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Here’s another question that I often get – “What do I need Facebook for?” Which is a question shocking to me when I first got into the business of marketing. After a while, though that initial shock wore off because I was surprisingly getting that question a lot.

You would think that with the changing times and the massive impact the online world has had on us over the last decade, people would understand the importance of creating and maintaining an online presence.

What’s probably my most frustrating excuse I get for a business not to have social media accounts is “Well, we’re already too busy and don’t need new clients. We can’t keep up.”

While building your online presence is good for reaching out to a broader range of people and potential customers, that’s not the only thing that social media platforms are good for. I’ve decided to start a mini-series on each of the social platforms that Ghostit uses and offers in its services. Each blog will feature a few examples of how businesses are utilizing the platforms to maximize their business potential. The first one of the series addresses the biggest social media platform – Facebook.

1)    Coordinating Elements on Facebook Page to Promote Marketing Campaigns

I always recommend all businesses, whether big or small, start off by building a Facebook page. First of all, it’s free and it’s a good way to feel for people’s reactions and responses to your business. Your page allows you to choose a profile picture similar to if you had a personal Facebook profile. You can choose a cover letter as well. But what’s different than your personal account is that you can pin a post which means whatever post you pin stays at the top of the page. This is useful for marketing campaigns and promotions. Coordinate these elements to provide a stronger impact.

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2)    Tailor Your Organic Posts

Did you know that you can narrow your organic reach so that the posts on your Facebook page only reaches a specific audience of your choosing? This means you are being shown to people who are more likely to be involved with your page. You can target by location, interests, and age demographic. For Ghostit, I targeted North America, the U.K., and Australia. Though our services can be used internationally, we are more geared towards these countries.

a.     Go to page settings on your business’s page

b.     Click on “Preferred Page Audience” button on the left side

c.     Choose by location, interests and age range

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3)    Use Facebook Insights to Track Page Performance

You can track analytics for a specific post, how many people clicked your “Call to Action” button, visits to your website and more. It also breaks down your organic reach and the reach that you’ve paid for if you were to run ads. This is a very useful tool to have if you want to find out whether a strategy is working.

4)    Interact with Customers Publicly

Having a social presence via social media platform allows you to interact with customers directly and publicly. This, as you’ve probably guessed, creates a transparency that you can’t develop outside the online world. When you’re online and you publish anything, it leaves a footprint. Though you can delete it, someone can also screenshot it and share it. As ironic as it is, interacting with your customers is honest because it is unfiltered and unaltered. This develops brand loyalty and brand personality. You can also ask for audience feedback, and deal with negative reviews right away.

5)    Bring Traffic to Your Website

Social media platforms are a gateway to a sure group of people. You know for a fact that millions and even billions of people are online using the same platforms. Which means with good content you can tap into these pools of people and direct them to your website.

6)    Create a shareable brand

It’s amazing how connective Facebook has become. See something funny? In 5 seconds your friend can see the same thing. The same thing can happen for your business. Your brand can now become shareable. I’ll let that sink in for a moment. No more paying for ads to be played on TV or shown on a billboard. If the content is good people will share it.

7)    Establish Legitimacy

You have to admit, if it’s not Facebook official is it even real now? When people want to know about a business, they will search it up online. If you don’t have a polished online presence you business won’t seem legitimate. Facebook is also a great way to collect testimonials and reviews.

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8)    Use Facebook Groups to Interact with Target Market

Share your opinions, wisdom, and advice as a business like you would with your personal profile. Join groups with your page, and build yourself as an authority in your industry.