Almost one-half of the world's online population use Facebook. This amazing fact means that it is more important than ever before to use Facebook to build your brand and business.
It gives any business the power to get its message out to the widest possible audience. If a business is to use Facebook effectively more is needed that to just register a business page and then start posting content.
There are many factors involved in using Facebook for a business - some large, some small. If done properly, a business can strengthen its brand and make its business grow.
Here are the top 10 Facebook tips to build a brand and grow your business.
- Use a recognizable profile picture.This is part of brand building. Make sure that your profile picture is the same across your website and other social media accounts. This could be your business logo, a picture of you, or another image that your customers will instantly recognize.
- Use a high-quality cover photo.The cover photo will take up most of the space at the top of the page. Use something that is high-quality and engaging. This should be something relevant, but doesn't have to be as recognizable as your profile picture.
- Don't auto-post updates.There are website plugins and apps that can automatically post updates to all social media accounts. While this can save time, it is better to customize and manually post to Facebook. A manual update will show followers that you care.
- Interact with followers. "Always reply to comments posted to your site. This goes a long way in building customer loyalty to help your business grow. You can also elicit interaction by posting interesting questions. Polls and surveys always work well.
- Don't sell. Facebook isn't the place where you should be constantly advertising and pushing products. It is a place for your business to engage with its customers and followers.
- Post more pictures and videos. People tend to watch more than they read, and an interesting picture will always grab attention. Facebook now auto-plays many videos. Of course, there is the question if people like this or not, but videos can get your message out there. What's more, if a person, who's not a follower on Facebook, sees it, there is a button to like your page that shows up.
- Post regularly. It's important to have a schedule to post regular content. Some suggest to post an update once a day at the start and then over time change to twice a day. Other businesses have success posting every other day. Much, though, is dependent on your audience and the type of business you have. Your 'Insights Page' can provide great data to show how followers are engaging with posts.
- Diversify posts. Keep things interesting with different types of posts, and it can be a challenge to post content once a day. You can use news items, interesting industry-related content, or you could re-post something interesting.
- Use the Call To Action buttons. Facebook has introduced some nice call to action buttons at the bottom of the cover page. These can be customized to serve a specific purpose. These are important tools to send traffic back to your main website. You can also use Facebook's apps. These are the buttons just under the cover page.
- Complete the 'About' section. It is important to have this filled out with enough information about your business as necessary. Pay special attention to the 'Short description' part. This is the text that appears on your homepage. Use a link back to your website and keywords in the text.
Facebook is a powerful marketing tool for any business - large and small. Follow these 10 tips and you will strengthen your brand and see your business grow.