Ten easy things to do this week to improve your Facebook page

Last week I wrote about 10 things you definitely should not be doing on social media and listed some examples of when things go awry on social.

This week, we’re going to take a more positive tack. Here are 10 easy things you can do to improve your business’s social media performance, focusing specifically on tips for Facebook.

1. Make a native Facebook video

Facebook Video is the best way to reach your Facebook fans using video content. The Facebook algorithm favours it above all other video platforms, including YouTube. Facebook has been putting a lot of its resources into building its video base and this is being reflected in the favourable viewing figures video is getting compared to other content-type posts like images or just text.

2. Experiment and test your posting

Do you know when your Facebook fans are most active or most receptive to your posts? You should be using Facebook Insights so you can find out more about what your audience is doing and when. Start experimenting with your posts so you can tweak and perfect your content.

3. Look for timely and relevant events or news you can post about

Don’t be afraid to tie in your products and services to what’s going on in the wider world. If you know your brand and customers well enough, you’ll know what’s relevant and how far to push on certain topics. One of our clients, Pure Gold Pineapples, had a bit of fun last week when the President of Iceland expressed his disapproval of pineapple on pizza!

4. Don’t be shy, ask fans to turn on notifications

Your page might have a good amount of likes but are your Facebook fans getting your updates? There’s no harm in politely asking your fans to turn on notifications so that they receive your updates in their news feed. Don’t pester people, but once in awhile it helps to nudge them in the right direction.

5. Take out a targeted Facebook ad

It has become much harder for business pages to get organic traction through the Facebook algorithm in recent times. Spending a little money (and it really can be quite cheap) on a targeted Facebook ad might give you the added reach your organic efforts are failing to provide. You can target your core customers or look at taking out a targeted campaign to drum up interest from new segments. 

6. Find an Facebook buddy business

Whether it is a friend’s business or someone else you do business with, it’s worth creating alliances with friendly pages to help boost and promote each other’s pages and posts. This doesn’t have to be a formal agreement, but getting a circle of businesses together to support each other’s Facebook presence can be very helpful in terms of organic reach. You can even start doing cross-promotion on products and services. 

7. Join or start a community

This is not only a good way to get the name of your business out there, it’s also a good way to network and educate yourself about things that might be going on in your industry or community. Can’t find a group you want to join? Start one up yourself. Don’t use it as a vehicle to shamelessly promote your business, but instead think of it as a way to position yourself as a leading networker within your field.

8. Run a contest

This is an old gem that businesses have been doing for a long, long time, well before Facebook was a thing. It still works because it is engaging and people love to win things. Make the competition fun and original if possible. Do your homework and check up on Facebook and other T&C’s that might apply. 

9. Spruce up your profile and cover photos as well as your “About” description

You probably filled out all the required details when you started your Facebook page but have you updated your “About” description to reflect where you’re at as a business, or spruced up your profile and cover photos? Sometimes we do these things and then it becomes a matter of set and forget. Getting the right imagery for your business can be very important, especially if what you’re in retail or any other sector that relies on visual merchandising. Descriptions of what your business does also help you show up in Facebook feeds.

10. Turn on Messenger

Facebook Messenger allows you to deal with customers through a quick and easy avenue that is not public. This is especially good for dealing with more complex issues or complaints. Hopefully you’re not dealing with too many complaints, but you certainly don’t want a lot of to and fro about boring transaction details clogging up what should be a fun space. Use Messenger as a way to deal with that kind of thing so you can keep the focus of your Facebook page upbeat.

Fi Bendall is CEO of The Bendalls Group, a business that leads STRATEGY : ADVOCACY : MOBILE delivering the business acumen to drive effective positive results in a disruptive economy for the C-suite. Fi has recently won a Westpac/AFR 2015 100 Women of Influence award.