There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to social media marketing. As an admin on over 20 Facebook accounts, I can assure you that the strategies at your fingertips are as varied and diverse as the type of people to whom you can market your goods, services, and philanthropies. But the great thing about social media is that the options are limitless and always changing. Social media is a great way to get creative and build a personal rapport with your audience and the local community. Even though every business page has its own unique strategy for success, I have a few ‘rules of thumb’ I like to follow for any Facebook page:
- Get your page ready for the public: First thing’s first– is your business account fully set up and up to date? Check to make sure your contact info and business hours are current and visible. Get your page verified (the little grey check mark!) so that it appears higher on the list when people search for your business.
- Post often and with purpose: When a potential customer finds your Facebook page, what’s the worst thing they could see? In my opinion, your most recent post is from 2014. An inactive page isn’t drawing in anyone new. Post at least a couple times a week to stay current– and never miss an opportunity to say something about your brand or services in the process.
- Get creative: Facebook isn’t for cut and dry advertising—boring! Have fun with it, and don’t be afraid to step out of the box and show your audience the real people behind the posts. You have about .5 seconds to grab someone’s attention as they scroll, so do something eye-catching. Constantly reevaluate your game plan and stay open to new ideas.
- A picture says 1,000 words…and then some: I cannot stress this enough—if it’s not a quality picture, delete and try again. With the phones we have today, all of us can be professional photographers, or pretty darn close. Don’t short-change your business page by posting poor quality photos!
- Give it a boost: A little money spent towards Facebook ads goes a long way my friend. Do away with the notion that Facebook is “free advertising”. For the most part, it can be but take advantage of the tools you have to target specific areas and demographics by boosting certain posts. My suggestion: put aside $20-$50 per month to use on Facebook ads.
- Hire a professional: Social media management can be very time consuming, and therefore it can easily become inconsistent, and even worse, nonexistent. Sometimes hiring a professional to take the reins is the best advertising investment you can make so that you can leave the scrolling to someone else while you get back to business.
Twin Oaks Technology is a full-service business to business provider of Technology, Marketing, and Financial services with offices in Martin and Union City. Contact Twin Oaks by calling 731-281-1210 or visit twinoakstech.com.