Facebook has come a long way from being just a top social networking site to a powerful marketing tool. Thousands of businesses have come flocking to Facebook because it gives companies a direct link to their target customers. But, just like any advertising platform, it takes strategy to use this marketing weapon to your advantage.
To better understand how you can leverage Facebook for brand awareness, it is best to break it down to three parts: When, What, and How. This is how you can effectively use Facebook for your business.
When to Post on Facebook
Almost everybody is on Facebook. And with smartphones and mobile internet now the norm, everybody’s online all the time. Because of this constant connectivity, it is easy to think that posting anytime you see fit is alright, many small business owners have this kind of notion.
However, “alright” is not enough if you’re aiming to increase brand awareness and reel in customers through your Facebook page.
Facebook updates its algorithm from time to time, because of this, you cannot set things in stone when it comes to the best times to post on Facebook.
Interestingly, studies from different sources have zeroed in on the best times to post on Facebook based on engagement ratings.
Make sure to plan your Facebook posts using the following scheduling guide:
Best Facebook Posting Time on Weekdays:
- Between 12 and 3 in the afternoon on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Best Facebook Posting Time on Weekends:
- From 12 to 3 in the afternoon on both Saturday and Sunday.
Although Tuesday showed as the day of the week with the lowest engagement rating, the best posting window on the said day is still 12 to 3 in the afternoon.
What to Post on Facebook
Now that Facebook has become more familiar to people, users have become smarter on choosing which links to click, which pages to follow, and what ads to ignore. Facebook has given people the freedom to customize their own news feed based on their activity online.
It can be quite challenging when you want to get past these restrictions and get the word out that you are a legitimate business with a worthwhile product to offer customers. Your best shot is to show your integrity as a business and gain your customer’s trust.
Here is a quick checklist to establish credibility through your Facebook posts:
Don’ts:
- Clickbait
- Generic holiday posts
- Too many hashtags in one post
- Unverified articles on controversial topics
- Topics involving politics and religion
Dos:
- Customer shout-outs including photos
- Like VS Share posts
- Polls
- Links to your blog or website
- Helpful articles relevant to your niche or line of business
- Calls to Action with every post
How to Post on Facebook
Make sure that you have all the bases covered.
Here are the basics of a Facebook business page that you should make sure to tick off:
- Profile photo
- About Section
- Cover photo
- Introduction Video
- Call to Action
Many users turn to Facebook when they want to research about a brand. When a prospect look for you on this social media giant, make sure that your business page can offer complete and updated information.
Here are some posting strategies to help you boost your business page:
- Use online tools for scheduling, monitoring, and analyzing posts
- Interact through comments and shout-outs
- Follow influencers or bloggers who endorse your product
- Reply to messages as soon as possible
Hire a virtual assistant to manage your Facebook and other social networking profiles. Outsourcing this responsibility is not just a management strategy, it also shows that your business is ready for expansion.
Because you have a business to run, you can’t man your Facebook page 24 hours of every day. That is why learning the answers to When, What, and How to post on Facebook will make running your business page easy and more productive.
What methods have you used and seen success with, when trying to boost engagement on Facebook?
Please share in the comments below!
Catherine vanVonno, the author, is the President and Executive Director of 20Four7VA, a global Virtual Assistant (VA) Service Provider. She holds a doctorate degree in Applied Statistics, Research Design and Program Evaluation from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and has over 10 years experience in facilitating evidence-based strategic planning, product development, brand management, legislative communications, and medical policy. She is married and has four children. You can reach her at [email protected]. 20four7va| Twitter
