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FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

 Getting in touch with potential and existing customers is the first benefit of Facebook for businesses. Direct contact in a simple way a second.

But so that you can actually use your Facebook for your company in a meaningful way and in the full range of possibilities, you should know the most important tips and tricks - and that's exactly what we've collected here!

DOES FACEBOOK MAKE SENSE FOR BUSINESSES?

To answer this legitimate question succinctly: It depends. If Facebook marketing is to be worthwhile, you have to approach the matter systematically. Those who make the effort can certainly count on some advantages, regardless of the size of the company.

WHAT IS FACEBOOK MARKETING?

First things first: Facebook marketing doesn't mean that a company should have a company page just because "everyone is on Facebook". Firstly, that's not true (anymore) and secondly, it's a waste of time, because, like any other type of marketing, you need a strategy for the Facebook business page.

Roughly speaking, Facebook marketing is the strategic use of Facebook for companies to present their own brand as a trustworthy, competent contact person and to promote it. For this purpose, it is necessary to invest time in designing and implementing the appropriate strategy.

BENEFITS OF FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS

With the right concept, you can really promote your company on Facebook. This does not mean that the Facebook page automatically translates into higher sales figures, but the business page potentially brings you many other advantages :

• authentic feedback through user comments

• direct communication with customers via messenger or contact form

• close relationship building through simplified communication

• perfect staging of the company

• Target group expansion by placing advertisements

• Connection of Facebook presence and company website

• Possibility to observe the behavior of the competition

• Very precise targeting with Facebook Ads and detailed evaluation thanks to Audience Insights

• no high costs, since the Facebook page is free per se and costs arise primarily from ads and the time required for site maintenance.

Facebook has millions of users in Germany alone. Your company is unlikely to reach that large an audience on Facebook, but it doesn't have to be: increased reach is always worth a lot, no matter the size.

Read More:  SEO and brand building in start-ups

IS FACEBOOK GOOD FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES?

It goes without saying that giant corporations have a Facebook fan page. But what about small businesses? There are two different answers to the question of whether it is worth creating a Facebook page to make SMEs with a local connection known :

• Yes, because the Facebook corporate presence can be used firstly for very specific targeting and secondly for comparatively low advertising costs to gain a local audience as a target group. This is worthwhile, for example, for retail or craft businesses such as a carpenter's workshop or a tailor's shop. Locally limited events and special offers can also be optimally promoted via Facebook, not to mention customer communication.

• No, if it is clear from the outset that the company does not have the sufficient staff capacity to look after the Facebook page.

This second point should not be underestimated. An hour a day should be enough to post content, reply to comments, evaluate statistics, etc. Because the fact that a Facebook page has been created for your company is by no means enough. Staying on the ball is far too important. For example, by reliably posting new content, user support, etc. A Facebook business page does not just run itself.

CREATING THE FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE: HOW TO DO IT RIGHT

Are you highly motivated and have you prepared your Facebook strategy all set? Perfect, then you can already create your Facebook page! If you already have a private profile, you can get started with just a few clicks via Page Creator. If not, here is a quick recap of each step:

1. Sign up on Facebook

A Facebook account is a prerequisite for a company profile. To do this, log in to Facebook and enter your data.

FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

2. Create the Facebook business page

Then you can already start. To do this, select the type of your company (e.g. local, without regional reference or products) and come up with a suitable name.

3. Design the page

Design your page and provide all information relevant to users. Also, use the opportunity to place links and CTAs. The look, logo, and cover photo should match profiles that you may already have on other portals.

You can find a detailed explanation of the individual steps in our guide to the subject of Facebook business pages.

More Article: THE ULTIMATE INSTAGRAM ADS GUIDE

WHAT DOES THE FACEBOOK COMPANY PAGE NEED?

Clicking on "Create page" is the starting shot, the fine-tuning only begins afterward.

The following factors are particularly important for a good Facebook company page:

• the perfect illustration, i.e. well-coordinated profile and cover photos

• a meaningful company presentation in the information area: What does your company do and why is it relevant for your target group?

