In our last post we took a hard look at some of the features of Facebook that can help a business build its online presence. However, one post isn't going to cover everything! This week we're going to take a look at some of the other cool stuff Facebook offers its professional users:
Boosted Posts
Boosted posts are posts that essentially have been sponsored by the company. Your team will be paying for the post, and that post will be shown to people who are likely to benefit from your services.
The price of a boosted post all depends on your budget, according to Facebook. Like most online marketing campaigns, you can determine how much money will be spent boosting that post. You can then decide other details such as the type of audience your ad is catering to, how long the post will be boosted for, and how you plan on paying. Once you've added in all the information, the post will be pushed to Facebook users who fit your target audience!
To boost a post, all you have to is select the post you wish to boost from your Facebook page, then select "Boost Post" in the bottom-right-hand corner of your post. You'll then be taken to a new menu to fill out the details of your boosted post campaign.
The best posts to boost are posts that have a call to action. A link to your latest blog post that you want readers to click, a coupon code that you want readers to write down; anything that pushes the reader to take action are the best ones to boost.
Also be sure to keep an eye on your post analytics to see which posts are getting the most attention. Writing similar posts in the future can really help your posts take off!
Making Events
This one is pretty straightforward, and you probably have an idea of how they work already. Creating an event is ideal for brick-and-mortar businesses having a sale or other fun event. Although online businesses can promote an event on Facebook, this is really only ideal for virtual parties or webinars that don't require registration.
The easiest way to make an event is to describe the event in a post. Put in the date, time frame and location, and when you go to post, Facebook will detect that you're promoting an event. You'll then have the option to create an even, which will allow you to put in even more details on the event.
People who see the event can then decide to click a button stating that they're going, not going, or interested in going. This little function not only gives you an idea of how many people will be showing up, but will also serve to create some buzz among those peoples' feeds.
Once you have an event up, you can invite others to the event. Facebook friends can be personally invited by you to mark whether they're going or not. Personally inviting people can further spread the word about your event and ensure that you at least have a few familiar faces coming.
Checking in at Events
If your business is attending an event, you have the option to "check in" at that event before it happens. This essentially means that you're reminding your followers - and the event organizaers - that you're attending an event.
Checking in is always a good move. Not only does it take very little time, it helps drum up some buzz for people who are looking forward to seeing you at the event.
To check in at an event, you simply need to click the "Check In" button on the event post, according to YourBusiness. You'll then be able to add your own text or images - maybe you can even specify what you'll be selling or doing at the event to drum up excitement!
Allowing Bookings
Allowing bookings through Facebook is especially important for businesses that require their clients to make reservations or appointments. Consultants, fine dining restaurants and other places seriously benefit from having this feature enabled on their page.
Ideally, you'd set up your company's Facebook bookings by following the steps during one of the weekly checklists that the website provides once you sign up. This is a short process that requires you to specify what services you offer, as well as how long these consultations, reservations or meetings will last. It also helps to post business hours, which can also be done by following one of the earlier checklist items.
Publishing
Similar to your page's analytics, the Publishing tab of your company's page tracks the success of every published post. These stats can help you determine what kind of content is bringing in readers and prompting clicks to your website.
It's important to pay close attention to the statistics in the Publishing tab. Although Facebook shouldn't be your only means of driving social media users to your website, the site is also bursting with potential customers that you can easily reach!
Hopefully you've got a better idea of how to use Facebook for your business! This isn't by any means a comprehensive guide on how to use Facebook to drive traffic to your website. However it's a nice little appetizer to give you an idea of some of the things Facebook offers, as well as push you to explore all the resources on the site!
Comments