If you are using Facebook to market your business, you probably already know how easy it is to get distracted while on the site: by breaking news, messages from family or friends and one of my biggest distractions…cute cat photos!
So how do you make sure that the time you spend on Facebook is productive and effective?
Develop a System and then Stick to it!
Each business owner’s system will be unique to their business and marketing goals, but here are a few general tips:
1. Communicate (Respond to users within a reasonable amount of time)
- Answer messages clients or prospects have sent you.
- Respond to comments on your Page or posts that mention your business.
- Set up notifications on your computer and/or phone so you know when someone leaves a comment or post on your Page.
Keep in mind that users expect a fairly quick response (sometimes a little too quick: a recent study found that a majority of customers expect a response time of under 60 minutes)!
2. Stay In Touch With Current Connections
- Touch base with newly acquired Fans/Subscribers/Friends – visit their Pages and Like or comment on their posts. Send messages for longer conversations.
- Share others’ content:
- To share content or resources that will help/interest your fans.
- To build a relationship with new contacts, clients, prospects or colleagues
3. Make New Connections
- Search for new Pages, new people to Subscribe to or new friends (send friend requests only if you have a mutual friend or already know the person…too many friend requests gets your account frozen)
- Like new Pages (that you have come across, Searched for or connected with at a Facebook event). Keep in mind that you should Like other Pages:
- First as your personal profile to help their Fan count and visibility/EdgeRank
- Then (if you choose) as your Page. This helps with networking, tagging their Page on your Timeline and setting them up as a Featured page on your Page (if you choose).
4. Share Helpful Content
- Add new posts (start out with a goal of 2-4 posts per day and then check your Page’s Insights for engagement). Take advantage of Facebook’s internal post-scheduling feature or use a third-party app to save time. **Keep in mind that photos and videos result in more engagement than plain text or links.**
- Set up events, open your wall up for Fans’ posts or a Question & Answer session…be creative when putting content on your Page and keep in mind that sticking to a regular schedule may help your Fan engagement.
- Create posts and/or custom tabs that promote your business or product/service…but remember social media etiquette: make sure your posts are helpful to your Fans and not just self-promotion.
5. Schedule Time for Business
- Schedule “Facebook” time, like you would schedule any other appointment or task on your calendar. Whether it’s spending 30 minutes every morning on Facebook or 1 hour three days a week, use a timer if necessary to keep track of your time and stay focused.
- Don’t stay logged on all day – if your “Facebook Business” time is from 7-8 am every morning, then log off at 8. If you have other things to do online, an open Facebook tab can be a big distraction (especially if the other things on your To-Do List aren’t as “fun).
- After you’ve spent time on Facebook for business, set aside separate time just for “fun” (I’ll catch up with family and friends mostly in the evenings).
Whatever system you put in place for Facebook marketing, track your time online for a week to find out how successful you are at sticking to it. We all need to re-evaluate and adjust our systems from time to time.
———————————————————–
Now that you have a basic outline for a Facebook Marketing Strategy, let’s customize a plan just for your business! We offer a free consultation to help you determine your next, best steps before working with us. Click here to contact us, put “Free Consultation” in the email subject line, tell us a little bit about your business, and we will respond within the next 24 hours.
Ready to Pin:
About Terry League