create your Facebook business page!
2. Branding your Facebook Page
Facebook provides an easy-to-follow guide to setting up your Facebook page. Once you’ve completed the initial steps to create your Facebook page, you need to ensure that everything you put online reflects your company’s current branding.
For all brands, consistency is key: make sure that your profile picture and cover photo match your current branding. We recommend uploading the logo for your profile picture. Make sure it’s a good quality file so that the logo image is clear, and make sure that it fits the dimensions of the profile photo box. It should look clean and legible even as the small version that appears on the home feed.
For your cover photo, you can really get creative! You could have a photo of your employees, your office, or someone using your product. For my Facebook page – Paynesbrain I chose an image that reflected technology and business. However, you don’t need to use an image that is explicitly about your product or service. You can take a less-corporate approach. Again, make sure that it matches your brand identity, but otherwise, you’re free to have fun. Here’s a great example of Coca-Cola Australia’s creative approach to a cover photo:
Your cover photo doesn’t have to remain static; change it to promote specific campaigns, or just change it to keep things fresh!
Last, you’ll want to make sure you register a username for your Facebook page. You should give some thought to this critical step, as you can only change the username once. If you’re planning on expanding your business, for example, then you shouldn’t have a username that specifies one city (unless you want to create a page for each location, but this would double your work). Choose an intuitive username that includes your business name. If possible, avoid acronyms and abbreviations, and make sure it’s legible. If it’s difficult to read, you can always add periods or capital letters, which won’t count as a different username but you will be able to direct visitors to that URL. You can see how Coca-Cola Australia accomplished this in the image above.
3. Fill out the Basics and the Details
Of course, you’ll need to provide some information about your business on your Facebook page. Don’t make your prospects and customers search multiple places for information; include the essentials on all of your channels.
Make sure to choose the appropriate category (and subcategory) of your business. Include the physical address (if customers can visit), contact information, and fill out the about section. From here, you can provide any other helpful details; the options available to you will depend on what type of business you have. Here’s an example from one of our clients, Manna Bakery. At a quick glance, a customer can get all the information they need:
You want your customers to be able to quickly find all the information they need, from where they can stop by to who they can call. Your Facebook page should provide a brief insight into who you are and what you do, especially if you’re a new business or have low brand awareness. Keep these considerations in mind when you’re creating the foundation of your page.
4. Publish and Promote Your Page
Now, your page is ready to go live! Publish your page and start to invite your network of friends, family, colleagues and customers to like the page. Be sure to let anyone you do business with know about the page, including suppliers and partners. As a page, you can like the pages of other businesses too; this will encourage them to return the love! You should also link to your Facebook page on your website, any emails or newsletters, and even in your email signatures or on business cards.
We often encourage our clients to consider social advertisements to boost their Facebook page following. According to a recent Wildfire webinar, 41% of those who engage with brands on social media discovered a new product, service, or brand through a social ad. The odds are pretty high that a Facebook ad would boost your following!
5. Consistency & Growth
Once you have created your Facebook page and built a following, you now have to grow and maintain your online presence. Remember to keep your strategy and brand in mind, post consistently, and continue to grow your network.
We hope these tips have helped you to gain the confidence and know-how to begin using Facebook for your business. Stay tuned to our blog for more tips on Facebook and other digital marketing insights.
I work with clients from a variety of industries to build and elevate their online presence. If you still need help with Facebook or any component of your digital marketing plan, we are happy to assist you! You can contact the Newfound Marketing team, and of course, you can like us on Facebook!