Facebook pages for business are a great way to organically get the word out about your product and service offerings. (If you haven’t yet set up your business page, the benefits of doing so are discussed in another blog on my site.) As with all marketing, the objective is to get your Facebook page traffic to your website, where that traffic turns into qualified leads and, hopefully, paying customers. But for all this to happen, you must first establish your Facebook audience. No business gets Facebook Likes without doing a little upfront work to make it all happen. Employ one or more of the following tips and watch your fan base grow.
How to “Earn” Likes
- It’s all about optimizing your content for Internet searches. Make sure the overview of your business in the About section of your page contains keywords and phrases that are relevant and appropriate for your business. This way, you improve your chances of placing high in an Internet search for your type of business.
- Make it easy for others to Like your page. Use a Facebook Like button when posting blogs or other single pieces of information on your various marketing channels. Viewers of that information will also be able to share it with others, thereby extending your reach even further.
- Use Facebook’s own tools to build your audience with your own list of contacts, and then invite them to Like your page—reach potentially thousands with this step alone!
- Make your content valuable and relevant to everyone who visits your page, and post regularly. When people see it, they will be more likely to Like your page so your news and information remains readily visible and accessible to them.
- Invest in paid Facebook Ads using the Promote Page link on Facebook. Your reach will go further as you gain wider visibility for your brand and your business. You can set your budget and the content, as well as where the ad will appear, that is, in the viewer’s desktop newsfeed, their mobile newsfeed, or in the right column on their own Facebook account. Make sure your ad includes a call to action for recipients to Like your page.
- Promote your Facebook page wherever your business name appears: on your business cards, advertising, coupons, fliers, catalogs, etc. The image of the Facebook thumbs-up is widely recognized, and others who see it in relation to your business just might remember to visit your page the next time they’re on Facebook.
- Include a Like button in your email signature.
While it should go without saying, your employees should Like your Facebook page as well. Employees can react and respond to your company posts on the Facebook page, and share them with their own Facebook friends. Getting new Likes takes a bit of work, but the results and return on that investment are well worth the effort in terms of new leads for your business.
