I think we’re clear on why you need both a Facebook page and a small business Facebook strategy for posting and building your audience, right? (If you missed my thoughts on why and how to get your Facebook page off the ground, you can find them here.)
Could you skate by on free posts and Facebook’s notoriously minimal “organic reach”? Well, yes, sure. But to have a page that is truly effective in building your brand and engaging your customer base, you’ll need to make a small investment. And that’s where we can help!
We don’t think you will have to shell out too much dough if you follow these five tips to strengthen your small business Facebook advertising strategy and expand the reach of both your page and individual posts.
1. Know who and where your customers are.
Facebook allows you to “boost” the posts on your page and target your ads by age, gender, geographical location and interests. That means a small, local sandwich shop shouldn’t promote its ads to the same audience as an internet-based jewelry designer.
Are your tables filling up with hungry students from the local university at a certain time of day? Does that online jewelry business of yours seem to draw a significant number of sales from a particular city or state? It’s a good idea to mine any customer research you have for clues to help narrow down your advertising audience.
If you simply don’t know, ask them. Utilize surveys to better understand your customers and what appeals to them so you can appeal to more of them. (Google Forms is one easy — and free! — way to collect and organize information.)
The best part is that you won’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you want to boost a post or run an ad; create and save “custom audiences” and reuse them as needed with one quick click.
2. Keep it short.
You can be funny, you can be compelling, you can be informative, but above all, you need to be brief. Don’t boost a post with three paragraphs of text. Half of your words will be hidden, forcing users to click the dreaded “See More” link. By this point you’ve probably lost them. Remember that anything you post will not just be seen on large desktop screens, but also on smaller mobile devices.
Aim for one to two sentences of text with a visual element and a call-to-action, such as to visit the website, like the page or sign up for the newsletter.
(Hey, while we’re talking about being brief, here’s a little extra bonus tip: Don’t drag these things out. Run an ad or boost a post on your page for three to five days. Maybe a week. Don’t let them run on and on for months at a time; they likely will keep reappearing to the same targeted audience you’ve selected. It’s akin to driving past the same freeway billboard on your daily commute every morning — it’ll start to blend into the background.)
3. Video. Video, video, video.
The current King of Facebook is video. While videos may take more planning and effort to produce than a photo with some text, it is worth it for the traffic that videos, prerecorded or Facebook Live, bring your way. Whenever possible, throw a few advertising dollars toward boosting your video posts. You’ll be rewarded with clicks, likes, comments and shares.
4. Go ahead — experiment a little.
Sometimes the posts you think should go viral end up being total duds. Other times, that quick photo and silly one-liner you posted on a whim gains more traction than you expected. Pay attention to what is doing well and what isn’t and adjust accordingly. If a post is gaining an organic audience, throw a few dollars behind it to help it really take off. On the other hand, if you boost something and it’s still not getting you the desired results, cancel the ad and move on.
Consider using Facebook Pixel to track and analyze how your ads are attracting customers, what actions those customers are taking, and whether the ads are operating as effectively as possible.
5. Don’t forget to interact.
Customers love to feel heard, so make sure they know you are paying attention. Share on X Once you’ve got them clicking, you want to keep them clicking. Encourage their engagement by responding to their comments, answering their questions and thanking them for being a part of your online community. Let them see the personality behind the business.
While you’re at it, interact with other small businesses on Facebook, too. Share content you know your customers will want — they’re likely to reciprocate, expanding the reach for both of you.
If you follow these small business Facebook strategy tips, your brand’s reach will expand, your audience engagement will increase and you’ll get noticed by more potential customers.
Need more help? That’s why we’re here! We can create your custom audiences or get your remarketing strategy off the ground with Facebook Pixel. Tell us how we can support you!
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