We’re hearing lots about how Instagram and Snapchat are taking over as the social media platforms of choice… but I don’t think we can disregard Facebook (2.6 million people in Ireland are active on Facebook) just yet.

It’s been around for quite a while now, has a huge following, and people understand it!

If you’re a business, I think it’s vital to have a Facebook presence, but it’s also so important that you use it correctly so you’re not wasting your own time and resources. Whether your goal is to boost sales, engage with current and prospective customers, or simply build awareness of your brand—having a strategy in mind will help you to use Facebook more effectively.

Facebook is a great place to share updates about your business, but don’t get carried away.

People don’t want or need in-depth information on everything your business is about. I manage a number of Facebook pages for different types of clients, and based on my own personal experience, I’ve put together six simple tips that I think could help businesses maximise the benefit of this popular platform

1.    Type of Posts

Aim for a mix of post types – photos, videos, text, competitions, polls, links to relevant blogs/ articles etc. Keep things lively and interesting!

I’d suggest you post photos and videos to your timeline most frequently. Why am I suggesting this? Simple… it’s because they’re proven to be the most engaging types of content on Facebook.

Also, posts relating your business to community activities or events in your area are always a hit with “local” Facebook users, so don’t forget these. When you reach a milestone like 1,000 (or even a few hundred) “likes” on your page for example, why not shout about this?

This makes your fans feel they’re part of a growing community. 

2.    Post Consistently

“How often should I post on Facebook?” is a question I’m often asked – this is like asking “how long is a piece of string?” It depends (sorry!).

Make sure you are generating regular content on your page, and don’t go long periods without posting. I recommend you are consistent in the quality and types of posts that you create so your audience knows what kind of messages to expect from you.

With so many businesses, people aren’t there late in the evening or at the weekend to post, but these are times when the general public spend a lot of time on Facebook, so make use of the scheduling feature. Take some time before you leave work each day or on a Friday to create posts, and schedule these to reach your fans at various times at night or over the weekend. The same applies to times like Christmas, where posting to Facebook might be the last thing on your mind (mmmm, turkey!) . 

Note: Be sure to check the Insights (statistics) for your page, which will tell you the times of the day that your fans are likely to be online most and plan your posts accordingly.

3.    Monitor and respond to comments on your page and focus on engagement

Don’t ignore the interactions your fans have with your page – I’m talking about comments here. You can monitor and respond to comments via the ‘Notifications’ tab at the top of your page. It’s not essential to respond to every comment, but I do recommend keeping an eye on what people are saying, and definitely responding if they ask you a specific question.

Responding to comments will also allow you to build up a rapport with your Facebook fans, showing them there’s a real person behind the page, who cares about what they have to say!

If you want people to interact more with you then ask questions and set up polls that invite a response. At the end of a post, remember to invite fans to comment, like or share, and perhaps be in with a chance win a prize (people LOVE winning stuff!) .

When people do respond, keep that conversation going.

4.    Regular/recognisable features

Try including a regular weekly or monthly feature, such as a “Wine of the week”, sharing your recommendations and expertise with your fans. Let fans know this is an ongoing feature, so they’ll come back next time as well. Why not give them the opportunity to share your post and be in with a chance of winning a bottle of that wine?

5.    Don’t sell, sell, sell!

Facebook is all about the personal experience, so trying to simply sell something to your fans won’t work… so much so that they may decide they don’t want to be your “friend” anymore.

Posts should be informal and fun, and even informative. If you are promoting something make the fans of the page feel they are getting a special deal by actually giving them a special deal.

6.       Boost your posts

The point of running a Facebook page is to get more exposure, and hopefully more customers for your business. Many people hate the idea of spending money on Facebook advertising but I am sorry to break the bad news – unless you allocate some spend (even a little bit) your page won’t go too far!

It’s just the way that Facebook works now – many of your posts will not reach your fans. The more the people that like, comment or share a post, the wider reach it will actually have.

In order to maximise the reach yourself I suggest using the “Boost” option for Facebook posts. This allows you to target “People who like your Page”, “People who like your Page and their friends” or “People you choose through targeting”. The latter allows you to actually target specific demographics which is really handy.

You can boost posts from as little as €1.00 per day, and it will tell you how many people you can expect your post to reach – so you see what “bang for your buck” that you’re actually getting. If you delve into the advertising features on Facebook you can also target users within a radius of your chosen location, which can also be very handy.

7.    Bonus Tip!…Live Video

Because you have read this far you deserve a bonus tip. Facebook have now added a ‘live video’ feature which enables you to deliver live footage as it happens. This is a really exciting feature and as you record the fans of the page can interact, asking questions and making comments. One of the great things about this feature is that Facebook love it and as a result when you are using the feature your page tends to be favoured and it gets great visibility, unlike many of your posts.

So there you have it, six simple and effective tips (plus a bonus tip of course) to bear in mind when it comes to your business’ Facebook page.

Happy posting!

Alison O’Brien

Fuzion offer Social Media Consultancy and Training from our offices in Dublin and Cork, Ireland