How to Use Facebook to Promote Your Business: A Guide for Beginners
Facebook serves more than two billion users every month. It’s the single largest social media platform. If you want to find the audience for your business, there’s a good chance you’ll find them on Facebook.
Of course, once you’ve decided to use Facebook to reach your audience, you’ll need a strategy. How can you effectively promote your business using Facebook?
This guide to how to use Facebook to promote your business was designed with you in mind. These tips will help you get started so you can reach the people looking for your business.
Step One of How to Use Facebook to Promote Your Business
The very first step to using Facebook to promote your business is to create a business presence on the platform. To do so, you’ll need to set up a page for your business.
This is pretty easy to do. Just head over to Facebook’s Pages tab, then click create. You will need to be signed in to a personal account, but your personal details won’t appear on the page.
Now select your page type. It could be a business/brand or community/public figure.
Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to enter your business details. This includes your address and contact information. The more complete your page, the better.
Don’t forget to add images and set a custom URL for your new page. A call-to-action button will help users take action, like giving you a call or visiting your website.
Create Content for Your Page
Now it’s time to create some content for organic posts. Organic posting doesn’t always have great reach. This is especially true since Facebook keeps tweaking its algorithm.
Organic posts are important though. They can help you engage your audience. They can also help you get the word out about your business, as well as provide updates.
There are quite a few different types of content you can create. You may want to think about:
- Images, like infographics
- Text posts
- Video uploads
- Live videos
You may want to use a mix of content. A simple text post can ask a question and encourage people to engage with your brand. A live video may get them watching.
Creating a content strategy is often a good idea. This can help you craft better content for your Facebook page.
Keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity. Make sure you’re posting with intent, and you’ll have a better chance of catching your audience’s eye.
Setting Up Ads with Facebook
All right, now you’ve created your page and some organic posts. It’s time to get started with Facebook ads for small businesses.
Setting up ads with Facebook can be quite simple. You have at least two options for advertising:
- Promoted posts
- Facebook ads
A promoted post is an organic post you pay to “boost.” This is similar to an ad, but it’s also something you’ve already posted to your page. Boosting it just lets Facebook push it to more users.
An ad is usually separate and creative. You’ll need to set up a Facebook ad account in order to run ads.
Once you’ve set up your Facebook ad account, you can start creating campaigns. Using Facebook Ads Manager gives you the most control. It’s also where you’ll access Facebook Pixel, which can help you track metrics like conversions.
Creating Effective Facebook Ads
Facebook is a large platform, but it’s also crowded with many other advertisers. It’s important to know what you’re doing so you can make your ads effective.
These Facebook advertising tips will help. The first thing you should do is focus on your audience. Who do you want to reach with your ad?
Facebook has plenty of audience settings, so really dig in to your demographics here. Think about your ideal customer. Who are they?
You might know your ideal customer is a middle-aged woman with children in a certain income bracket. You can advertise to this audience by changing your audience settings.
Next, you’ll want to think about the ad itself. What images are you using that will appeal to this demographic? Does your messaging resonate with them?
If you’re not sure, you can always perform A/B testing to see how effective any of your ads are.
Don’t forget to include a strong call-to-action. What do you want users to do when they see with your ad? You might entice them to shop now or get in touch.
Metrics and Remarketing
The Facebook Pixel is important for your Facebook ads. Be sure to create one in Facebook Ads Manager.
You can add the Pixel to your website to track conversions. These metrics can let you know how well your ad is performing. The data is important if you’re running tests since it will show you which ad is most effective.
The Facebook Pixel also lets you take advantage of remarketing or retargeting. The Pixel collects data on who clicks your ad. You can then use this information to set up new audiences.
One of these audiences can be the people who have already clicked. You can show them a new ad to draw them further along your sales funnel.
You can also use the data to set up lookalike audiences, which will reach more Facebook users.
Engage With Your Audience
Finally, be sure you’re using Facebook to engage with your audience both online and offline. Ask your loyal customers to “like” your page or give you a review on Facebook.
If people message you via Facebook, be sure to respond to them. You can also respond to reviews and help resolve customer concerns.
You may even want to run polls and contests. Keeping people up to date using Facebook page posts is another great way to keep your business in front of your audience.
Shine a Spotlight on Your Business
Knowing how to use Facebook to promote your business is a must in today’s crowded market. The good news is that it’s easy to get set up and running on Facebook.
Once you’ve started marketing on Facebook, you can keep learning and refining your strategy. There are plenty of advanced tips and tricks out there.
Looking to master the art of marketing more generally? You’re in the right spot! We have plenty of how-to guides and all the latest tips in the archives.