If you're a brand hoping to thrive on social media, mastering Facebook marketing is going to be key.

More than two.8 billion people use the platform every unmarried calendar month. That's a lot of potential eyeballs on your concern.

Because here'southward the thing about Facebook: while you might think it'southward merely a identify where your aunt can leave cryptic comments on your vacation pics, information technology'southward too a identify for audiences to connect with businesses large and small.

In fact, 2-thirds of Facebook users written report visiting a local business Facebook Page at least in one case a week. This digital marketplace is downright bustling, if it's not too bold of us to say.

That's right: the people are looking for yous! Only if you want to tap into this audience, you can't simply rely on luck. A focused Facebook marketing strategy is essential. Keep that eye on the prize (and off your aunt's comments).

Set up to main the fine art of Facebook marketing? Here's everything yous need to know in the twelvemonth ahead.

Bonus: Download a free guide that teaches you how to turn Facebook traffic into sales in four simple steps using Hootsuite.

Your step-past-step guide to setting up Facebook for business organisation

If you're working with a limited budget, we've got some adept news: setting up a Facebook Page for your business organization is absolutely free.

Then, once you've created your Page, you lot can use information technology to create content, share your contact information, link to your website, build a product itemize and communicate with your customers… also for costless.

If y'all do have some cash to spare (brag alarm!), there'southward the option to utilise paid marketing strategies like Facebook ads and sponsored posts from your Facebook Business Page, also.

But step one is to gear up that Facebook Page upwards (did we mention that it's gratis?). Hither's how:

  1. Caput to facebook.com/pages/create (Note: you'll need to be logged in to your personal account to get started, but don't worry: your personal info won't appear on your new Business Page.)
  2. Cull your folio blazon: Business organisation/brand or Community/public figure
  3. Enter your business details.
  4. Upload your profile and cover photos. Brand certain to use the optimum image sizes for Facebook and so they look their best.
  5. Click Edit Page Info: here, yous can fill in your description, contact information and whatever other relevant details like operating hours.
  6. Click Create Folio @Username to make your vanity URL. This can be upward to 50 characters long and helps people find y'all easily on Facebook.
  7. Click Add together a Push button under your encompass photo to fix a call to activity like "Shop" or "Contact Us."
  8. Pat yourself on the dorsum: You but launched a Facebook Business concern Page into the world! And she'due south beautiful!

If you'd like a little more help getting through the setup process, nosotros've got you covered. Check out our full mail service on how to create a Facebook Folio for concern.

Types of Facebook posts

Now that you lot've got a Facebook Business Page to call your own… information technology's time to create some content.

On Facebook, you tin can create unlike types of posts. Each have their benefits and tin spark engagement in unlike ways. Your brand'southward social media strategy and goals will likely touch on what manner of posts you lot'll be making.

Hither, nosotros're breaking down all of the dissimilar options you accept for Facebook Page posts, including examples to spark a little inspiration.

Facebook text postal service (a.grand.a. status post)

This is the O.G. Facebook post: just straight upwardly text.

We're talking but words here. No photos. No videos. No links.

They're direct and to the point, but if your goal is to drive traffic to your website or directly catechumen a atomic number 82 to a auction, text posts aren't a nifty option. The social network's algorithm as well isn't too addicted of these blank-bones posts, and they usually don't get much reach in the news feed.

What text posts are good for, however, is sparking conversation. Apply a text post to ask a question or call for feedback.

Text posts can besides be useful for sharing important information your audience might be seeking out on your page, like ticket availability or opening hours.

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Facebook photograph post

Generally speaking, photo posts encounter much higher date than text posts. An centre-catching photo (or illustration or infographic, we're non picky!) is a great way to catch the attending of a potential client scrolling through their news feed.

Particularly for product-focused businesses, photos that show the goods in action can be really constructive. Carb lovers, for instance, might exist stopped in their tracks by these photos of The Soap Clinic'due south staff of life baskets featuring yummy sourdough loaves. Breathtaking!

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And don't worry if you aren't a professional person lensman — or are selling something difficult to capture in an image: stock photos are here to salvage the 24-hour interval. (In fact, hither are 25 free stock photo sites to check out! Only be sure you lot fully empathise the basics of image copyright before you lot start posting.)

