Social media is confusing. For example, Facebook just introduced more ways to engage with your friends’ posts. Not only can you “like” posts, but you can react to them with “love,” “haha,” “wow,” “sad,” and “angry”. The point is, social media, especially Facebook, lives in the limelight when it comes to connecting with people. People like your customers.
Facebook is a great tool for small business owners. In the end of 2015, Facebook announced that the social media dominator had added 10 million small business pages in one year! This platform recognizes its user’s niches and has done a great job at adapting to those needs. In addition, Facebook also has an entire section of the site dedicated to people just like you called “Facebook for business”.
Entrepreneurs can get a lot of use out of Facebook. That part is simple. So, how do you engage, post, and share in a way that makes people want to interact with you online?
1. Make your logo your profile picture.
For customers to engage with you, they have to know they’re on the right page. Adding a fun cover picture of your staff also shows your customers who they’re working with when they choose your small business. See how Spire did it below:
2. Use Facebook Insights.
This is a great method to generate hard copy reports to keep on file. Facebook Insights allow you to see the progress of certain posts, how many people you’ve reached, page likes, and more! The option to “boost” your posts, or promote them to reach people outside of your normal radius is also easily accessible here. You can also view different demographics of your followers, which makes your marketing more precise.
3. Dealing with Negative Comments.
This part of social media – on any network – is no walk in the park. However, the only thing that can be scarier than replying to an angry customer is not replying at all. Although your customer may be upset and venting on your page, the ball is now in your court to show how awesome your customer service is!
NEVER delete an unpleasant post or comment. This gives the impression that you have something to hide. Instead, make your customer feel heard and valued by your small business. Come to a compromise that creates a win-win solution.
4. Be a source of information for your customers.
Sure, you want your customers to choose your business to solve their problem. However, it’s also important customers don’t feel like they’re drowning in a sales pitch when they visit your Facebook. Instead of constantly directing back to your products or services page, show your customers all of the expertise you have in your industry by linking back to your blog.
Getting on your feet when it comes to Facebook can be overwhelming, but it also has a ton of benefits once you find your balance. A strong Facebook presence is a great channel for traffic to your site. Make the most of this small business marketing tool by building a strong relationship with current and potential customers that gets to results!