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Whether you\u2019re starting a small business or beginning to build your social media presence, one of the easiest platforms to use is Facebook. In some ways, this platform led the charge for small business advertising by allowing users to create a profile and compete with national brands. However, it can be taxing to learn how to use any new program, so some business owners see the opportunity as a hassle. We\u2019ve come prepared with several super simple ways to get the most out of Facebook, so read on for a quick tutorial.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s not enough to just have a personal profile on Facebook. When it comes to running a small business\u2019s account, impressions matter \u2014 and you\u2019re in no position to reject friend requests. Instead, you\u2019re going to need to learn how to build and gain daily impressions and keep track of how your content fares. If you\u2019re running the account without any analytics programs, this will be a little more difficult, but just make sure to keep notes on your daily progress.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While you may have a sense of what content is true to you and your brand, you have to be willing to learn what kind of content resonates with your users. Push yourself to examine what your competitors are posting, and read about different ways to encourage new impressions online. Try to test out at least one new idea every week and see how it does. Sometimes, we can\u2019t predict how content will perform. It may create a ton of buzz simply because it aligned with a recent \u2014 or upcoming \u2014 trend or was discovered and shared by someone with a large following. In either case, it\u2019s important to remember that you\u2019re using the platform to grow your brand \u2014 and that means trying new things.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Because Facebook allows businesses and individuals to peruse the website at the same speed, it can be a great way for large brands to connect with their customers. Keep track of your messages and try your best to reply directly to customers when they have a question. This will not only make them feel heard but also affect your \u201creply rate,\u201d which is visible from your profile. If you have a \u201cusually replies within an hour,\u201d button customers will be much more likely to reach out and interact with your brand. This can help you rank higher and reach new customers in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When the holidays roll around, or it comes time to make some menu changes, you\u2019ll be glad you created a Facebook profile. With one \u201cstatus update,\u201d you can warn customers about any changes to your hours or let them know about any products or services you\u2019re shifting away from. Warning them in advance will not only save you a headache down the line but also prove that your business is active on social media and make them more inclined to check your status updates.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re using Facebook without any attachments \u2014 good luck. Of course, the platform is an awesome way to connect with your VIPS and offer information about your brand, but if you\u2019re looking to grow your reach, then you have to level up.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Some of these tools will measure your posts\u2019 performance in terms of how many people viewed them, clicked on them, or saved them \u2014 which are metrics that would normally remain invisible (unlike likes or shares). Then, some tools<\/a> will help you \u201coptimize\u201d your posts, so they are more likely to reach users you haven\u2019t already connected with or rank higher amidst the content your fanbase is already consuming. Then, of course, there are boosters that will help you straight up run ads on Facebook and help you target new customers. One of the most common examples of these types of programs is Facebook Pixel. This connects businesses with new users by finding customers who share or match your current customers\u2019 information.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If these tools sound intimidating, don\u2019t worry. They range in accessibility, but the majority are designed to be very user-friendly, and you can always look into\u00a0<\/span>Facebook\u2019s own guide<\/span><\/a>\u00a0into advertising directly on the site.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another fun thing about Facebook is that it allows you to get your message out fast, so it\u2019s ideal for running a \u201cflash sale\u201d or special 24-hour promotion. For example, say you take to your page and upload a post that says, \u201cshow this coupon to receive 25% off your next purchase.\u201d The graphic serves as a quick, easy coupon and will go out to your most loyal customers. Running these kinds of ads to reward your followers is a great way to keep them engaged with your content and make sure they keep track of what you\u2019re posting. No one wants to miss out on a sale, so they\u2019re sure to return to check on your page more often!<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The one thing to be wary of with advertising on Facebook is that you can\u2019t always ensure where your ads are going to land. For national chains, this is less of a concern, but it can be frustrating for small businesses to learn that your coupons are going out to fans three states away. Instead, consider combining your social media with a local campaign through grocery store advertising.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Grocery stores often draw the majority of their customers in from a three-mile radius of the store, so you know that any campaign you run will hit on a valuable consumer base. Through programs like coupon-receipt advertising, your supermarket advertisement could go home in the pocket of every single customer \u2014 which is part of why grocery store advertising<\/a> continues to be a huge platform for small businesses. Look into how much you could be saving on print and ink costs today, and learn more about\u00a0<\/span>coupon-receipt advertising here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Whether you\u2019re starting a small business or beginning to build your social media presence, one of the easiest platforms to use is Facebook. In some ways, this platform led the charge for small business advertising by allowing users to create a profile and compete with national brands. However, it can be taxing to learn how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":188179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12023],"tags":[907,15100,24339,709],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-188178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advertising","tag-business","tag-facebook","tag-online-advertising","tag-small"],"yoast_head":"\nLikes vs. Followers vs. Friends<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Connect With Your Customers<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Update Your Customers\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Learn About Your Customers\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Run Specials and Promotions\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n