Facebook video post

Video posts see even higher engagement rates than photo posts do. Whether it'southward for a brusk-and-sweet video announcement or a longer, artfully shot vid with a narrative, video tin can exist incredibly compelling.

Vox posts its explainer videos right into its feed so users can soak up all the intel right there on Facebook, and easily comment, react or repost to their feeds. This primer on vaccines, for case, has 1,400 shares.

On Facebook, video plays automatically in the news feed, and so you're all but guaranteed to grab users' attending. It's the perfect trap!

For specific Facebook video marketing tips, check out our six primal elements of a perfect social video.

Facebook Alive video post

If pre-recorded videos aren't your thing, try dabbling with Live.

Facebook Live video is a live-streamed broadcast, correct on your Facebook Folio. This medium is very, very popular — in leap 2020, Facebook Alive viewership increased by 50%.

Alive video is an intimate, authentic way to connect with followers. These broadcasts tin exist used for Q&As, backside-the-scenes tours, product demos and much more.

The British Council ran a Q&A to reply questions most its English-language courses, racking up over vii,000 views and sparking an active chat in the comments from people who were watching live.

Fix to go alive? We've got a whole split postal service about the marketing potential of Facebook Alive correct hither!

Linked content post (aka link posts)

A link mail service is a mail service that shares a URL with your followers. Just paste a link into the composition box, and a preview of the website volition automatically preview. (Is it technology or magic? We may never know.)

Wealthsimple, for example, shared this link to a how-to story on their website. The meta prototype and description are enticing and eye-communicable: we want to stop writing this story to click and read information technology correct now!

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Y'all could share a link to your website, but you could besides share content from other sources — like an interesting think slice about your industry. Any the content, make certain to add a few words of your ain to the mail earlier you click Publish, to requite your readers some context or a takeaway.

Ooh, and one more thing to continue in mind: link posts get more appointment than apparently text posts, but considerably less than photos or videos.

Facebook Stories

But similar Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories are photo or curt video posts in vertical format that disappear after 24 hours. Photos appear for v seconds, and videos tin can exist upward to 20 seconds long.

Facebook Stories alive at the top of the News Feed — which means they're immune to the Facebook algorithm. This might be why more than half a billion people view Facebook Stories every day.

This Story from threescore Second Docs, for instance, is here today, gone tomorrow… but certainly gives u.s.a. an intriguing sneak peek of their content in the meantime.

60 Second Docs Facebook story

Pinned post

A pinned mail is any regular Facebook post that stays put at the tiptop of your Page. This ensures information technology's the kickoff thing people meet when they visit your Folio.

In one case you've created the post itself — whether information technology's a text post, poll or video postal service — just click on the iii dots on the right-hand corner. Yous'll have the selection to "pin postal service." You can tell when a post is pinned because it'll say "Pinned postal service" right above it, similar this Domestika example.

Domestika pinned post

Utilise this feature to make certain of import news or great content don't get lost in the shuffle. Information technology's your take chances to show potential followers exactly why they should like your Folio.

You can change your Pinned mail service whenever y'all'd similar.

Facebook Lookout man Party

Watch Parties are a way to screen a public video on Facebook in real time, and so you and your Fans and Followers can experience it together.

This is a bang-up way to build buzz for a new production launch, or a earth premiere of a music video, by making a standard video into an outcome.

Red Tabular array Talks is doing it — and if information technology's good plenty for Jaida Pinkett-Smith, it should be good enough for y'all!

Red Table Talks Facebook Watch Party
Source: Facebook

You can even promote Picket Parties (or Facebook Alive events) by creating an Event.

More than info on setting upwards a Scout Party on your Folio here.

More than hot options

Y'all can likewise utilise Facebook Pages to postal service job listings and special offers if you're looking to recruit or build buzz about a sale. There's also the option to heighten coin for a charitable crusade with a Facebook post.

Or yous could only stare at your postal service options, overwhelmed, for hours on end, paralyzed by the choice…. totally up to you!

posts options

How to choose the perfect type of post

Finding the perfect type of mail for your brand requires a little fleck of experimenting. Try out different combinations, and keep an middle on your analytics for clues about what'south working.

