Facebook Page Tips to Organically Improve Reach and Engagement

With 1.59 billion users on Facebook, marketers want to make the most of their Pages and promote their businesses effectively. We're all competing for users' attention and although your Page's overall organic reach has probably declined, there are ways to make the most of your unpaid posts with some simple tips:

• Like, Comment and Share often
• Include @tag of other relevant Pages in your posts to extend your reach (business partners, customers, etc.)
• @Tag individuals in the Comments
• Post more video
• Mix up post types: images, memes, text only, questions, article links
• Post pics of staff so followers can get to know you better
• Post outside of business hours (evenings, Saturday and Sunday)
• Post when the majority of your fans are online (refer to FB Insights)
• Use a Call to Action in posts ("Tell us in the Comments", "Click Like if you...", "Please share")
• Plan and arrange all of your upcoming posts using Facebook Scheduler.
• Update the FB Cover Photo to reflect current campaign and upcoming 
• Create events on FB and invite all followers
• One to two months ahead of engagement, post who, what, when, and why info and links to web pages with details and registrations info
• Build community: Ask Fans to share their photos on your Page

For help with your Facebook Page or other social media, contact Jocelyn Murray at 203.377.9980.

Facebook Adds 'Donate Now' Button for Charities

Last month, Facebook added a "Donate Now" option for non-profit Pages' Call to Action button and linked advertisements.This is a useful tool for non-profits to lead social media visitors directly to their websites to take action and become donors.

According to Facebook, " Now, it's easier than ever for nonprofits to connect with people who care about their causes and encourage them to contribute through the website of their choice."

When visitors click on the "Donate Now" button, a Facebook message alerts them to the fact that they're not affiliated with and don't endorse the organization. Then visitors can continue on to an external site where donations can be made.

Non-profits and charities can also run Facebook ads with the Donate Now button as part of any campaign.

For easy step by step instructions on how to post the 'Donate Now' button, click here.

Branding: Identify and Differentiate Your Small Business

Brands aren't just for large companies—they can make small businesses stand out from the crowd. Understand the components of your brand and how to use them effectively in your marketing and communications.

According to marketing guru Seth Godin, “A brand is a set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one service over another.“

Effective branding will clearly deliver your message, confirm your credibility, connect to your target market and motivate your buyer.

 
What makes up a brand?

A brand is made up of a logo, name, message and positioning.  A brand is often called a business’ “identity”, but branding is really the personification of the core business  and its values, not only what it looks like. When customers connect with you it’s because they share the same values and beliefs that your brand projects.

Successful brands and businesses must be relevant to consumers, unique in relation to the competition and credible. Effective branding leads to higher sales and better differentiation from your competition.    

Tips for Building Your Brand

1.    Define Your Brand

Think about the products or services your business offers, pinpoint the space in the market it occupies and the emotional and rational needs of your potential customers. Your brand character should connect with your target market and differentiate your business. 

2.    Professionally Designed Logo

A robust, professionally designed logo can be the foundation of your brand and the lasting visual depiction of your firm. A good graphic designer can interpret your brand's strategy and create a unique, professional look for your business.  Your brand should emphasize your key differentiators and help you communicate, in a visual image, what sets you apart.

3.    Be Unique

Your brand should be distinct from your competitors, with its own personality and unique characteristics. Consider hiring an experienced graphic designer who can help you create a distinctive, professional look for your business.  

4.    Positioning

Positioning is the conceptual place you want to own in the target customer’s mind. It is one of the most important elements of branding. Try to establish yourself in a specific place within the hearts and minds of your potential customers. Look carefully at the positioning of your competition.

5.    Strong Tag Line and Messaging

The corporate tag line is an often overlooked and under-appreciated part of a brand’s marketing message. A strong tag line should be around three to six words that really highlight the core product or service and benefit your business provides in some way that sticks in a customer's mind.

Common Branding Mistakes

1.     Not Identifying with Your Target Audience

Know your target well and be sure your brand can easily connect with and attract them.

2.     Inconsistency

Managing your brand is vital. Make sure everything is consistent, from the fonts and colors to your messaging. Don’t let your prospects become confused about who you are and what you offer.

Incorporate your brand into your marketing consistently. Make sure that no matter where your business is seen (web site, brochure, ads, emails, product packaging, social media, etc.) your customers and prospect experiences the same, high-quality branding. Establishing a constant, recognizable brand for your business is crucial to capturing and keeping clients. 

Facebook Trends for 2015

As we close out 2014 and solidify business plans for 2015, you may be considering how to improve your social media marketing in the new year. In her recent Facebook 2015 webinar, Mari Smith, a leading expert and trainer on Facebook best practices, revealed growing trends for Pages in the new year. Here's a summary of the trends she discussed:

1. Post More Video vs. Static Photos

Videos are shared twelve times more often than photos or links on Facebook.  Show off your expertise, products, services or just your personality! Consider how you can incorporate educational, informational or entertaining videos into your social media strategy.

2. Business Pages: Post More Links

Not long ago, links were out of favor with Facebook.  Now native links are being given priority! Pasting a url into the Facebook status box will automatically create a post that will grab that page's headline, photo and description.  Post those links and drive more Facebook traffic to your blog  and web site pages!

3. Focus on Adding Value

Smith suggests that the best use of Facebook is to engage a small, targeted, engaged community. How can you add more value to a highly focused audience?

4. More Personal and Personalized Content

Consider how you can personalize your brand to make stronger connections with clients and prospects. Smith suggests posting selfies, short videos about employees or interesting 'behind the scenes' content. How can you tell your story in order to add value for your target market?

