Okay, by now, everyone gets it. With over 1.23 billion users in just 10 short years, Facebook has proven it is a force to be reckoned with. Despite it’s constantly changing algorithms, and outcries that this once “free” form of advertising is now costing businesses millions to reach their fan base, this Social Megatron is still the social media of choice when it comes to social media marketing strategies.
And yes, while it is true that utilizing Facebook isn’t totally free any longer (think boosted posts, social media strategists, social media managers, etc.) you can still grow your business with Facebook, and pay very little money to do so.
HERE ARE OUR TOP TEN TIPS FOR GROWING YOUR BUSINESS USING YOUR FACEBOOK POSTS
1. Write Stuff People Want to Read
This one isn’t rocket science. It’s great that 500 people saw your post in their news feed, but you want them to actually click on that post and go to your Page. When it comes to content, be relevant. Think top of head material; current events, holidays, and tips to help them with their lives. For your readers, it really is all about them.
2. Don’t Be Boring
You need your readers to engage, because the more likes, comments, and shares you get, the more your post ends up in other people’s news feeds (that’s called organic reach and you want that.) So write stuff that is engaging.
- Be Helpful “Hey Everyone, in case you forgot, Father’s Day is only two days away. You’re welcome.”
- Ask Questions “What’s the best/worst Father’s Day gift you’ve ever purchased at the last minute?”
- Start a Conversation “True confession: We don’t know a thing about soccer, but we’re watching! Who’s watching the USA today in the World Cup?” #GoTeamUSA #FIFAWorldCup
3. Use Trending Hashtags
While hashtags are really just now effectively making the crossover from Twitter to other forms of social media, using trending hashtags can generate some traffic to your Page as they will show up in the news feeds of others using those same hashtags. (See Start a Conversation above)
4. Mention Other People and Other Businesses in Your Post
This is one cool thing that Facebook has done that can actually increase your organic reach by hundreds if not thousands. I wrote about it here. Mentioning other people’s names or businesses in your post will cause your post to show up in their friends’ and fans’ news feeds.
5. Don’t Cause Inbox Fatigue
Yes, we know your business is about Real Estate, but if every single thing you post is about real estate, people will see your post come up in their news feed and subconsciously say, “Oh, that’s gonna be a tip about real estate or a house they’ve listed. I don’t want to see that.” It’s called inbox fatigue (a phrase I borrowed from the email marketing world). And you don’t want that.
6. Keep It Short
There *is* something to be said for posts that people don’t have to click on to process. For example, (and since I’ve already used a real estate example) there is a real estate guy in Louisiana that sold over $40 million dollars in homes last year in a very small community. He is ACTIVE on Facebook, both on his fan page and his personal profile, but he’s brilliant about the way he does it. He’s short, to the point, and constantly reminds people, “Hey, I sell houses!” So even though people might not click on every one of his posts, he has done a very effective job of making them think “I need to sell my house. I’m going to call Darren James.” without causing them to have inbox fatigue.
7. Be Visual
Wishpond’s data says that posts with an image get 120% more engagement than posts without. This one’s pretty simple peeps. Use an image.
8. Post Quotes
Everyone says this, but it is astounding how many people respond to, like, and more importantly SHARE quotes. Create a cool visual with a popular quote. Site the author of the quote of course, but be sure to write your website url discreetly down at the bottom of the post. This girl does this SO WELL and nets thousands in organic reach.
9. Don’t Be Spammy
For goodness sake, don’t “ask” people to like, comment, or share your post. Facebook is NOT a fan of this and their algorithms might actually penalize you for doing it. Make your posts compelling enough that people will want to like, comment and share them.
10. Be Yourself
This is probably the most important tip of all. People buy from people, especially people they like. So make sure your posts tell your reader something about you. Post pictures of you or you and your staff having fun. Post quotes that you find personally inspirational and say why. Be a real person. I’m not saying air your dirty laundry. Clearly there have to be some boundaries, but be a real person, that runs a real business.
THE BEEF
Social media isn’t hard, but it’s also not just posting links to great articles, or showing pictures of your properties. There is a strategy to it. One of the key services we provide to our clients is a good, solid social media strategy to go along with their killer website. We provide this service because it is critical to your success in the social networking world.
