A Guide to Using Facebook For Business

Discover our helpful guide to using Facebook for business...

Wondering how you can make use of the most popular social media platform for marketing your business? This straightforward guide will tell you everything you need to know.

Social media networks have become an increasingly important facet of marketing in recent years. Facebook is the world’s largest social network. With over 2.6 billion users, it’s only logical to use the platform for marketing purposes. In fact, 86.3% of marketers were reportedly using the platform as of 2018. Whether your business is brand new, or you simply haven’t started using Facebook yet, this guide will teach you how to use the platform to expand your following, convert customers, and make sales.

1. Create a Facebook Business Page

The first step is to create a business profile page. While some businesses may prefer to use personal pages, a business page will ensure you come across as professional, and you get access to the Facebook ads system.

2. Optimise Your Profile

Make sure your profile looks the part. Use a professional, recognisable profile photo and cover photo, include links to your website and contact information, and write a call to action, for example, “find out,” “discover,” and “check out,” in the description. Call to Actions can help convert your followers into customers by asking them to take an action. You can also create location pages for individual outlets (if you have them). These pages will help customers to contact the correct branch of your business, and will improve the “personal” feel of your business page.

3. Create Facebook Ads

Facebook ads are a wonderful way to expand your reach and find new, interested customers. You will first need to set up a Facebook advertising account in the Facebook Business Manager. Choose a target demographic and choose the type of ad you wish to create. You will be able to choose how Facebook targets the ads using various aspects of personal profiles. For instance, you may wish to target people who like a certain singer, or you may want to target people who list themselves as single. You can then create different targeted ads for different demographics.

4. Understand Facebook’s Algorithm

Facebook uses an algorithm (a system in which Facebook decides which posts users see, and in what order, every time they check their newsfeeds) to determine which personal feeds show page posts and promotions. The algorithm is always changing, but it tends to follow this pattern. Facebook generally prefers posts that are popular — the more likes, comments, and shares you receive, the more widespread your post will become. Facebook also prioritises personal content — try to keep your posts about community, friendship, and interaction for a better chance. You can even share and like private posts that are relevant to your products to be more “personal.” Try to keep abreast of any major developments with Facebook’s algorithm so you can continue to tailor your posts and activity to the algorithm’s preferences — this will be an easy way to quickly widen your brand visibility and outdo competitors. It is always useful to sign up to newsletters and to follow industry leaders such as Neil Patel ( www.neilpatel.com ).

5. Use Facebook Messenger Chatbot to Connect with Customers

Installing a chatbot on Facebook Messenger is a wonderful way to make yourself a more approachable, responsive business — something that most customers are sure to appreciate. Try using Chatfuel, Botsify, or OnSequel to get started. Using a chatbot means customers can instantly communicate with you and get the help they need when problems arise. You can also set up a customer service chat. This way, customers can speak to a live customer service representative at any time and quickly resolve issues.

6. Use Facebook Insights to Track Your Progress

Finally, make sure you take full advantage of Facebook’s excellent metrics service, called Insights. This analytics page will give you information about likes, like sources, new users, messages, and so on. Using the straightforward graphs, you’ll be able to track which metrics need improvement, and which seem to be working. This will help you to tailor your Facebook marketing campaigns with more precision as you go on. Keep track of which metrics improve with each campaign and begin to learn about what your customers respond to and why.

Summing Up

Facebook is a truly fantastic marketing tool, no matter what your business may be. It’s an excellent way to reach new customers and keep your products in the public eye. We hope this guide has helped you to start your marketing journey on this platform!