Doing it Right
According to the 2014 Social Media Industry Marketing Report published by the Social Media Examiner this past May, “a significant 92% of marketers indicate that social media is important to their business, up from 86% in 2013”. Let’s consider the implication of that for a moment, especially since many do not really know how to use this fantastic tool to obtain maximum results.
If you read Part I of this blog series, then you have now determined why you are creating a Facebook page for your business and have a clear objective in mind. So, for Part II, let’s talk about how to create your page right the first time in order to build an audience – the true audience – and how to maintain a following.
Determining your Audience
Businesses may be tempted to outsource their social media work. However, most small business experts, it seems, argue against that. In the initial stages you are building trust and creating a following. You should be in control of the content, engagement and relationships you are developing. Social media is most effective when targeting a specific audience. Take a moment and think about who your target audience might be. For example, let’s say you run a pet grooming business. Your audience would consist of pet owners, animal lovers and advocates, and your local partners such as pet stores, rescue operations and veterinary offices.
Connect with People
Now consider what kind of posts would appeal to your audience and encourage them to engage. An appealing post for this audience might be a local rescue success story or initiate a conversation on how people keep their pets healthy and safe in inclement weather when winter is approaching. If your posts are thought-provoking and alluring to your specific audience, they will get more publicity by followers liking, sharing or commenting. Of course, now that you have their attention, you want to make sure you come back to your brand and your business of pet grooming.
It is more productive to have a small number of dedicated followers than it is to have hundreds who are really not interested in what you’re doing. Remember that Facebook was created as more of a social tool than it was for business purposes, so posts should be fun and casual, but still informative and interesting.
With such an opportunity to reach your audience, don’t get left behind! Spend time on your social media strategy as mentioned in Part I, remember the purpose of your content, engage with your audience, and take advantage of the analytics tools available (a topic which will be discussed later in this blog series). If you use social media effectively, it could prove to be invaluable to your business and help you to stay ahead of the competition.