There are over two billion active users on Facebook and 79 percent of Americans use the social media site. So jumping right to the obvious question: where does Facebook fit into your marketing strategy and how can you find a place for Facebook in your sales funnel? No matter your level of Facebook expertise, there are ways to increase your reach and grow your business. So start where you are and take the next steps to capitalize on the large audiences that are on Facebook in your market everyday.

As you dive into the world of Facebook marketing, it is critical to understand how the rise of mobile has completely transformed consumer behavior. Consumers spend an average of five hours a day online. They ask Siri a question and expect a detailed and accurate answer immediately. Did you know the average person looks at their phone 150 times per day, but typically only spends 70 seconds at a time? This has created an abundance of micro-moment opportunities for businesses; hundreds of times your brand and message can be front and center for consumers. Not all micro-moments are created equal. Sometimes we glance at our phone when we are just on auto-pilot scanning through social media, but other times consumers are intending to make a decision or are researching information. All of these moments can be opportunities to imprint your consumer with your message and build a relationship with them.

The Basics

If you are new to Facebook, there a few things to keep in mind. You should create a Business Page where people can “like” and “follow” you. Be sure to verify your Facebook page and update the information. Don’t overlook your cover photo as this is prime real estate and should give a strong and memorable representation of your company. Your cover photo should be changed out routinely and should show a change in seasonality and offers for your services.

Priority one for “new to Facebook” businesses is to populate your page with content. Be sure to follow the 80-20 rule. Eighty percent of your posts should be educational, uplifting, inspirations, or funny. It should be content that your ideal audience appreciates and likes. Only 20 percent of your content (at most) should be sales content. Posting consistently will be an important part of your strategy. You should post a minimum of three times a week and more in the beginning so your page doesn’t look brand new.

Now you’ll want to start inviting people to “like” your page. You will have the option to invite your personal Facebook friends to “like” your business page. Encourage employees to also send out invites. As you begin to grow your likes, you will gain credibility and have the opportunity to begin advertising on Facebook.

Growing Your Audience

It’s time to reach beyond your friends and family and grow your audience. One of the easiest ways to do this is with a “Like Campaign”. You can do this in seven easy steps:

• Go to your business page and select Promotions.
• Click Create Ad.
• Choose Promote your Page.
• Create your Ad: You will see a preview that automatically uses your cover photo and text from your information, but you can choose to upload a difference image or video and edit the text.
• Select your Targeting: You can choose the demographics you’d like to target as well as the specific geographic area.
• Choose your budget and duration: You can set any timeframe that you’d like from one day to ongoing. You can also select a lifetime budget or a daily budget. If it is your first time advertising on Facebook, you will be prompted to put in your billing information.
• Select Promote and you have a “Like Campaign”.

There are other types of promotions you can set up depending on your goals, but a “like campaign” is a great way to show up more often in the newsfeed for your potential customers and gain social credibility as users see their friends and family who already like you.

Growing your audience may also consist of boosting your posts so they show up more often. This is an inexpensive way to show your posts to many more people. It is also important to have strategies to grow your audience organically rather than always using paid ads.

Here are three tips to help you grow your audience organically:

• Use video.
• Tag people in your posts.
• Let your audience behind the scenes.

Taking Facebook to the Next Level

If you are already posting regularly and taking advantage of paid advertising on Facebook, it is time to take your social media to the next level:

• Go Live.
• Use Facebook Messenger.
• Use Facebook Lead Ads.

Video is the most viewed content on Facebook and Facebook Live continues to grow in popularity. One in every five Facebook videos is now a live broadcast. This is a great way to let people really get to know you. Let them behind the scenes with you as you walk through damaged and restored homes, teach them how to do something, or interview happy customers live. Plus, you never have to worry about editing video with Facebook live; just record, post, done! A word of warning: it is wise to have a social media policy in place at your company so everyone who may be on camera is aware of the dos and don’ts before going live.

Facebook Messenger gives you a whole new way to stay in touch with your customers. You can use chatbots to create a personalized greeting to encourage your leads to talk to you and Facebook Click-to-Messenger Ads can help you reach people within your target market and interact with them on a more personal level.

Facebook Lead Ads look just like regular Facebook ads, but when leads click, they’ll see a form that is pre-filled with their information they have already shared with Facebook, so it is fast, easy and convenient to submit their information to you. You can also add custom questions to learn more about what they are looking for before you follow up with them. Lead ads are great for collecting email sign-ups and offering deals or promotions. When you are ready to take Facebook to the next level, you can learn more about www.facebook.com/business/a/lead-ads.

Whether you are just starting out with Facebook marketing or you are a pro at it, the opportunities to build relationships with leads in your market are plentiful. Don’t get overwhelmed with everything you could do or everything you don’t know yet, just evaluate where your Facebook marketing is today and take the next step.