So many people don’t ‘get’ Facebook for business, but if you’re selling to individuals rather than companies, it’s a really powerful platform.
But let’s blow a myth away first.
If you have a Facebook Page everyone can see what’s posted on your personal account.
Not true!
Even though you may be logged into your personal account when you create your Page, you are only linked as the administrator for that Page. The Page exists as a separate entity. The only people who can see your personal account posts are those who you’ve accepted as friends – as long as you have set your privacy setting so that only friends can see your posts.
Posts and filters
There are many social media management tools that allow your to schedule posts ahead to go onto your Facebook Page. Hootsuite and Buffer are just two. Your posts will be delivered to your page, BUT Facebook filters out posts from external sources so that even the people who have liked your Page won’t see your posts in their home feed.
To get the best reach you need to post directly into Facebook. You can still schedule posts ahead, but posts that have gone directly onto the platform get lots more ‘brownie points’!
Every picture tells a story
For even more brownie points your post should feature an image. Since Facebook bought Instagram in 2012, more and more emphasis has gone to posts with an image. Even better a short video will get even more leverage.
The secret to images and videos being successful is that they are relevant to your audience. Could you do a series of video tips, an explanation of a process, a demonstration of your product, a photo collage of your products? Be creative.
Of course, you can use stock images, but the image must help you to get your point across, not be simply eye-candy.
Engagement rules
Or perhaps that should be rules of engagement! If you broadcast only, you won’t get engagement. To make your page successful you need to get people talking. To start with that may be posing a question and then responding when people answer.
Engagement doesn’t just happen between the people who visit your page. When someone posts a note, you need to respond quickly (within 24 hours), even if it’s just to say ‘thank you’. If you don’t people won’t come back. Let’s be honest there are hundreds of thousands of Facebook Pages and probably dozens that offer similar services or products to yours. You need to make yours stand out.
Consider a Monday Madness, Wonderful Wednesday, Fit for Friday post. However, you’ll need to maintain this so plan ahead. It’s a good way to get people to log in at least once a week if your feature post has good content.
Maintaining this means developing a new habit – when you’ve cleared your email inbox, get into the habit of logging onto your Facebook Page and posting your latest information and responding to the people who have left comments.
