We probably don’t need to tell you that mastering Facebook marketing is a must for any brand that hopes to succeed in 2020.
You already know that Facebook has a huge audience. A whopping 2.4 billion people use it every month.
But maybe you didn’t know how often people are using Facebook to interact with businesses of all sizes. For example, two-thirds of Facebook users say they visit a local business Facebook Page at least once a week.
Potential customers are already looking for businesses like yours on Facebook. A clear, focused Facebook marketing strategy is the only way to tap into this existing audience. As Facebook puts it, your Business Page is “a cornerstone of [your] online identity.”
Here are our best Facebook marketing tips for the year ahead.
Step-by-step guide to setting up Facebook for business
It doesn’t cost anything to set up a Facebook Page. Once you’ve created your Page, you can also use it to post content, link to your website, and communicate with Fans and followers for free.
That makes a Facebook Page an incredibly valuable tool for any marketer working with a limited budget.
You also need to create a Facebook Business Page before you can start using paid marketing strategies on Facebook, including Facebook ads. So, the first step of mastering how to use Facebook for business is preparing your Facebook Page.
Here’s how:
1. Create your Facebook Business Page
- Head to facebook.com/pages/create. You need to be logged into a Facebook personal account to get started, but your personal information will not appear on your new business page.
- Choose your page type: Business/brand or Community/public figure
- Enter your business details.
2. Add brand images
Upload your profile and cover photos. Make sure to use the optimum image sizes for Facebook so they look their best.
3. Complete your Page info
Click Edit Page Info and fill in the following sections:
- Description: 255 characters to describe who you are and what you do.
- Contact information: Fill in all the ways you want people to be able to reach you (including your website).
- Extra options: If it’s relevant to your business, add your operating hours, price range, and privacy policy.
4. Create your Facebook username (aka your vanity URL)
Your username helps people find you on Facebook. Click Create Page @Username to make one. It can be up to 50 characters long.
Facebook marketing ideas for your vanity URL:
- Choose a search-friendly Page name. In most cases, this will be your brand name.
- If possible, use a consistent username across social networks.
5. Add a call-to-action button
A call-to-action button gives people a quick and easy way to reach out to you, shop for your products, or otherwise engage with your business. Click Add a Button under your cover photo to set one up.
6. Review your Facebook Page settings
Your Facebook Page settings give you custom control over who sees what on your page. Take a look to make sure you understand the privacy and security settings in particular.
That’s it! Your Facebook Page is set up and ready to go.
If you’d like a little more help getting through the set-up process, we’ve got you covered. Check out our full post on how to create a Facebook Page for business.
Types of Facebook posts
Now that you’ve created your Facebook Page, you need to think about what kind of content to post.
Here’s a breakdown of the different post types you can use to engage with your followers. For inspiration, we’ve included some powerful Facebook marketing examples from successful brands.
Facebook text post (a.k.a. status post)
This is the most basic type of Facebook post. It is literally nothing but next: No photos, no videos—not even a link.
A text-only post can’t direct people to your website or drive conversions, but it can be used to spark engagement on your Page. Asking a question can be a great way to get people involved, like Kylie Jenner did in this post:
Planning on filming more YouTube videos soon. Any suggestions? ????
Posted by Kylie Jenner on Thursday, December 12, 2019
This simple question brought in more than 2,000 comments.
Even better, it brought in loads of customer feedback that Kylie can now use to craft YouTube content that she knows will resonate with fans. Asking your fans what they want can be a great way to figure out what to post.
Facebook photo post for Facebook for Business
Like a text post, a photo post is designed to build awareness or spark engagement. In general, photo posts see much higher engagement than text posts.
Photo posts are a great way to show off your products, especially if they have high visual appeal, or they’re something people need to see in use to fully appreciate.
Fresh baked cookies and glittery green nails to get into the holiday spirit ???? (????: Wonder-mint)
Posted by Color Street on Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Of course, not all businesses use Facebook to market physical products.
If you sell something less tangible, stock photos can be a great help. We’ve compiled a list of 25 free stock photo sites with some of the best images available to illustrate your posts.
You might be tempted to share images you find elsewhere online, but this can sometimes get you into trouble. Stick to our list to be safe, or make sure you fully understand the basics of image copyright.
Keep in mind that the “photo” in your post doesn’t have to be a photo at all. It could be any kind of image, like an infographic, illustration, or any other visual.
Don’t be without your yarn for the holidays! Check out our last dates for delivery
Posted by LoveCrafts Knitting on Saturday, December 7, 2019
Facebook video post for your page Facebook for business
A short video post can be compelling if your product has strong visual appeal.
