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Facebook Marketing:

How to Leverage the Power of Facebook To Get New

Prospects For Your Business

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Building Your Brand.

Increase Your Sales Page Traffic.

Getting Prospects!

Pro’s of Using Facebook Ads.

Go Viral!

Things to Avoid.

Wrap it up!

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Introduction

Facebook has been the top social media site for years now. It started

as a new, easier way to communicate and interact with people

worldwide. With a huge online population, Facebook also caught the

attention of the business sector. Almost every business owner wants

to use Facebook as a marketing tool. Unfortunately, most business

owners don’t know where (or how) to start marketing their

businesses on Facebook.

Here you’ll see several ways Facebook can help your business grow.

Finding customers and prospects will be easier once you know the

secrets.

There are a lot of things to consider when marketing your business

on Facebook. First, you’ll need to know how to create viral posts,

which will strengthen your visibility and your brand. Here are a

handful of tips on how to easily incorporate Facebook into your

existing marketing strategy.

So, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!

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Building Your Brand

It's hard to overlook the power of Facebook when it comes to

branding. With billions of users worldwide, it's easier to connect with

a huge number of prospects. The ability to share posts and

information easily is the most valuable feature on Facebook. You can

use photos, posts, and videos to share updates and tell stories about

your business.

If you want to brand your business using Facebook, you need to

entertain and inform at the same time. Think about the Facebook

pages you follow. What about those pages captured your attention?

Chances are, you started following the page because you found it

amusing or informative. When you put that in the context of

business, you’ll get more followers and prospects by keeping your

posts interesting, relevant and fun.

So, how can you exactly build your brand through Facebook?

Here are a few tips.

1. Look At The Big Picture

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There are lots of things you can do with Facebook. You can either

post a picture, links, and interesting status updates. You need to

make sure you post content relevant to your business or industry.

For example, a food business owner should only post food related

articles, videos, and business updates. Also remember to keep

your personal life and political opinions to yourself. You risk losing

many potential business prospects if you take a hard stance on

political issues.

Here are some questions you need to answer before

posting anything.

What should I keep private?

What information will help improve my business’ image, and

enhance my status as an authority in the field?

Your answers to these questions determine what should be part of

your profile and your status updates. Make a point to separate the

personal and the professional.

2. Fill Out Necessary Information

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Obviously, you need to fill out your company’s profile page

completely. Your company name and contact information are critical.

If your company has a mission statement you should include it on

your Facebook profile. Having a complete Facebook profile makes it

easier for people to search for and find your business.

Cover photos and profile pictures are important. “A picture paints a

thousand words,” so you need to make sure your photo captures the

focus of your business.

Here are other important things you need to know when filling out

the necessary info.

A Company Name Easy to Remember

Make sure you post your business address and hours of operation.

When people start to notice your brand, they’ll contact you when

they need your help. Incorrect info on your Facebook page will result

in lost business.

Company Logo

Your company logo represents your company and brand. The more

people know your logo, the stronger your brand. If your company

doesn’t have a logo yet, you can have a logo created cheaply via

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outsourcing sites like Upwork and Fiverr. Include your logo in a

prominent place on your Facebook page.

Tagging and Location Features

When you’re posting anything in your Facebook page, you can tag

someone and even add a location. This feature lets you connect to

specific people faster and easier. With the location feature, you can

also post events with location. This will keep your customers

informed about exciting events, sales, or discounts.

3. Sharing Your Stories Regularly

One thing you need to remember when you want to boost your

brand with Facebook is to post regularly. If you want your business

to stay top of mind, you need to post frequent updates. If you forget

to post, your followers might think you've gone out of business. As

long as you continue updating, followers will “like,” “comment” and

“share” your posts.

Posting updates doesn’t take much time. If you have a company

blog, share the link on your Facebook page. There are also some

third party tools that let you post updates to your Facebook page

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once you update your blog. You can also sync these programs with

your Twitter and other social media accounts.

If you're too busy to keep your page updated in real time, consider

using a post scheduling tool. A tool called Post Planner lets you

create posts in advance. You can also choose when you want these

scheduled posts to go live. It comes in handy when you have a jam-

packed schedule.

Other social media scheduling tools worth considering are Buffer

and Hootsuite.

Remember, your updates should be within your area of expertise.

Pictures and videos make good posts, as long as you make them

relevant with your caption. Any posts which entertain and inform

people are good update choices. When you keep this up, you can

expect more followers to come your way.

Boost Your Interaction

People are on Facebook so they can interact with businesses and

people. People want you to respond to them. There are several ways

to interact on Facebook, which are:

Commenting

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The easiest way for people to reach you or react to your post is

through commenting. Followers can leave remarks in the comments

section. The comments section is basically a forum for sharing ideas.

Some people might leave negative comments or questions. If you

spot real, relevant questions, answer them as soon as possible. You

can click on the reply button right under their comment and start

answering.

Continue engaging with people to build your brand.