Yous can too appoint in social listening to learn about what people love about your company… or what challenges they'd like you to address. Proceed an center on what people are saying virtually your contest too. Yeah, it'southward eavesdropping, but information technology's for business purposes, so it's totally fine. Just heed and learn.

A skilful place to start is simply by posting content that'southward performing well on other channels. Accept yous tweeted content that's getting a great response? Share it on Facebook, likewise! Have a folio on your blog that's always getting new comments? That's another Facebook post contender.

That being said: for the best results, be certain to share your content using cantankerous-promotion best practices, rather than simply cross-posting.

Bonus: Download a gratis guide that teaches you how to plough Facebook traffic into sales in four elementary steps using Hootsuite.

Go the free guide right now!

How to create a Facebook marketing strategy in half-dozen easy steps

Okay, so you're an expert in Facebook posts now. That was fast! Permit'due south accept a look at some ideas to help you build a solid Facebook strategy to brand the virtually of your Page.

1. Define your audience

To appoint your audience effectively, you lot've got to understand who yous're talking to first. Get to know who your target audition is by request yourself the post-obit questions:

  • How old are your target followers?
  • Where practice they live?
  • What kind of jobs exercise they take?
  • What are their challenges?
  • How and when do they utilise Facebook?

Of grade, it's also important to understand the full general demographics of Facebook users. Then, once you've got a sense of who actually is using the platform and how that connects to your target customer, you lot can have a look at Facebook Audience Insights.

Facebook Audience Insights user demographics

Facebook's gratis, built-in Audience Insights tool will assist y'all drill down into the nitty-gritty details virtually potential customers. You can use it to find data on things like:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Education
  • Relationship condition
  • Location
  • Linguistic communication
  • Facebook usage
  • Past purchasing activity

After all, if you don't have an idea of who you're trying to achieve, you're unlikely to ever reach them.

2. Set goals

What does success look similar for your brand? Sure, it can be tempting to look at Likes as the ultimate measure out of achievement, merely if they're not part of a broader marketing plan, those likes aren't much of annihilation. Sometimes they're even called a vanity metric.

A strong goal that's tied to your business objectives is essential for creating an effective Facebook marketing strategy. Every business will accept different goals, simply each should focus on actions that bear upon their bottom line.

This may include:

  • Generating leads
  • Increasing conversions on your website
  • Improving customer service

Once you've decided what y'all want to achieve, we recommend mapping out specific, measurable ways to get there. We recommend using a recognized goal-setting framework similar SMART goals or the OKR goal framework. Check out our post on social media goal-setting for more details and some inspiring examples.

Every mail service, every comment, every ad y'all create on Facebook should ultimately be in service of your goals. To go along yourself on track, it's a proficient idea to create a Facebook mission argument for your make, too as a Facebook style guide that tin can inform a consequent look, feel and vocalism for all of your content.

(Sad to give you so much homework, simply successful marketing takes a petty sweat sometimes. Work information technology!)

iii. Program your content mix

You've got your target audience. You know your goals. At present it's time to arts and crafts those posts.

Determining the correct mix of content takes trial and error, but a good dominion of thumb is to utilize the "lxxx-20 Rule": that means using 80% of your posts to inform, brainwash and entertain, and the other 20% to promote your brand.

That'south right: not every postal service should be about how keen your company is. That gets old fast, like a friend'due south new swain talking almost Bitcoin through your entire altogether dinner.

Instead, aim to provide value and build relationships with your followers. Give them content that they'll bask regularly, and they'll be more open up-minded to hearing about your products and services when yous exercise bring them upward 20% of the fourth dimension.

Another option to help guide your content mix is the social media rule of thirds. Under this school of thought, one-tertiary of your content should share ideas and stories, ane-3rd of your content should involve personal interactions with your followers and the remainder of your content tin promote your business concern.

Any specific numerical mix you wind up with, the goal is to balance promotional material with value.

Hot tip: Facebook punishes brands that push sales also hard. The algorithm is not a fan of self-promotion, equally information technology turns out. The platform wants to prioritize meaningful, engaging content… non merely coupons.

