Many small business owners
have come to appreciate the benefits of Facebook for professional
purposes in the last several years. But, for those who are just starting
out, it can be frustrating trying to compete with some of the more
established businesses. It’s a daunting task, but it’s not impossible.
Social networks, and Facebook in particular, allow companies to
interact with current and potential customers, spread company news, and
eventually convert virtual “friends” into paying customers.
There are many effective strategies for gaining likes, boosting user
engagement, and growing a Facebook community. Read on for three simple
ways to achieve success in the realm of social media and learn how to
improve your company’s online image on a shoestring budget.
Use pictures
Images, more than any other type of media, tend to be liked,
commented on, and shared across social media platforms. Photos are
eye-catching, informative, evocative, and often humorous. The saying “a
picture is worth a thousand words” isn’t far off when it comes to the
power of imagery across online forums.
When it comes to business, post photos of products, employees, or
relevant industry news, and you are likely to increase the edgerank
score of your page and appear in more newsfeeds. The more newsfeeds your
picture post shows up in, the more exposure your business page
receives.
Ask questions
This is a valuable tactic both from an engagement standpoint and a
customer service perspective. Questions get people involved with the
page – and any interaction is a plus. Edgerank is highly dependent on
the conversation that surrounds each post. Comments rank higher than
likes, so if you can get people talking about a post, you’ll boost page
visibility. Even if the Facebook community doesn’t seem to translate to
sales in the short-term, the mere exposure effect suggests that
increased visibility of logos and company imagery can improve brand
recognition and lead to potential consumers feeling positive about the
business.
Take a look at the image below. It is of Online Trading Academy, a company that teaches people how to day trade.
They have ~1,500 Likes currently, and this simple ‘fill in the blank’
question received 34 comments, which is about 2.5% of their total likes.
That is really good interaction.
Additionally, if you ask questions about the products and services
the company offers, you can actually glean crucial insight about your
customer-base. While it might be an informal method of surveying a
crowd, it does provide valuable information from a sales and marketing
perspective.
Update the cover photo regularly
Updating the cover photo is a great way to keep friends engaged and
active on your Facebook page. When you update a cover photo or profile
picture it is considered an important move by the EdgeRank algorithm,
therefore it ranks highly and tends to garner more likes than a basic
status update or link post. You can also get creative with the cover
photo. If your business is “boring” or specific to one industry, take
advantage of the cover photo to broaden your audience.
High Risk Pay, a high risk credit card processing
company, struggled with gaining “likes” from people beyond the
industry. They decided to think outside the box and created a cover
image with a seasonal theme that included a credit card
flying through a wintery skyline. They abandoned a more technical,
“geeky” background and found that they actually attracted a larger
audience with the new image because the page appeared less
industry-specific. The updated cover photo was more relatable.
There are many more tricks and tips for growing a business’s online
presence, but taking advantage of Facebook’s complex ranking system is
the best way to build a community of followers. Try these three tactics
and be patient. With time and effort you can increase consumer
engagement and gain a loyal following.
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