Personal Messaging

Personal Messaging (PM) is a quick and more private way to stay

connected. PM's are private conversations between two users. You

can also answer a question from the comments through PM if you

think it's better.

Increase Your Sales Page Traffic

If you have a Facebook fan page, make sure it links to your primary

sales page. Facebook pages give online marketers a lot of traffic. As

mentioned above, there are tools that sync your updates with your

blog and Facebook page. Updating a new blog post sends out an

automatic post to your page.

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Here are a few more things you need to know when updating a post

to get good traffic through your Facebook page.

1. Images are Important

Images are an effective tool for boosting your traffic. According to

a study, a quality image increases 120% engagement for viewers.

This high percentage of engagement can turn into high traffic for

your website.

When posting images, make sure you use high-resolution images.

Never post blurry images for your Facebook updates. You can use

Facebook metrics to assess the efficiency of the image. Take note

of how much viewers and readers engage.

2. Short and Witty Updates

Updates should be witty, intriguing, and short. Your followers are

busy. The ideal status shouldn’t exceed a few sentences. Point

readers to your blog if you have more to say.

Statuses and posts are catalysts for visitors to click on your link.

You may have seen examples of these types of posts, which are

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too intriguing not to click. Try searching some of your competitors

to see what works. Model those ideas (but don’t directly copy).

Rules of Thumb When Posting Updates:

Keep most of your Facebook updates short – medium length.

An update should be a teaser for your blogpost. 4-5 sentences

should be enough.

Make sure your post appeals to mobile users.

3. A Quote From Your Blogpost

An interesting quote from your blog can help you get the traffic

you want. It's a way to give your followers a bigger taste for what

you can offer them. Statistically, quotes are the most commonly

shared type of Facebook post.

Rules of Thumb When Posting Quotes:

A quote should summarize your blogpost.

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Use a quote that sparks controversy and critical thinking.

Make posts more personal by posting relatable pics along with

them.

4. Host a Poll or Interactive Contest

Interactive contents and polls provide a good traffic source for

you. It's a promotion for your business that gives your followers

an opportunity to actually win something. It's a win=win situation.

Everybody loves a good contest.

5. Share Videos

Have you ever heard of Vlogs? These are video blogs, which are a

popular trend for bloggers. Once you’ve started posting videos on

your blogpost, incorporate them into your Facebook page. Some

of the trendiest videos are "How To's" and instructional.

Share anything relevant to your business and industry. It can help

you boost your brand and your website's traffic. You can also add

videos of company sponsored events. It adds a little flavor to your

Facebook brand.

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Rules of Thumb When Sharing a Video:

Make sure you post high-quality video.

If you’re using background music, make sure it doesn’t

overpower your voice in the video.

Embed the video directly on your page.

Monitor the efficiency and video engagement through Facebook

metrics.

Share Other Pages and Blogs

Social media is all about give and take. If you want traffic to your

page, you should share content from other industry influencers.

Once other authors start to notice you’re sharing their content, they'll

likely want to feature you and your business on their blogs. It's

another way to strengthen your brand, which increases your website

traffic.

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When sharing other blogs and articles, make sure it's related to your

specialty.

Rules of Thumb When Sharing Articles Written By Other

People

Make sure content aligns with the nature of your business.

Check the quality of their content first before sharing it.

Maintain good relationships with other authors.

Getting Prospects!

The more prospects who follow you, the better it is for your business.

There are lots of ways to generate leads. Facebook ads are extremely

inexpensive and easy. Here is a simple step by step procedure on

how to create an ad on Facebook:

Go to "Ad Creation.”

Choose the objective for your advertisement.

You need to fill in from the dropdown box what you want to

advertise. If you select for example the “Clicks to Website,” you

need to paste your website’s URL.

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Last, click the continue button.

Before creating your first Facebook ad, you need to know the basics.

Which are:

1. Goals for Your Advertisement

Take the time to clearly define your Facebook campaign goal. Do you

want “Likes” on your page? Do you want traffic to your sales page?

Do you want a certain number of leads? Without a clearly defined

goal, you won’t be able to measure results.

2. Proper Advertisement Images

When posting an image for your Facebook ad, make sure it's relevant

and catchy. You can upload an image and even create one of your

own. Remember, the right image can boost engagement up to

120%. That's why you need to post the best quality image possible.

Facebook has a feature that lets you test 6 images for your ad. With

this feature, you can compare what image goes best with your ad.

Pick out a good quality, horizontally oriented image.

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There are three ways to pick an image for your ad:

Uploading your own image

Finding a picture from a royalty free website, such as:

https://pixabay.com/

https://www.fotolia.com/Info/Images

www.dreamstime.com/Free_Images

http://deathtothestockphoto.com/

www.imagesource.com/royalty-free

You can also search “Royalty Free Images” on Google for more

options.

Using photos from a paid site, such as:

www.123rf.com/stock-photo/paid.html

http://depositphotos.com

There are hundreds of sites online with high-quality

images you can use.

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Browse and select from the previous images you’ve uploaded to

Facebook.