Once you've decided what to post, deciding when to post it is your next step.

You tin can glean some insight on engagement from Page Insights, just our enquiry shows that the best time to mail service on Facebook is at 6:15 AM and 12:15 PM PST on weekdays.

Whatever your schedule, keep in mind that it's of import to post consistently.

Create a content agenda to help rest your mix of content types, and go on your frequency organized. This gratuitous content calendar template is one way to stay organized; the Hootsuite Planner is another nifty resource.

For more than strategic planning ideas, check out our post on how to create a social media marketing program.

4. Optimize your Folio for engagement

Whatsoever your Facebook marketing goal may be, it'll be tough to achieve it if no one knows your Facebook Page exists.

That's why it's important to a) get people to your Page in the first identify and b) hogtie them to interact once they get there.

This video shares some great means to fully optimize your Facebook Business Page for success:

Proficient tip: give a little actress beloved to your Facebook Page cover image. This is the first affair people will meet when they visit your Page, so information technology ameliorate look adept!

One easy mode to aid people discover your Facebook Business Page is through cross-promotion. Help people who are already interacting with y'all on other platforms find you lot on Facebook past linking to your Page in your electronic mail signature and newsletter, and incorporating Facebook Like and share buttons on your website or weblog.

To get those views, Likes and Follows rolling in is a little less scientific: you've got to create highly shareable content. Posts that are valuable and entertaining will (hopefully!) inspire followers to share with their friends.

To build engagement, it'south important to call back that you leave of Facebook what yous put into it. Yous need to exist engaged, besides, if you look your followers to exist.

Responsiveness is a highly valued attribute of brands, so get chatty. Reply to every message and comment, respond questions, and continue content upwardly-to-date. (In fact, you should exist scheduling a regular inspect of your Facebook Page to check for and remove any outdated content. Your Near section should always be accurate, upward-to-date, and on-brand.)

Yous can notice more detailed strategies in our guide to getting more Facebook Likes and this list of little-known Facebook tips and tricks.

5. Consider using other Facebook tools

Once y'all've gotten comfy with running a Facebook Concern Page, there are plenty of additional ways that brands can detect opportunities for date beyond posts and comments.

Facebook Business concern Director

To take your Facebook Page to the side by side level, it'southward helpful to ready up Facebook Business Manager, too. Facebook calls it "a one-stop-shop to manage concern tools, business assets and employee access to these assets." How can you lot resist?!

In simpler terms, Business Managing director is a tool that allows you to manage your organic and paid Facebook posts. Information technology likewise allows you to work finer with team members and outside contractors and agencies.

We'll walk you lot step by step through the fix-upwards process in our guide to using Facebook Business Manager.

Facebook Groups

Groups are another slap-up "extra credit" tool y'all can utilise to drive engagement. In a fashion, Groups are like the online equivalent of your favorite java store or community center. They are digital spaces for people to share information and ideas… and hopefully, a passion for your brand. With 1.4 billion people using Facebook Groups every month, information technology's an audition too large to ignore.

Y'all tin can also use Facebook Groups to showcase your expertise and provide added value to your fans, with bonus content or special deals that are merely for "members." This is a great way to build trust and ongoing loyalty.

Nosotros've got instructions for how to set up your own Facebook Grouping right here if you're set to add this tool to your Facebook Business organization Page toolkit.

Merely if people are passionate near your make, you lot may non even need to create a special space for them to get together: sometimes fans will create their own Facebook Group with a focus on your brand. If yous practice discover such Groups out in that location in the world, it's a good idea to join then you can keep an centre on the conversation, and make sure any misconceptions or negativity are nipped in the bud.

In full general, though, fan-made Facebook Groups are an amazing sign that you're doing something right. Lucky you!

Facebook chatbot (a.1000.a. Facebook Messenger bot)

Facebook users exchange twenty billion messages with businesses every calendar month. Twenty billion! If you lot're not available for conversation with your customers through this platform, you lot may be missing out on an opportunity to connect.