5. Facebook Advertising

Facebook's ad-related services provide a way to reach a targeted segment with a customized message at a budget that you determine.  Expand your audience by allocating funds for Facebook's targeted advertising.

6. Better Ad Targeting

Facebook will now use login data to allow marketers to track users' activity on the Web. Facebook hasn't disclosed all the details but this new ad platform will help marketers make ads relevant to the right people.

7. More Creative Facebook Integration

While you probably have a Facebook icon on your web site that links to your Facebook Page, have you considered embedding a 'Like Box' so visitors can click and Like right from your Page? 

8. Organic Reach

94% of your Facebook Fans don't see your content. Ouch! Smith says that in order to increase your reach try mixing things up! Test posting outside business hours, mix up post frequency (try posting less), test post length, include @tags of other pages and repost your most popular posts.

9. Free Content

Smith notes that one of the biggest marketing trend is to capture leads by giving away low end content  such as free webinars, white papers, reports, etc. on Facebook.  Then create a campaign to turn those captured leads into new customers!

So those are Mari Smith's Facebook Trends for 2015 in a nutshell!  Tune in for my next blog post on Mari Smith's Facebook Mistakes to Avoid!

As always, if you need assistance with your Facebook or other social media, please give me a shout or stop by www.marketing-er.com!

Six Innovative Ways to Promote Your Next Event

Looking for some new marketing ideas to give your next seminar, trade show or other corporate event a big boost? Here are some promotional activities that we implement for grand openings, but they can be applied to any event to help turn it into a smart money-making promotion for your business:

1. Be Community-Minded

Is there a way that your event can be tied in with a greater cause? Can your grand opening or event help the local community in some way?  If it can, you're bound to get more attention and publicity!

2. Traffic Generating Incentives

Coupons are always a smart marketing tool.  In conjunction with the event, promote a product or service that prospects will respond to and make it time sensitive to encourage a speedy response.

3. Marketing

Beginning a month prior to the event, send timely emails, fliers and personal invitations and use social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) to spread the word.  Create a video for YouTube that acts as a teaser ad for the event.  Don't forget to include your special offer or incentive.

4. Use the Media

For big events, think about media partnerships with local radio stations, TV stations, newspapers and cable companies. In exchange for exclusive rights to promote your event on site, you can try to obtain on air promotions or advertising at no cost to you.

5. Advertising and Public Relations

If your budget allows, advertise in your local daily and weekly newspapers and on the radio for one to two weeks leading up to your event. Write a great press announcement and get it out to all the local trade and community outlets.

6. Form Partnerships    

Team up with related or neighboring businesses so that you all can contribute to and benefit from the buzz of your event.  Who can you create reciprocal marketing partnerships with for this event and ongoing? 

For more event promotion advice, contact Jocelyn Murray at 203.377.9980.    

How to Use Custom Facebook Tabs for Marketing

If you're using a Facebook Page for business, are Facebook Tabs part of your marketing strategy?  The Tabs (or Apps as they're sometimes called) are the row of boxes under the Cover Photo that allow you to give your followers are better experience on your Page (only four show up in the top row but click the small arrow to the right of the boxes to see up to twelve).  Drive traffic to Tabs through your News Feed or your ads to make your campaigns more productive.

Promote Your Brand and Campaigns
Create a Tab that prompts visitors to "Like" your Page in order to download information, enter a contest or see a video. Use Tabs to make special offers that tie in with your current campaigns. I've seen restaurants drive traffic to a Tab that offers a free appetizer for all who "Like" their Page.  Link prospects directly to your custom Tab through your Facebook ads, Tweets or other social media posts.

As I did on my Facebook Page, use Tabs to build your email list. My "Join My List" Tab encourages all my Facebook visitors to sign up for my marketing tips emails. To encourage action on other social media pages, see how I set up a Tab that links to a sampling of my Twitter account and encourages people to follow me there too. 

Tabs can be used for almost anything.  See how brands like Coca Cola and Target use Tabs for creative ideas.

Check out applications such as ShortStack which let you easily create your custom Tabs to meet specific needs.  Or let us help you incorporate Tabs into your next marketing campaign.

Facebook: Pages for Business vs. Personal Profiles

I've recently come across clients, prospects and business associates who are contemplating whether or not to use their Facebook personal profile for business purposes. While it can sometimes be cumbersome to maintain more than one page, there are many reasons and benefits to using a Facebook Page for business.

If you are using your Facebook personal profile to promote a business you could risk having your page shut down by Facebook (it's in violation of their rules). But you're also missing out on the tools and capabilities that are only offered to Pages for business. Here are a few:

1. Facebook Insights

Facebook provides a lot of data to help you analyze how well you're reaching your fan base, the best times to post and which content gets the best response, just to name a few things. But Insights are only available for Pages, not Profiles.

2. Advertising

If your posts are only reaching a small percentage of your fans, Facebook offers Pages various advertising options. Even with a limited budget you can get greater engagement from your fan base through advertising via Promoted Posts, Marketplace Ads and Sponsored Stories.

3. Facebook Offers

For Pages with over 400 fans, create an offer (a special deal or promotion, for example) that can be redeemed online or in person. Limit the number of offers and set an expiration date. When someone takes advantage of your offer, all of their friends see it creating a viral effect. This is great for both product and service based businesses. 

4. Schedule Future Posts

Did you know that you can set up content to post at future dates and times with a Facebook Page?While many people use third party tools to do this, you can now schedule future posting from within Facebook.

5. Manage your Page with Admins

Give employees or social media consultants access to help manage your business' Page by making each of them an Admin. With Profiles, you must give out your personal login and password in order to give access to your page.

There are many other benefits of using a Page for business vs. using a personal Profile. Click here for more information on Pages from Facebook.  Comment here with your thoughts.