3. The Image Description is as Important as the Image

The image description text is as important as the image itself. Create

an intriguing and catchy description. Avoid hard selling since it scares

away customers.

Remember this part of the ad isn’t about selling; it’s about getting

your reader to “click.” Take it one step at a time.

In the description, have a sense of urgency. It’s a good way to

attract viewers to click your ad. But there are other ways to make it

more appealing.

Pro’s in Using Facebook Ads

Here you’ll find the top reasons why Facebook advertising can help

you grow.

So, here are the pro's when using Facebook Ads:

1. Facebook lets you target your audience

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One good feature about Facebook marketing is that it lets you

filter your audience. You can target specific age groups, gender,

location, political preference and more.

2. Facebook Ads are way more Flexible than Google Ads

If you're an online marketer, you may have used Google Ads.

Facebook Ads are more flexible than Google Ads. With Facebook,

you can type in longer descriptions and customize your ad with

images. With an image, your ad can be more engaging than ever.

Which means more leads for your business.

3. Facebook's population is enormous

With approximately 1.28 billion users, Facebook is the second

most visited site, next to Google. Naturally you don’t need all

those users, but with the hyper-targeting capabilities, it just

makes sense to incorporate Facebook into your marketing

strategy, right?

4. Facebook Ads Are Cheap

You might expect Facebook ads to be expensive. Luckily for small

businesses, Facebook ads are cheap -- thanks to audience hyper-

targeting. For impression based ads, Facebook lets you budget

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how much you're willing to spend. So you should be able to

stretch a small budget pretty far.

5. Can Reach Smartphones

Most people use Facebook on their mobile devices. Since

people keep mobile devices at arm’s length, it makes sense to

advertise where they’re always looking.

6. It’s User-Friendly

You don't have to be an IT expert to post an ad. Facebook Ads

Manager includes a detailed step by step process which helps you

get your ad up and running. It's the easiest advertising platform

available.

There are lots of benefits to advertising on Facebook. These are just

a few reasons, but there are plenty more.

Go Viral!

Facebook has created a fair game for small and big business. No

matter what your business size, you have the equal opportunity to go

viral with your message.

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When somebody likes your page or even comments on your post, it's

seen in their News Feeds. The people who see this in their News

Feeds may find it interesting and share it with their friends. So your

post is passed around like a chain reaction. When this happens, you

can expect a significant increase in people following your page.

So, how can you get viral on Facebook? Here are some tips:

1. News Jacking

Be ready to update any current events in your post. If a topic is

hot and trending, people will definitely talk about it on Facebook.

Once they see you posting about an event, they’ll want to find out

your point of view. Although be careful with your tone, some

topics are too delicate.

As always, keep posts relevant to your area of expertise or

industry.

2. Emotional Posts For The Win!

People tend to comment or like emotional posts. Emotional posts

resonate with people on a personal level, and they will react. Most

brands use this kind of advertising technique to get viral.

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Remember, whatever emotion you want to conjure up will be

forever connected to your brand.

3. Prizes!

Everybody loves to win something, which means online contests

work. People will do almost anything just to get the prize. When

creating contests, make sure prizes are measurable. Don't be too

fancy with prizes. Keep it simple, and be very clear about the

rules.

Things to Avoid

You might be hyped up to get started with Facebook advertising.

There are a few things to avoid, though.

So, what are the big mistakes some businesses make with their

Facebook marketing strategy? Here's the list:

1. Posting Too Much “Hard Sell” Content

We know you want to sell, but people don’t come to Facebook for

a “Hard Sell.” Facebook is your opportunity to get connected and

build a stronger relationship with customers. Hard selling is a huge

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turnoff for most people.

2. Never Engaging with Followers

If you want followers to comment, like, and share on your

Facebook activity, you need to engage with them. Make sure the

flow of communication between you and potential customers is

natural, and frequent. Disappearing from social media for days or

weeks at a time can result in people “unfollowing” your page.

Get in the habit of responding and liking some comments. When

you respond to comments quickly, you also get the opportunity to

deal with customer service problems before they get out of

control.

3. Never Checking the Statistics

Facebook metrics lets you monitor the effectiveness of your posts

and ads. Some advertisers don’t pay attention to these numbers

and will post anything, which wastes their time and money. These

numbers don’t lie, and you can use them to make more engaging

posts in the future.

Gather the data and try making a plan out of it. Identify your

weak points and look for areas of improvement. Once you see a

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gap, fill it in. If you’re still starting out, test the waters with some

experimental posts. Find out what does and doesn’t work.

Measure and adjust accordingly.

Conclusion

Facebook marketing is one of the strongest marketing platforms

available.

One good thing about Facebook marketing is that it levels the playing

field for business owners. Whether you run a small business or a

huge chain of franchises, Facebook is open to anybody who wants to

advertise.

Once you master how to make entertaining, informative and

engaging posts people will definitely follow your page.

Remember, the more people who follow you, the more prospects you

have for your business. Keep connecting with people and your

business will continue to grow.