If you have a Facebook Page for your business, you’re probably well aware of the fact that the path from ‘like’ to ‘sale’ is not direct. It’s a journey with actionable steps. To get you started, I’ve outlined 4 major factors that will help you grow your fan base, generate engagement, and improve sales.
1. Create offers exclusive to Facebook
Consider – why should someone like your Facebook Page when they can get everything they need from your website? You have to give them a reason which means that your Facebook company page has got to offer something different. Many companies make their page stand-alone by offering incentives including discounts, special coupon codes or exclusive competitions. If this is not for you, there are a multitude of other options – exclusive news, exclusive products, information they won’t find elsewhere … your limitation is your creativity.
You could also think about partnering with other companies to create unique product packages or service offerings or you may want to consider turning your page into a customer service portal. Whatever it is, be sure to make your fans feel they’re getting something unique.
2. Watch your ‘Insights’ and adjust tactics accordingly
Facebook Insights allows you to assess which of your posts have an impact on your customers. It’s a tool which can also help you gain greater insight into the content that people are most engaging with on your page. If you see a particular post’s engagement skyrocket, consider paying to promote the post to a wider audience. This is a good way to draw new traffic to your page. If paid advertising is not for you, simply think about posting more of this type of content. Remember to keep your goals in mind though – what are you trying to accomplish by creating an engaged Facebook audience? Links back to your website? A boost in sales from Facebook customers?
Key metrics to pay attention to include:
- Number of total likes – this is the number of people who like your Page
- Friends of fans – this is the number of people who are friends with your fans*
- Total reach – the number of people who have seen any content associated with your Page (includes paid ads and sponsored stories)
- Talking about this – a very useful metric as it allows you to see the number of people who have created a ‘story’ about your Page. A story is created when:
- Someone likes your Page
- Someone likes, comments on or shares your Page
- Someone answers a question you have asked
- Someone responds to an event
- Someone mentions your Page
- Someone tags your Page in a photo
- Someone checks into or recommends your Place
Regarding point number two, remember that when one of your fans ‘likes or shares’ one of your Facebook posts, that post will show up in the fan’s news feed. So, the more fans you have, the greater your potential reach. All you’ve got to do is create content that your fans want to share.
Remember – you’ll only be able to see Insights once your page has 30 likes.
If you’d like to understand more about Page Insights, head over to Facebook.
3. Understand why people are liking your content
Before you can understand this, you first need to remember that every social network is different. While you may well have the same audience on Facebook as you do on Twitter and Google+, your audience is likely using these networks at different times of the day and approaches each or uses each in a different mood. Unlike other networks, Facebook is hugely personal. Typically, your audience will be logging into Facebook to see what their friends are up to, to post a status, or to browse the content in their feed, liking and sharing whatever they connect with on an emotional level.
That emotional level is what you’ve got to understand. Once you understand that, you’ll be able to create content that your fans want to share. In fact, if your content is consistently ‘shareable’, you’ll probably find that your fans don’t just wait for it to show up in their News Feed. They head on over to your Page to see what is going on and to see if there’s anything else they will like.
Don’t forget that the purpose of your Facebook Page is to drive people back to your website. This should always be in the back of your mind.
4. Post content relating to products/services – but have a bit of fun
Don’t be droll. If you want to keep things totally serious, you really shouldn’t be using Facebook. Head on over to LinkedIn instead or just skip the whole social media thing. That said, if you’re willing to adapt your tactics (and you should be in the fast-paced digital world), don’t skip social media and don’t skip Facebook.
Apart from filling your feed with posts that are engaging and that help to grow your Facebook community, you also need to include posts that relate to specific services or products that your company offers. If you don’t do this, how on earth are you going to improve your revenue?
Make sure that any product or service related posts have an interesting spin. Again, you’ve got to keep in mind why people have liked your page (probably because they connect with your content emotionally). For this reason, don’t abuse them. After all, who wants to login to Facebook to be sold to? The moment companies start filling my news feed with overly pushy marketing, I ‘unlike’ the Page.
Of course, you do still need to post products or services. Just make them fun. Put an interesting spin on them. In this case – think BlendTec or Innocent Smoothies or Oreos…All of these companies know how to sell smartly. Do some research and then brainstorm a few creative methods of your own. Don’t forget to let us know what works!
For help with your social media strategy, get in touch with Xanthos or find out more on our website. We do everything from social through ecommerce, specialising in ecommerce websites and in growing businesses via proven digital marketing methods.
