You cannot deny it: Facebook is huge! As of June 30, 2018 Facebook reported that they have 2.23 billion monthly active users. And, Facebook users are accessing Facebook several times a day. According to comScore, Facebook is accessed at an average of eight times per day per user. And, usage is growing. In fact, according to Sprout Social, 400 new users sign up for Facebook EVERY MINUTE. As a business owner, your presence on Facebook can be one of your best opportunities to market your business effectively. However, many business owners do not even take the time to create a full profile. This could mean leaving money on the table. Visitors to your Facebook page want to know who you are, what you do, and how to get into contact with you. Here are 7 things that will increase engagement on your Facebook business page.

 

 

You should have your full address, telephone number, and website link on the page so people can contact you easily. Also, offer customers the option to contact you via Facebook Messenger. I’m actually surprised at how many customers contact me via Messenger. Because people are on Facebook so much, it’s an easy way to contact your business. In fact, it’s often much easier to use Messenger than open their email application. It’s important that you get back to customers promptly so go to Facebook/Settings/Notifications and check your settings to ensure you get notified when you receive messages via Messenger. If you wait too long to respond, they may contact your competition!

 

 

 

Take the time to tell the story of your business. What is your mission statement? Why are you in business? How can you help your customers solve their problems? What makes your business unique and differentiates it from your competition? 

 

You can even add a cover image to this section, which will be different from the overall cover image of your page. Consider using a photo of your business or another compelling image that will offer instant recognition of what you do, or pique their interest.

 

 

List your main products and services so potential customers can determine whether or not you might have something they are looking for. And, make sure that you update it as your offerings change. Rather than just list the products or services, you may even add descriptive words. What sounds better . . .  “craft supplies, classes, and color printing” . . .  or . . . “innovative craft supplies, fun & informative classes, and affordable color printing.” Get creative with your list of offerings.

 

 

 

Milestones are significant events in the life of the business. You can only use the start date of your account as the launch date of your business; Facebook won’t allow you to post an earlier day than that. But otherwise, take the time to note important dates, such as business anniversaries and launch dates of new products or services, to help demonstrate that your business is vibrant with lots to offer. 

 

 

 

Encourage your customers to add positive reviews of your business in the review section. Prospects are much more likely to do business with a company that has great ratings. One easy way to do this is to ask for reviews in the emails that you send to your customers. You can simply state something as simple as this:  “Can you do us a favor? Positive reviews from incredible customers like you help others feel confident about doing business with us. Could you take a minute to go to Facebook and share your positive vibes?” Make sure to provide a link to your Facebook page!  You can do something similar right on Facebook or even have a printed card you put with your orders or attach to your invoices that ask for reviews. You’ll get more positive reviews by simply asking for them rather than by just hoping for them.

 

 

You should have high-quality images of your main products or services on your Facebook page, plus your logo and any other images that support a good impression of your business. If you have a physical location that customers visit, include pictures of the outside of the building as well as interior pictures. This will help new customers find you and see what you have to offer.

 

. Therefore, you should create interesting and memorable graphics. Put your website address on them. Great graphics are likely to be shared widely, meaning lots of free traffic for you. Examples include quotes or funny sayings that you can add a picture to. People love to share positive or funny things and do so more frequently when it’s an image. 

 

 

 

Videos continue to gain in popularity on Facebook. In fact, on Facebook, there are over 8 billion average daily views and 100 million hours of video watched every day. Obviously, videos are essential on Facebook and will become more so as time goes on. So, make sure you create short, interesting pre-recorded and live videos. Keyword the titles and descriptions, and use keywords as tags as well. You can even use a custom thumbnail as your start frame to your video, with an easily readable title so people know what they are going to watch. 

 

An easy place to start with videos on Facebook is recording those things that you’re already doing. At my business, we have a monthly drawing for a $25 gift card. We now video the actual drawing and post in on Facebook. (We’re careful to only announce the winner’s first name in case they don’t want others to know!) We’ve also created videos of some of our equipment working like our paper folding machine and our laminator. Believe it or not, people are curious about these types of things. So, think of what you’re doing in your business that may be interesting for your Facebook followers to view. 

 

 

 

The 7 THINGS THAT WILL INCREASE ENGAGEMENT ON YOUR FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE is just the beginning. You need to be active and engage with your followers. In other words, you need to be social! For help on ideas on what to post on Facebook, check out 90 SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT IDEAS.