• Contact options and imprint

• Relevant postings with a call to action, ideally photos or GIFs and crisp formulations instead of novel-like blocks of text

Apart from that, of course, a company on Facebook needs regular activity. The level of interaction on and with the site has a significant impact on reach. The best way to use this fact positively is to track when the best time to post is with Insights. You should also bring life to the site with these measures, for example:

• Share your own content and that of other sites - one hand washes the other!

• Use appropriate Facebook groups.

• Respond to comments and interact with users. Social media monitoring tools can help you with this.

• Run Facebook sweepstakes (see Legal for more information).

• Post a poll

• Post Stories to Facebook.

It's actually quite simple: give added value to your fans and those who might want to become one. However, clicking on the Like button is not the end goal - only when there is a lot of interaction on your company page is the sweet spot reached!

FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

NEW REGISTRATION TIPS: HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE

The fact is: With Facebook pages for companies, there is a lot to consider and optimal support requires a bit of practice. But don't worry, if you pay attention and recognize the site as a serious marketing tool, you'll quickly see what works and where it might still be lacking.

1. Get inspiration from the competition.

This means that you take a close look at what strategies your competitors are using and which ones are working well. Also, pay attention to how they communicate with their target group. You can adopt that, of course without copying anything 1:1! This saves you a lot of time in which you would have to test for yourself what works and what doesn't.

2. Create a Company Page

Many people initially make the mistake of creating a personal profile instead of a company page. The difference? First, you don't want every user to have to send you a contact request to see the profile. Second, the Company Page gives you access to valuable content creation or analytics tools.

3. Be sure to choose the right category in the first steps!

You can choose up to 3 categories for your company. Choose a main category and suitable subcategories that will make it easier for you to be found. The categories can be changed again later if you are not sure.

4. Match your profile to other existing profiles

Do you already have profiles on other portals or do you run a website? Make sure to design all profiles the same to create recognition value. Because your customers should be able to tell who they are at first glance. Use uniform colors, banners, logos, profile pictures, and cover pictures.

5. Take the opportunity and promote your website

As briefly described above, your Facebook page for companies allows you to place a further link in the description or to set a CTA. This feature has been available since December 2014 and is well worth it. This is how you can direct more traffic to your website or generate more attention for your content.

6. Don't make the page public until it's ready.

Of course, a page “under construction” doesn’t make such a good first impression on users. That's why we recommend that you only make the page publicly available once everything is fine-tuned and presentable down to the smallest detail. So to hide the page for now, select "Only admins can see this page" when creating it.

7. Be creative

What initially sounds like general advice that goes without saying makes perfect sense on second thought. Because if you make an extra effort, you can collect more points. For example, link the title and profile picture playfully. This not only shows that you've got what it takes, but also that you make the time for quality. Here is an example of a successful interaction:

FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

8. Use visual content 

Because pictures and videos are still the most popular media and are most likely to be shared. This is shown, among other things, by a recent statistic on Hubspot, according to which visual content is up to 40 times more likely to be shared. Tip: Combined with the “watch video” CTA, it works even better.

These are the top tips for designing your Facebook profile for business. But there are more for the handling and coordination of your profile. Because, as mentioned before, the profile must not fall asleep, but must keep moving. Therefore:

9. Post regularly

With Facebook Analytics, it's easy to figure out the most relevant content for your audience over time. Then it is still important to post them at the right intervals so that everyone interested stays on the ball. Because if you regularly deliver new content, this is a trust bonus for your users and conveys consistency.

Tip: Post in such a way that new impressions are constantly created. Because if you show the same content over and over again for months, a condition arises that is called ad fatigue. When this happens, what worked well before can backfire.

10. Find out the ideal time

Facebook tools also help you figure out when your posts are most likely to be seen and engaged. This point in time is individual for most business areas since of course the target groups that are active at different times also differ.

Tip: You can of course use other free and paid social media tools besides Facebook tools.

11. Use Facebook's marketing tools

Facebook is a big playground for companies, especially when it comes to marketing. For example, try Facebook targeting or lookalike audiences and find out what advantages they can bring you.

With Facebook targeting, for example, you can selectively address specific target groups. The retargeting function, in turn, addresses interested parties who have already taken an action but have not completed it. You can then remind them again or request them (e.g. purchase completion with a filled shopping cart).

