Facebook changes every week! As a small business marketer, it’s important to keep up with the tools and features available to Page Owners to better optimize your account. We’re sharing 8 features below (in addition to the 12 from our original post here) that can help you maintain an effective Page on Facebook.
8 Features Covered Here:
1. Live Video
2. Page Templates
3. Messages, Communication Tools, Reviews
4. Groups
5. Connection and Integration with Facebook-Owned Apps
6. Ephemeral Content Tools
7. Facebook Notes
8. Products and Services Section
Scroll down for more detail on each feature.
1. Live Video
Is this the latest, hottest trend on Facebook? It appears to be. But adapting it to your business requires some thought and planning.
Here are a few ideas to consider when planning a live video: Q & A sessions, product demonstrations, interviews, how-to videos, business announcements, and news…
Updates and new tools to optimize live video are occurring all the time, so let us know if you are interested in learning more and we’ll recommend some helpful resources.
2. Page Templates
This feature is supposed to help Page owners optimize their page, based on their business category, with pre-loaded call-to-action buttons and tabs.
Click on the Settings tab for your page, and then click on Edit Page to access templates.
Here are the templates that apply to your business or organization:
Standard: Good for all Page types, with buttons and tabs to help showcase what’s important to you.
Business: Designed to help you manage your business, including ways to post jobs and special offers.
Venues: Designed so you can highlight useful info like your venue’s hours, location and upcoming events.
Nonprofit: Designed to highlight your cause and encourage people to fundraise and donate to your nonprofit.
Services: Designed to help people find your services and get in touch.
Shopping: Designed to showcase products and make it easy for people to shop online.
There are also templates for politicians, restaurants and cafes, and video creators.
3. Messages, Communication Tools, Reviews
An overall communication plan is necessary since users can contact page owners in a variety of ways now.
The Messages tab on your Page gives you the option to share a Messenger Code (like a QR code), and set up automated replies through a Response Assistant.
This is also where you’ll see any messages sent from users through the Messenger App. You can also send a message to a user who leaves a comment on one of your posts for a more private conversation (as opposed to leaving a public Reply to a comment).
Since Reviews are offered as a tab for all Pages now, you will need to monitor and respond accordingly if you turn on this feature.
4. Groups
Now that Groups can be linked to a page, this feature may be a good addition for community-building or as a bonus for paid customers. Just carefully consider the time required to monitor a group if you set one up on your Page.
To add a Group to your Page, go to the Settings tab, click on Edit Page, choose to Add a Tab, click on the Add Tab option next to “Group”.
5. Connection and Integration with Facebook-Owned Apps
While Facebook is the biggest social platform, their owned Apps – Messenger and Instagram in this case – are right up there too. Since Facebook makes it easy (and encourages) integrating these apps into your Page, consider how to best use them for your business.
We mentioned Messenger in #3 above and how it fits into an overall communication plan. But a newer trend is the Chatbot tool, that helps you automate aspects of the Messenger App when communicating with users.
You may want to experiment with using Chatbots on Messenger, as some customers prefer it to traditional emails.
Instagram has higher engagement rates than Facebook right now, generally speaking. Facebook has made it easy to connect your Instagram account to a Page, then to cross-post content. Ad placement on Instagram can also be done right from your Facebook account.
Facebook also has a shared Inbox for your Page, Messenger App, and Instagram account. You’ll see the new “Inbox” tab on your Facebook Page when you have it.
In short, your overall Facebook marketing strategy will most likely be more successful if you are including one or more of its owned Apps in your strategy.
6. Ephemeral Content Tools
This content is also referred to as Disappearing Content and is growing in popularity with users. Options include Facebook/Messenger Stories (now a combined product) and Instagram Stories.
Note that Facebook Stories are rolling out to Pages at the time of this post.
Ephemeral content has an expiration date (usually 24 hours), so in theory, it builds more “fear of missing out” in users since they only have a limited time to view it.
Note that you can save your Stories, so you can re-use them in other forms of content.
Each “Stories” option has different features and benefits, and it all depends on which one your target audience is using.
With new features added all the time, and continued cross-posting / sharing upgrades, Facebook appears to be focusing considerable resources on this type of content format.
Experiment with Stories, take note of the trends and updates, and start to put together your strategy.
7. Facebook Notes
Have you ever used this feature? Notes have been around for quite a while, but many people are not aware that Facebook gives you this “blogging” tool right on their platform.
To start a Note, simply choose the “Write a Note” option from the Page prompts in your status box.
You can insert links and photos into your Note, save a Draft, and then publish it when you’re ready.
You may find that re-publishing some of your blog posts as Facebook Notes gets more views for your content, or you could use Notes as a mini-blog post to link and drive traffic to your website’s blog.
8. Products and Services Section
Facebook gives you the option to add products or services (depending on your business) to a dedicated section on your Page.
When you choose a template for your Page (see #2 in this post), you’ll pick either Shopping or Services, and agree to Facebook’s terms of service, and payment portal (if you’re adding products).
Then you’ll add your products or services.
Once you’ve added your products/services, you can tag them in your posts if desired.
If you missed part 1 on Facebook Page features, find it here: How to Use 12 Top Facebook Features to Manage Your Page. Choose the features that suit your business, experiment with some of the latest trends (live video, ephemeral content), and then consistently update your Page with content that appeals to your target audience.
And of course, if you have any questions, we’d be happy to help! Send us a message through our Facebook Page or click here to contact us through email.
About Terry League