How To Use Facebook To Market Your Business // Facebook recently passed 2 Billion active users and if you’re not using Facebook to market your business then you must be crazy.
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that Facebook is the #1 social media platform used by businesses. In fact, according to eMarketer, 41% of US small businesses now use Facebook as part of their online marketing strategy.
Yet, despite its widespread usage, many business owners report that their efforts aren’t as effective as they would like. In a survey of over 3,700 marketers, Social Media Examiner found that only 45% felt their efforts on Facebook were working.
This underlines the need for business owners to understand which strategies and practices are worth the effort for positive ROI. This article will break down the major components of Facebook marketing, giving business owners actionable advice and best practices for each.
Your Facebook page is the starting point for all your Facebook marketing efforts. Ideally, you want it to be ranking both in Google and in Facebook search for your brand name so your customers and prospects and can easily find you. Then, once they’ve found your page, it should be appealing so people will actually choose to ‘like’ you. The following best practices will help you optimize your page for both of these purposes.
Choose a descriptive and memorable username: Sometimes called a vanity URL, your Facebook page username is simply the web address for your page (e.g., www.facebook.com/yourbusiness). By default, your page will be given a random URL comprised of numbers. Your username should accurately convey the topic of your page or your full business name so search engines and customers can find you in Google and Facebook search. You must have at least 25 ‘likes’ in order to claim a vanity URL.
Use descriptive keywords in your About section: Your About section is your primary text-based real estate on your page. Be sure to accurately describe your business and products, using keywords customers might use in search queries. Be sure to include your website URL in your description to encourage clicks through to your site.