{"id":227,"date":"2013-07-23T15:06:43","date_gmt":"2013-07-23T15:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/?p=227"},"modified":"2013-07-23T15:09:47","modified_gmt":"2013-07-23T15:09:47","slug":"facebook-tips-for-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/facebook-tips-for-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Facebook Tips For Business"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Top 10 Must Read Tips to Run a Successful Facebook Business Page<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Marketing your business on Facebook is something that should be well planned and requires that you understand the platform to insure the success of your Business Page.<\/p>\n<p>Here are 10 tips you can use to run a successful Facebook Business Page:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Find the Answers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Why: Why should you be on Facebook?<\/p>\n<p>Not every business should be on Facebook! Figure out where your target market is and focus on the platform(s) that will have the highest pay off for your business.<\/p>\n<p>What: What are your goals or what are you trying to achieve.<\/p>\n<p>Some of your Goals may be:<br \/>\n\u2022Create brand and\/or product awareness<br \/>\n\u2022Build a community<br \/>\n\u2022Show your expertise<br \/>\n\u2022Educate<br \/>\n\u2022Stay top of mind<br \/>\n\u2022Increase your reach<br \/>\n\u2022Generate traffic to your website<br \/>\n\u2022Build new partnerships<br \/>\n\u2022Provide Customer Service<br \/>\n\u2022Increase sales, Etc.<\/p>\n<p>Who: Who is your target?<\/p>\n<p>Have a clear idea of who you want to reach on Facebook. The more you know about them, the better you can target your message.<\/p>\n<p>How:  How are you going to get there?<\/p>\n<p>Figure out which best strategy will help you achieve each goal. Strategies are never set in stone, you need to review and revise as needed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Use the Space Given Wisely<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Facebook gives you space which can leave a lasting impression on your Page visitors. Make sure to pay close attention to your Cover image, Profile image and About section.<br \/>\n\u2022Cover image size: 851 pixels by 315 pixels and may not include more than 20% text.<br \/>\n\u2022Profile image size: Upload images 180 pixels by 180 pixels (shows at 160 pixels by 160 pixels)<br \/>\n\u2022The types of information that appear in the summary box are specific to your Page\u2019s category. The About section under your profile image may allow for your to write around 155 characters which will be visible on your profile. Make sure to include your website address if you can.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Your Cover Should Talk<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Your Cover image is prime real estate on your Facebook Page and it\u2019s the first thing your Page visitors will notice. Your Cover image should express who you are as a business and your Page visitors should understand what your business is about at a glance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Post Regularly<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Posting at random or not regularly enough can leave a negative impression on your page visitors and affect your reach. Also, posting too frequently can have an adverse effect on your Page engagement. Find your rhythm by testing your frequency and watching your numbers to optimize engagement.Creating aContent calendar can help you stay on track and makes the process easier to manage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Understand the Platform <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Facebook EdgeRank<\/p>\n<p>Did you know that not all your fans see your posts?Actually probably less than 16% of your fans see your Page posts! Edgerank determines what posts appear on a Facebook user\u2019s newsfeed. Facebook EdgeRank formula includes:<br \/>\n\u2022Affinity: Measures the relationship between the viewing user and the creator of the story. The closer the relationship the higher the score.<br \/>\n\u2022Weight: Different types of posts carry different weights (photos, videos, status updates, links, etc.). The higher the weight, the higher the score.<br \/>\n\u2022Time Decay: As a post ages it continually loses value.<\/p>\n<p>Page vs. Profile vs. Groups<\/p>\n<p> Pages are for businesses and are entirely open to the public and search engines. Pages can also have applications and custom tabs to help engage with your audiences. You can have as many Pages as you want and there are no limits on the numbers of fans (likes) you can have.<\/p>\n<p>Profiles are for your personal use and represent you as a person. On your profile you have \u201cfriends\u201d. You can have up to 5000 friends and you\u2019re allowed to \u201clike\u201d up to 500 pages. You\u2019re only allowed to have one personal profile. You can control your visibility with the privacy settings.<\/p>\n<p>Groups are for people who share a common interest. Group members can participate in chats, upload photos to shared albums, collaborate on group docs and invite members who are friends to group events. In Groups, there are 3 Privacy Options: Open, Closed or Secret.