Facebook has more than 1.4 billion monthly active users, but when your business page isn't doing well, it can feel like an empty wasteland. Where is everyone? Why aren't they interested in my business page?
Here are some best practices for business pages that will have people interacting with your business on Facebook in no time.
10 things that can grow your Facebook business page:
1. Run a contest
"One of the main reasons so many people spend so much time on Facebook is because it is entertaining," writes Christina Baldassarre in Entrepreneur. "Publish a funny photo and run a caption contest to keep fans entertained and attract new people to your page."
A good example: A local ice cream shop in Missoula, Montana, is running a contest challenging people to take a photo of themselves with the shop's merchandise (hats, shirts, or ice cream) in beautiful Montana locations. Winners get their photos reposted.
2. Upload behind-the-scenes photos
Show your business doing what it does. Or if you are the sole person in your business, show yourself at work. If you are public speaker, show yourself at the podium. If you make birdhouses, let us into your workshop.
People want to feel like they know you. Let them see you doing what you do.
My friends who own a bakery build a glass wall into to their shop so that people could watch the bakers at work. People love it.
3. Upload videos & create playlists
"Videos that are uploaded to Facebook, and not embedded from YouTube, for instance, can be put into playlists," writes Baldassarre. "Show off how-to tutorials, new product features, instructions, a behind-the-scenes video series and more, all while showing up better on people's timelines."
To see how a video can function like a great "behind-the-scenes" photo, check out this one from my friends' bakery. It tells the story behind the business while showing beautiful visuals of the bakery and the work that my friends do.
4. Share exclusive offers
If you share exclusive offers, especially ones that expire quickly, people will have a reason to come back to your page. People love deals. How many things do you own because they were on sale? I have a whole dresser drawer of shirts I never wear. 'Nuff said.
5. Interact with other Facebook pages
"Comment as your page on other business pages and like pages of your employees, companies near you if you have a physical location, businesses you are collaborating with or companies whose services or products you are using," writes Baldassarre. Often if you like a page, those pages will like you back or in other ways return the favor. Any pages you like can be displayed on the left hand side of your Facebook business page as a vertical tab.
6. Celebrate milestones
Is your business expanding? Post about it! Five year anniversary? Post about it!
The ice cream shop in Missoula just turned 20. On their Facebook business page, they posting a photo of their first employee. And some of their first labels.
My friends' bakery was named about a Belle and Sebastian song. When Belle and Sebastian had a concert in their town, they posted about it on Facebook. There are a lot of ways to connect with your customers through shared interests.
Another tip from Baldassarre: "Use Google Analytics and post updates what geographic region new fans are from. That increases chances that these fans feel addressed and click like or comment which then results in your post on their timelines."
7. Create a custom tab
You'll need to know how to do some minimal programming to make one, but a custom tab can be great. Custom tabs will allow you to integrate different things into your Facebook business page including live chat, shipping information, your background story, subscriptions, signups for upcoming events, and downloadable content such as ebooks or case studies.
8. Split test engagement strategies
What kind of content does your audience respond to? Find out!
Post different kind of content and see how it does. Post at different times and see how it does.
Baldassarre suggests a specific schedule for testing: "Post every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at a specific time of the day with specific kind of content, such as photos on Tuesday and Friday, long text on Thursday. After two to four weeks, switch one weekday out with another (e.g. Monday instead of Tuesday) and see what performs better."
9. Test the call-to-action button on the page header
"Facebook pages can have a call-to-action button on the page header. If the button has been enabled by Facebook, you will see the button "Create Call to Action" on the bottom right of your Facebook page header," writes Baldassarre.
She also suggests that you split test what call to action have the best results for you. Measure sales with different call-to-action buttons, but also measure engagement. "Typically 'Watch Video,' 'Shop Now,' and 'Contact Us' are good choices to start with," writes Baldassarre.
10. Connect to your other social media pages
Add Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and other tabs to your Facebook page. You want your customer to be able to connect with you on whichever social network they prefer using. Also, if someone is really into your brand and wants to see how you express yourself on every social network, they'll get a great overview of your brand.