Lookalike audiences address users who have similar characteristics to your target group and are therefore also potential prospects for your company. You see: A look at the marketing opportunities on Facebook can be worthwhile for your company.

Do you have stage fright and are afraid of overlooking something? Then it is best to commission us or another social media agency to take the first steps. After all, help from a professional never hurt.

Read Article: TikTok Marketing: WHAT IS TIKTOK Marketing? IS TIKTOK MARKETING WORTH IT?

FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS: PRIVACY AND LEGAL

imprint

To put it bluntly: the imprint is mandatory for Facebook company pages, as these are not operated exclusively for personal or family purposes. Without an imprint, as a site operator, i.e. tile medium, you risk a warning. In addition, the reference to the imprint must be as visible as possible. A maximum of 2 clicks should be enough to get there, be it on the Facebook page itself or the company website.

FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes are a powerful tool for companies to get more attention, collect data and win fans. To do everything right here, you should regularly check the sweepstakes guidelines on Facebook. Since data protection is a sensitive issue, you should not simply use the data collected in the process of the competition for other purposes (e.g. for further advertising), but must receive express consent for this.

Use of Photos and Graphics

You don't always want to produce your own pictures. Especially when you post frequently, you like to access content that comes from others. But what is a public good and what is protected by copyright is then the question.

So make sure that you have the rights of use for all graphic content that you use publicly and that you get all licenses for the commercial use of the visual material. A convenient way to get high-quality images is through platforms like Shutterstock, Adobe, or iStockphoto. Here you just have to stick to the given conditions and then you can let off steam with the image material made available to you.

Attention: If you produce your own image material about employees or if these are visible in the images, your own conditions apply. To be on the safe side here, you should agree with your employees that you may use the image material even after the collaboration or employment relationship has ended.

These are the main legal areas to be aware of. We would still recommend that you seek professional legal advice. Because legal areas such as the imprint obligation and all the conditions associated with it and the GDPR regulations are sometimes not so easy for laypeople to understand - even if Facebook itself has FAQs on data protection for company pages.

Also Read: 9 Proven Tactics to Increase Clicks on Your Google Ads

FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS: COST

How much does Facebook cost for businesses? This question inevitably arises for everyone in the process of building a company. Creating a Facebook profile for companies is of course free of charge. Of course, to carry out professional marketing, you still have to pay expenses.

Since this article is aimed at newcomers, it is listed here according to the minimum budget. This should be used in such a way that one part is available for monthly costs, and the other part for one-off payments, after which no further payments are necessary.

• One-off costs: If you don’t have a logo or cover photo yet, you can have a freelancer (e.g. via Fiverr) create one for you. The cost point here is normally between 20 and 50 € but can be significantly more expensive for a freelance designer. It is also a bit more expensive for a cover photo, which can cost between €80 and €100.

• Monthly costs: These mainly concern the promotion of your contributions. If you are new to this field, then you should spend at least a few euros (e.g. 5 €) per post. If you use analytics to find out over time that 10 posts a month make sense for your company, then the cost point for you is €50 a month.

Be sure to use part of your budget, especially at the beginning, to increase your profile. Since few of your fans actually see or respond to your ads, these should reach generous amounts. So invest in Page Like Ads if you can.

Basically, you can always spend more. Test what works for you and use your budget wisely, but not too tightly. You will quickly find out where the investments are worthwhile and where not.

HOW TO PROMOTE FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE?

The company website is ready, and the editorial plan is ready to go – what now? For better or worse, it will take a while before you have built up a large fan base at the Like level. However, since it is not just about likes, but above all about interaction, the initiative is now required!

That means: Like your page yourself, promoting it via Facebook Ads, sharing it, and inviting other Facebook acquaintances to like the page as well. Attention: Do not invite everyone, but really only those people who you actually think are interested. First of all, the main thing is to build up an authentic first fan base that shows other users that your site can be trusted!

Of course, you usually need a bit of patience despite everything. However, when done right and strategically implementing the Facebook Business Page, Facebook is a marketing option for businesses that can more than pay off!