<\/p>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\ngoogle_ad_client = \"ca-pub-8934562929349122\";\n\/* IMAD Index page *\/\ngoogle_ad_slot = \"5160370071\";\ngoogle_ad_width = 728;\ngoogle_ad_height = 90;\n\/\/-->\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"\nsrc=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Facebook Terms of Service (TOS)<\/p>\n<p>Breaking Facebook rules may result in having your page shutdown without notice. Be familiar with the TOS. Keep in mind that TOS may change without noticed as we recently saw with the Cover image rules. Visit Facebook to learn more https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/policies.<\/p>\n<p>Insights<\/p>\n<p>By using the Page and Post Export option in your Facebook Page insights, you will have valuable data to help you understand how people use your Page and what works best for your business.  Facebook insights can provide valuable data to help you measure your Page success. Keep track of your numbers and adjust accordingly!<\/p>\n<p>Check out Social Media Examiner 6 Facebook Metrics Marketers Should Be Measuring.<\/p>\n<p>Tool ALERT: I discovered a really great Facebook Page analytic tool you may want to try, take a look at Shoork (review to come shortly).<\/p>\n<p>Help Section<\/p>\n<p>Facebook Help section can provide valuable information and is often underused. If you\u2019re stuck, visit the help section first! Visit Facebook for more https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/help\/pages.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Use Facebook\u2019s Features<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2022Vanity URL<br \/>\n\u2022Post Targeting<br \/>\n\u2022Pinned Posts<br \/>\n\u2022Highlighted Posts<br \/>\n\u2022Featured Likes<br \/>\n\u2022Custom Tabs<br \/>\n\u2022Events<br \/>\n\u2022Post scheduler<br \/>\n\u2022Offers<br \/>\n\u2022Promoted Posts<br \/>\n\u2022Milestone<br \/>\n\u2022Questions<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Respond to All Comments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yikes\u2026Only around 30% of brands respond to comments (source: Socialbakers.com). Respond to ALL comments and make sure your settings ( under Manage Permissions) allows for people to post on your Page and your Page has turned on \u201dmessages\u201d, so that people can send you private messages. <\/p>\n<p><strong>8. Cross promote<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To increase your Page visibility, you need to tell people about it. Don\u2019t forget to link your personal Profile to your Page. Promote your Page on:<br \/>\n\u2022Other social networks<br \/>\n\u2022Your website<br \/>\n\u2022Business Cards<br \/>\n\u2022Marketing material<br \/>\n\u2022Events<br \/>\n\u2022Newsletters<\/p>\n<p><strong>9. Invest in Your Page<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s becoming clear that Facebook ads are no longer an option for businesses. Include Facebook ads to your marketing budget to help increase your Likes, engagement, visibility, promote events, market your products or services, etc.<br \/>\n\u2022Promoted Posts<br \/>\n\u2022Sponsored stories<br \/>\n\u2022Facebook ads<br \/>\n\u2022Offers<\/p>\n<p><strong>10. Provide Value <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The 80\/20 rule. Try publishing around 80% original and curated content that provides value to your followers and no more than 20% promotional content. Promotional content includes selling your products or services, posting about how great your customer find your business (unless your clients post it directly on your wall), showing your work or portfolio, promotion of your accomplishments, etc.<\/p>\n<p>Relevant Content. Provide a mix of content related to your products or services. All too often we see Pages that post about random topics that are totally unrelated to their business. Don\u2019t stray too far off your topic!<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s In It for Them? Whenever you post to your page, remember that your page visitors want to know \u201cwhat\u2019s in it for them\u201d. Be mindful of the content your post on your page to make sure you provide value to your visitors and fans. Most Facebook users Like pages to:<br \/>\n\u2022Receive discounts or promotions<br \/>\n\u2022Stay informed<br \/>\n\u2022Get entertained<br \/>\n\u2022Interact and connect<br \/>\n\u2022Get Educated<br \/>\n\u2022Show support<\/p>\n<p>Bonus Tip!<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t put all your eggs in Facebook\u2019s basket! Facebook can be a great marketing tool, but it still needs to be supported by other channels.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PAGE SOURCE <a href=\"http:\/\/socialmediatoday.com\/node\/1454711\" target=\"_blank\"> >> http:\/\/socialmediatoday.com\/node\/1454711 <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Top 10 Must Read Tips to Run a Successful Facebook Business Page Marketing your business on Facebook is something that should be well planned and requires that you understand the platform to insure the success&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":233,"href":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions\/233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imadscotland.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}