Why facebook isn’t working for your small business (and how to fix it)
Have you ever wondered why some businesses are able to get HUGE numbers from their Facebook posts, and others just seem to fall flat, even though the posts look very similar? Facebook is an extremely powerful tool. It can be used to influence elections, change culture, and yes you guessed it, sell products and services at scale. So if you’ve been using Facebook to market your business, but you haven’t been seeing the results you expected, it might be because you suck at it.
The good news is that becoming good at it is something that’s in your control if you’re willing to put in the work. In this article we’ll talk about some things you can do right away that will make a huge impact on your reach, your lead generation, and your conversion rates.
Facebook is a Business
Facebook doesn’t just offer this amazing service to you for free out of the kindness of their hearts. They make a lot of money from you, and they want to make more. They do that by keeping people on their site for as long as possible. If your posts help them do that, Facebook will reward you by showing your posts to more people. For example, posting an engaging video on Facebook will likely result in many people staying on site for longer. But if you were to post a YouTube link instead, Facebook will recognize that as a link off site, and drastically reduce the people who see. (even going so far as to hide it from your followers)
So tip #1 is to post everything you can natively to Facebook. try not to link away at all. Your audience is smart, we know how to find your website, we’ve been using the internet for 30 years or so.
Content VS Ads
Something that many folks outside of the media business struggle with is the concept of content vs ads. To make this as relatable as I can, we’ll be using cable television as an example.
Remember before Netflix when we would tune in at 8:00pm to watch Game of Thrones? That is content. It’s the thing that makes the audience WANT to pay attention. That way the audience is already there when the ads show up. Content is not selling anything, it’s not asking you to visit a website. There is no call to action on content. Content is created to do nothing but give value to your audience with no expectation of a return.
In contrast, an ad is targeted, clear, and is asking something very specific of it’s audience. It’s usually paid, and because of this it’s been designed to be as effective at moving people through the buying process as possible.
The main take away here is that you should be creating VASTLY more content than ads. No one wants to see your ads. But if we have a relationship with you, we’re far more likely to engage, share or even purchase. The danger comes from muddying the waters. There’s nothing wrong with sales, but if you’re going to sell, sell. Don’t create an ad that looks like content, but is really just trying to sell. Your audience knows what you’re doing and will lose trust in you, so when they are ready to buy, they will probably go with a competitor that did this right.
Interact AS Your Brand
As we discussed earlier, Facebook wants to promote businesses that are keeping people engaged on Facebook. Our next tip is simple but effective. if you spend 10 mins engaging with OTHER businesses and community groups before and after you make a post, Facebook will show that post to WAY more people. It’s proof to them that you are a good marketing partner. (They’re kind of picky that way)
The good news is that this will also increase your visibility in your community. Other business will see your name, over and over. You will start to have great conversations that lead to relationships, and often word of mouth referrals, or even straight up sales. Other businesses will love the fact that you’re adding to their engagement metrics, and it will make them want to do the same for you. (But don’t expect them to.)
This doesn’t mean just liking other people’s posts though. That’s a good start, but you have to comment, and I don’t just mean saying “Cool!” It has to be meaningful, engage with some element of the post. Ask questions talk about your experience with whatever it is.
It’s a win/win/win situation.
Stop Turning Off The Comments On Your Posts
Engagement is the name of the game. The more people who like, comment and share your post, the more people Facebook will show that post to. Some businesses don’t want the hassle of having to moderate their comments, so they just turn them off altogether. You might as well just not post at all if this is your strategy. It’s like turning off the hose and wondering why your sprinkler isn’t running.
It also makes people think you’re hiding something. Trust in your business will decline, and people will start asking questions that you aren’t there to answer. Embrace conversation, encourage it!
Facebook Groups For Networking
One of the main reasons for using Facebook is groups. You might have even seen the link to this article in one. Here are a few tips and things to keep in mind if you want more engagement from groups.
Networking groups are not filled with your customers, they are filled with OTHER business owners. These business owners are people, and maybe they are in the market for what you sell and maybe they’re not. But that isn’t why they are there. They are there to promote THEIR business. So instead of trying to sell what you do you, sell who you are. use these spaces to build relationships, and even foster collaborations. Ads will not work here.
Stop repeating the same post every couple of days. If it didn’t work the first time, it won’t work the 10th time. You’re wasting your time and energy, as well as the group’s patience. Be creative, show us a timelapse of your work, show us a job you did that you’re proud of and tell us why. Post your blogs or your podcasts. There are so many things you could be doing that might actually work. Just remember, that this is a space for content, not ads. We know how to find your website or Facebook page if we have questions.
Engage with other people’s posts. Be a good neighbor. Like, comment, share, all the stuff. There’s no better way to gain people’s trust and support, than by trusting and supporting them. We’re all in this together.
Consistency
Imagine if Game of Thrones only released an episode once a month, or even worse, if noone knew when to expect an episode. Your content is like this. People are generally consistent in their Facebooking habits. And Facebook gives you that data. So learn about your audience, learn when they are online, and make sure your content is fresh and ready for them.
Facebook’s algorithm will also learn that you are a reliable source of engaging content, and the more consistent you are, the more people Facebook will show your content to.
In closing
There is a lot to learn in order to use Facebook effectively, but these tips will get you most of the way there. Keep in mind that when everyone has access to a free tool like Facebook, it becomes a supply and demand game. The variable of success is the creative.
Happy Facebooking!