It'due south not just about but having Facebook Messenger ready up, still. It's about being supremely responsive to customer letters. Facebook's research shows users expect a business to respond most immediately. One surveyed Facebook user said he would only wait 10 minutes for a response before moving on to another brand.

The solution to these expectations? Chatbots: automated response tools that are always on to help an interested customer, like this ane from Booking.com.

Booking.com Facebook messenger chatbot

To gear up up your own Facebook chatbot, bank check out our stride-by-footstep guide to creating a Facebook Messenger bot.

half dozen. Incorporate Facebook ads and the Facebook pixel

So yous crafted the perfect mail service: the diction is just right, the imagery is outstanding and the question is super engaging. Hither's hoping your followers actually run across it.

That's right: not everything you mail on your Facebook Page will achieve your followers on their news feeds. You might be surprised by the percentage of followers your organic posts will likely reach:

  • For Pages with fewer than ten,000 followers: 8.18% organic reach
  • For Pages with more than 10,000 followers: ii.59% organic reach

For better or for worse, the Facebook algorithm prioritizes posts from users' friends and family. This ways that businesses and brands sometimes just can't stand up out from the crowd.

Sometimes, your nifty content just needs a footling boost. Fortunately, you can extend your reach without breaking the bank using Facebook Ads.

Similar traditional advertising, a Facebook ad is content yous pay to share with a specific, targeted audition. The goal is to get your brand in front of the correct eyeballs, whether your goal is to build make awareness, date or traffic.

For detailed steps to launching a targeted Facebook ad campaign, check out our complete guide to ad on Facebook.

Fifty-fifty if you're not ready to take the leap into Facebook Ads, information technology's a proficient idea to gear up yourself up (for gratuitous!) with a Facebook pixel now.

A Facebook pixel is a simple piece of code that yous identify on your website to:

  • rails conversions from Facebook
  • remarket to people who have already visited your website
  • build targeted custom audiences for future ads

As soon every bit you place it on your website, the pixel volition start collecting data. That fashion, whenever y'all are set to advertise, you'll have powerful information at your fingertips for retargeting campaigns.

How to measure the success of your strategy

Successful Facebook marketing requires maintenance: this is not a set-it-and-forget-information technology situation.

Tracking and measuring are essential, and then you tin understand what worked and what didn't. That way, you lot tin acquire, and tweak, and try again so your strategy is constantly improving.

Yous can track audition engagement straight through Facebook Insights, which measures metrics such as…

  • likes
  • reach (how many people saw your posts)
  • engagement (how many people liked, clicked, shared, or commented on your content)
  • which of your posts upshot in people unliking your Folio

Additionally, Facebook Insights will assistance you determine which types of posts piece of work best for your Folio, so you'll know if your current content mix is working. For more details on this, check out our beginner's guide to Facebook Analytics.

Outside of Facebook — deportment like purchases or other website conversions — demand to be tracked with external tools like Google Analytics, Hootsuite Touch on, UTM parameters, and Hootsuite Social Ad.

All that beingness said… don't be overwhelmed! Nosotros've created a detailed guide that walks you through the process of tracking the return on investment of your Facebook marketing.

Tracking your progress isn't just near counting your wins and celebrating successes. It'due south virtually clocking what's non working, besides. Using an integrated tool like Hootsuite Social Ad, you can review organic and paid content side by side. And with a unified overview of all social media activity, you can easily make data-informed adjustments to alive campaigns (and go the most out of your budget). For example, if an ad is doing well on Facebook, you can arrange ad spend beyond other platforms to support information technology. On the same note, if a entrada is flopping, you can pause it and redistribute the budget — all without leaving your Hootsuite dashboard.

Learn more well-nigh Hootsuite Social Advertizement:


Whew!

We know, we know: in that location'due south a lot to larn when it comes to Facebook marketing. But the good news is y'all can become started without investing a dime.

Then get in there, get your hands dingy and learn as you go. More complex strategies and campaigns will be there whenever you're set to take things to the next level… and our dozens and dozens of resource and guides will be hither waiting to help you, every step of the manner.

Manage your Facebook presence alongside your other social media channels using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, yous tin can schedule posts, share video, appoint your audition, and measure out the touch of your efforts. Attempt it complimentary today.

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