Social Media marketing

What Is Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing refers to the process of gaining traffic or attention through social media sites.

Social media itself is a catch-all term for sites that may provide radically different social actions. For instance, Twitter is a social site designed to let people share short messages or “updates” with others. Facebook, in contrast is a full-blown social networking site that allows for sharing updates, photos, joining events and a variety of other activities.

Social media often feeds into the discovery of new content such as news stories, and “discovery” is a search activity. Social media can also help build links that in turn support into SEO efforts. Many people also perform searches at social media sites to find social media content. Social connections may also impact the relevancy of some search results, either within a social media network or at a ‘mainstream’ search engine.

Facebook marketing

Facebook is big. As the largest social network in the world, it has more than 2.23 billion active users, 62% of whom log in on a daily basis.

Think about this:

Facebook went from being unknown a little over a decade ago to billions of people using it today. Has there ever been a success like Facebook?

And perhaps more importantly, with that momentum, do you think there will be anything that will stop it? Will it go from billions of active users to millions or even thousands over the next decade?

Probably not. Facebook is here to stay.

And with such a large user base, ignoring Facebook really isn’t an option for most marketers. You can bet your ideal market is using Facebook nearly every day. The question is: how do you target all of those users with your marketing?

The good news is that the Facebook advertising platform allows you to zero in and specify the type of people you’re looking for. You can target by location, demographics, and interests.

In this guide, I’ll show you the basics of how to use Facebook to your advantage. The guide is aimed at the beginner who wants an introduction into marketing their business on the world’s largest social network.

Who’s On Facebook?

Facebook may have started out as a social network for college students, but, by now, nearly everyone with an internet connection is using it. The minimum age requirement is 13, and there is reason to believe it is being used by all other age groups.

Facebook doesn’t publicly release data on their most popular age group, but a survey by Pew showed that social networking is most popular with the 18-29 age group. Its popularity decreases with age. It is least popular with those 65 and older.

I can assure you that, no matter what age group you’re targeting, there will be more than enough of those users on Facebook.

How Can You Market on Facebook?

Facebook has three tools (pages, ads, and groups) that can be used by anyone. Each of these options has its own purpose, and they can be combined for greater reach.

Pages

Facebook pages are similar to profiles, but for businesses, organizations, and public figures. Users can “Like” a page, which means they’ll automatically receive updates from that page in their news feed. Users also have the option to “Like” a page but not follow it. (Users also can follow some profiles.)

While profiles require a mutual relationship between friends, pages can be liked by anyone, without a requirement for the page creator to accept a fan. They also don’t have a restriction on the number of friends/fans they can have (unlike profiles, which are limited to 5,000 friends).

Advantages: Pages are free and easy to set up.

Ads

Facebook offers a fantastic targeted advertising platform. You can create ads targeted at specific geographic areas, ages, education levels, and even the types of devices used for browsing. Facebook also lets users close ads they don’t like and “Like” a page right beneath an advertisement:

Advantages: Ads have powerful targeting parameters.

Groups

Facebook groups are similar to discussion forums, but with additional features that pages and profiles have (like a wall). You can create groups related to your industry or product offerings as a way to reach out to potential customers.

Advantages: Groups are free and have high levels of engagement.

How to Market with Pages(organic Facebook marketing)

Facebook pages are the simplest, easiest way to get started marketing with Facebook. They’re free, relatively easy to set up (at least in their basic forms), and incredibly flexible. There’s not much of a downside, either.

How to create a Facebook business page:-

click Create a Page in the top right hand corner. You’ll be greeted with several business type options including local business or place, brand or product, and cause or community. Select the type of business you’re creating the Facebook Page for. If your business type falls into more than one of the category options, choose the one your customers are most likely to think of when they think about your business.

When you click on a business type, a box will open asking for a few further details, like the name of your business, your address, and your Page category. Categories are basically sub-types within the larger business category you’ve already chosen. When you start typing in the category field, you’ll see a list of potential category options to choose from.

When you’re ready, click Get Started. Note that doing so indicates your acceptance of Facebook’s terms and conditions for Business Pages, so you might want to check those out before you proceed.

Step 2. Add Pictures

Next, you’ll upload profile and cover images for your Facebook Page. It’s important to create a good visual first impression, so choose wisely here. Make sure the photos you choose align with your brand and are easily identifiable with your business.

You’ll upload your profile image first. This image accompanies your business name in search results and when you interact with users, and also appears on the top left of your Facebook Page.

If you’re a big brand, using your logo is probably a safe way to go. If you’re a celebrity or public figure, a picture of your face will work like a charm. And if you’re a local business, maybe a well-shot image of your signature offering is what will allow a potential follower or customer to make the connection immediately.

Once you’ve chosen a great one, click Upload Profile Picture.

Now it’s time to choose your cover image, the most prominent image on your Facebook Business Page. This image should capture the essence of your brand and convey your brand personality. It will display at 820 x 312 pixels on desktop or 640 x 360 pixels on mobile. The image must be at least 400 pixels wide and 150 tall.

Once you’ve selected an appropriate image, click Upload a Cover Photo.

Step 3: Explore your new Page

Ta-da! Your page is alive, albeit it extremely sparse. At this point, you’ll be prompted to take a quick walk-through of a few features. Unless you’re already well aware of how Facebook Business Pages operate, we recommend clicking through the prompts, just so you know where everything is. It only takes a few seconds.

Step 4: Add a short description

This is your opportunity to tell people about your business. It should be just a couple of sentences (maximum 155 characters), so there’s no need to get too elaborate here. Click Add a Short Description, then just share what your customers need to know as clearly and concisely as possible. You can add a longer description later on.

Click Save when you’re done.

Step 5: Create your username

Your username, also called your vanity URL, is how you’ll tell people where to find you on Facebook. Your username can be up to 50 characters long, but don’t use extra characters just because you can. You want it to be easy to type and easy to remember. Your business name or some obvious variation of it is a safe bet.

Click Create a Username for Your Page to set up your vanity URL.

Click Create Username when you’re done.

Step 6: Complete your about section

While you might be tempted to leave the details for later, it’s important to fill out all of the fields in your Facebook Page’s About section right from the start.

To get started, click About in the left-hand menu of your Facebook Page.

From this screen, you can add or edit your specific business details, like your start date, contact information, and other social accounts. Depending on your type of business, you may be able to add specific details like a menu or information about your price range and whether you offer valet parking.

This is also the screen where you can add a longer description of your business. Click Edit Story on the right side of the Page to provide a detailed description of what your business offers customers and why they should Like or Follow your Page. This is a great place to set expectations about how you’ll interact with fans through your Facebook Page for business purposes and to offer a compelling reason for them to engage with you online.

When you’re finished, click Save Changes.

Step 7. Create your first post

Before you start inviting people to like the Facebook Page for your business, you’ll want to make sure you share some valuable content. You can create some of your own posts, or share relevant content from thought leaders in your industry.

You could also create a more specific type of post, like an event or product offer—just click through the tabs at the top of the status box to bring up all the options.

Make sure that whatever you post offers value for your visitors when they arrive at your Facebook Page, so they’ll be inclined to stick around.

Step 8: Start engaging

Now you’re ready to give your Facebook Business Page a bit of a nudge. Invite family and friends to like the Page. Use your other channels, like your website and Twitter, to promote it. Add “follow us” logos on your promotional materials and/or email signature. If you’re comfortable with it, you can even ask your customers review you on Facebook, too.