Since videos start to play automatically in the News Feed, even a clip that’s only a few seconds long can be a great way to catch someone’s eye. Check out this seven-second video from Orville Redenbacher’s:
With only real ingredients, you can feel good about snacking and watching… and watching… and watching… #GetReal ????
Posted by Orville Redenbacher’s on Thursday, March 28, 2019
Facebook also suggests using short videos for announcements and polls.
Longer video posts are a better bet for ongoing series or sharing memorable content. If you’re using video to tell a story, Facebook recommends taking at least one minute, and ideally three minutes or more.
The Edible History series by Buzzfeed’s Tasty is a great example:
It’s clear that video posts can be an important way to connect with followers. They see even higher engagement rates than photo posts do.
For more video Facebook marketing tips, check out our six key elements of a perfect social video.
Facebook Live video post
Facebook Live video is, not surprisingly, video broadcast live on Facebook. It can be a great way to give followers a behind-the-scenes look at your company, your product, or the personalities behind your brand.
People are into it: Since the launch of live in 2016, more than two billion people have watched a Facebook Live video.
Live is a fantastic format to share announcements in real time, or to interact with your followers directly.
For example, whether you love him or hate him, there’s no question that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson understands the power of Facebook Live. His #PeoplesPMQs videos get hundreds of thousands of views.
People’s PMQs
WATCH LIVE: Prime Minister Boris Johnson answers your questions for #PeoplesPMQs
Posted by UK Prime Minister on Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Keep in mind that anything can happen when you go live, so be sure to prepare ahead of time by reading our complete guide to Facebook Live video.
Linked content post (aka link posts)
A linked content post is exactly what it sounds like—a post that links to content outside of Facebook.
These getter more engagement than status posts, but less than photo or video posts.
Link posts are probably the easiest kind of Facebook post to create. All you need to do is copy and paste a link into the status box. Facebook automatically populates the meta description and photo. That means you get a great-looking post with very little effort.
Make sure to add some extra text to tell readers why they should click through. Then, you’re all set.
While most of your link posts should share your own content or link to your own products, you could also share content from other thought leaders in your industry.
For example, we used a link post to share an Entrepreneur.com article about Instagram Live:
Go Live on IG to reach more people and grow your audience.
Posted by Hootsuite on Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Facebook poll post
We mentioned above that asking a question can help get your Facebook audience engaged. A Facebook poll takes this a step further
A poll offers fans the chance to vote for one of two options. Once voting is over, the results become public.
The UK domain provider 123 Reg often uses polls on its Facebook Page. Many times, the subjects are not directly related to their product offering, but they are still a good way to keep followers engaged:
Should headphones in the office be banned? Discuss…
Posted by 123 Reg on Saturday, November 30, 2019
This kind of soft-touch Facebook marketing strategy can help build brand awareness.
Facebook Stories
Facebook Stories are photo or short video posts that appear in vertical format and disappear after 24 hours. They live at the top of the News Feed. Photos appear for five seconds, and videos can be up to 20 seconds long.
More than half a billion people view Facebook Stories every day. When you’re thinking about how to use Facebook for business in 2020, Stories can offer a powerful way to connect with fans. And since Stories appear at the top of News Feed, they’re immune to the Facebook algorithm.
Pinned post
A pinned post is simply a regular post that you “pin” to the top of your Facebook Page.
It’s always the first thing people see at the top of your Page.
What should you pin? Maybe you have one piece of content that soars above the rest. Something that really captures your brand and shows potential followers exactly why they should Like your Page.
You can also use this space to:
- share important news
- showcase an amazing video
- raise awareness about a current campaign
Really, you can use it for anything that will get people to engage with your brand. And you can change your pinned post as often as you like.
You can tell a post is pinned when you see a little blue thumbtack icon on the top right of the post.
How to choose the perfect type of post
So, how can you figure out exactly what types of post to use?
One great way to learn what might resonate with your audience is to engage in social listening. This can help you learn:
- What do existing customers love about your company or your products?
- What challenges are people having that you know your product could help them address?
- How can you differentiate yourself from the competition?
You can start by posting content that’s performing well on other channels. Have you tweeted content that’s getting a great response? Share it on Facebook, too. Have a page on your blog that’s always getting new comments? That’s another Facebook post contender.
For the best results, be sure to share your content using cross-promotion best practices, rather than simply cross-posting.
Of course, if you really want to know what your audience wants to see, you can always model Kylie Jenner and ask them.