The Facebook marketing strategies we’ve been sharing as a business since we launched in 2010 have most definitely changed over that time! Meta consistently looks across its family of Apps to figure out ways to create efficiencies, leaving us as marketers scratching our heads trying to figure out where they’re really heading and trying to remain agile as we switch up our tactics to ensure we get seen and heard by the audiences we’ve lovingly grown! When it comes to Facebook specifically, we’ve seen the organic reach of our pages become strangulated, (If that is not a word – it is now!) arguably to encourage more of us to start or increase our Meta Advertising budgets! (For this reason, we’re seeing more and more people opt for using Facebook profiles in the same way they use LinkedIn, what I mean by that is they’re building a personal profile and moving their audience across to a business presence. )

That being said, there are still some core Facebook Marketing strategies that worked 10 years ago that still work today for Facebook pages when deployed with consistency. So if you’re using Facebook for business purposes and thinking “why are people not buying from me?” here are some critical do’s and don’t’s that all business page owners should abide by.  

Do post every single day for maximum exposure

I am amazed how many people are only posting once or twice a week, (or even a month!) and expecting results.  When they do post, it’s usually a sales message and so the reach is pitiful.  Ideally, you should be active on your Facebook page every single day.  There are a bunch of tools you can use to make this easier – Meta even created its own in-platform scheduling tools to help you with this! Use Meta’s Creator Studio to schedule your posts so that you have something going out at least once every day on your page.  

You can optimise this strategy by checking out when your audience is online. When you’re on your page as an admin you should see “Insights”, click on that and then look for “Posts”, you’ll see some fab data telling you what times of day your audience is active on the platform, and which days of the week. Use this information as a guide!

Don’t post too much!

What’s too much? This is a difficult one to answer as every business is different. The best way to find out is to either ask your audience or simply experiment and keep an eye on your reach figures.  One of our clients posts around 14 posts a day (they are a global company, and they post 24-7), and another company only post twice a day. Both of these businesses are gaining and converting leads on a consistent basis.

Over the years, we’ve found that the maximum number of posts for the Green Umbrella page is 6, for many of our clients the limit is 4.  Posting more than this is when we see a decrease in reach and engagement.

Do get involved with other business pages

Facebook pages have had a life of their own for years! (LinkedIn have literally only just introduced this, it’s rolling out now as I write!) This means that your page has a voice, and can venture out and communicate alongside your clients, prospects and other businesses.  Getting involved in conversations with other companies on Facebook should be part of your Facebook marketing strategy.

Don’t get involved with complaints in public (take them offline)

One of the main reasons some organisations do not venture onto Facebook is that they believe that they are giving their customers a platform on which they can complain.  SPOILER ALERT – if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen irrespective of whether or not you have a page! At least this way you’ll have a little more control over things!

The truth is, for businesses doing a good job and operating with clear values and ethics, this is rarely an issue. I’ve been in this business since 2013 and I’ve seen a handful of complaints via social media over that time across our client base. 

If someone does say something negative on your page, NEVER hide or delete it. (Unless, of course, offensive language has been used).  Always respond and try to get the conversation offline (tactfully) as soon as possible. Get them to message the page first with their number or email address so that you can communicate with them directly out of the public domain.

Do mix your posting style (photos, videos, audios, long and short-form text, lives)

We all know that Facebook works best if you use visuals (photos and videos), however, it is still important to use text in your posts.  Facebook Queen (Mari Smith) only posts a few times a day, but each post is very lengthy, and it works well for her.

Again, I suggest looking at your “insights” and seeing what type of posts are bringing you the best results?

Don’t use any old images you find on Google images – Be aware of copyright rules!

It happens all the time…

ME: Where did you get that image Mr client?

Mr CLIENT: I googled it and saved it for there.

ME: <Inaudible Panic>

Please DO NOT do Google, then right-click and save an image. You have no idea of the source or copyright of the image and the last thing you want to do is risk a fine for using an image you do not have rights to. There are many places where you can source images, we’ve even included them in another of our blogs for you!

Facebook is a great place to run your business online if you use these Facebook Marketing Strategies!

Using everything I’ve shared above with consistency will bring you results, you may of course need more detail on these to implement them in full. And yes there are other things you can add such as Facebook groups and Facebook Advertising strategies.  But I promise you, if you can implement these consistently and commit to doing so for a minimum of six months you will see actionable results. 

See you on Facebook!