7 Basic Tips to Build Your Business with Facebook

With 1.3 billion people accessing Facebook every month using 20 million apps each day, Facebook is an invaluable tool that can be used regardless of your industry. The question is, how can Facebook best work for your business?

If you’re like most business owners, your day is already filled to the brim with everything it takes to keep things up and running. The good news is there are simple ways to use Facebook for your business that aren’t overwhelming.

Select appropriate imagery.

There are two primary images Facebook uses to identify your home page: the cover photo, that small square in the upper left hand corner; and the banner, the long horizontal image that dominates the top of the page.

The cover image is often used for company logos, while the banner serves as an excellent place for showcasing your products and services. It’s important to change your banner image to correlate with any special events, promotions or seasonal offerings you may have. Keep in mind that Facebook is an extension of your business, so it should be consistent with your company’s voice.

Also, be sure to include flattering (but relevant) images with posts, because posts with images get more attention and typically result in higher engagement.

Take advantage of the About section.

Include a brief description of what your company is and does. This is also a great place for your mission statement, website, contact information and anything else that will help your audience better understand what your business is and does. It’s also a good place to include crosslinks to any other social sites you have.

Use the tabs.

Tabs are a great way to engage your followers. Experiment with the different options available like hosting contests, providing videos and updating photo albums. Be sure to include links to your business’s other social platforms as well. Crosslinking between your online sites provides your audience with a more complete picture of your business—what you do, who your clients are and how you interact with them.

Also note that when using Mindbody software, you can use our Facebook widget (also known as apps/tabs on Facebook) for your customers to schedule appointments and book classes if you offer those services.

Be responsive.

Customers view Facebook as a digital customer service channel so make sure you’re responding to them as quickly as you would on any other customer service platform. If a fan posts a question on your page, be sure to respond within twenty-four hours.

Also answer Facebook email inquiries within one business day. When contacted via the direct messenger it’s not always necessary to respond. Inquiries are always good to answer, though chitchat isn’t recommended.

With Facebook’s app, Pages, you can easily monitor and answer fan posts using your smartphone.

Track your progress.

Facebook offers some great tools for tracking fan activity, viewable on your Page Insights dashboard. You can review post engagement, likes and shares to learn what types of posts are most appealing to your audience.

Post what they want to read.

Posts that get the attention of fans tend to be those accompanied by an image that completes the message. Also note that people love to share. Don’t be afraid to ask your fans questions and get them involved by running contests.

Use ads.

If you have the budget, Facebook ads are a great way to reach new customers. And with Facebook’s existing campaign dashboard it’s easy to define your audience, as well as your budget.

To create a custom audience, simply import your existing list into Facebook. To reach new customers who are similar to your existing list, you can generate “lookalike” audiences by creating a new list using Facebook’s dashboard.

There are a variety of different ways to use Facebook to build your business. Implementing the above tips will get you started, and for most, will be all that is necessary for a successful page. The key is to monitor and engage your fans daily, which as mentioned before can easily be accomplished on the go with Facebook’s app, Pages.