Attracting new customers is a major concern for small-business owners. The solution could be right in front of them.
While social media is a key way customers find small businesses online, only a few business owners invest in their social media marketing.
A New NerdWallet Study revealed that 42% of Americans use Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for small business support.
However, 33% of small business owners have increased their social media presence over the past 12 month to help them deal with economic challenges. This is despite the fact that most listed retaining and finding customers as their top concern.
The best place to begin is your Facebook business page. This page is a great place to start. It allows you to connect with potential customers and helps you build trust. These best practices will help you optimize your Facebook page for sales and new customers.
Mind the basics
Get to know your business.
Fill out the “About” section. Include information about your company, where you are from and how you got started. This will help potential customers get to know you and your mission.
Your profile and cover photo should not be neglected. However, keep it simple. A great profile picture can be made with your company logo. It will also appear on any comment or post you make. Your cover photo can show your products, storefront or services. It should be connected to your brand and business.
Don’t: Sell, sell, sell
This might seem counterintuitive. This is because you want to increase sales. You can’t do this without selling. You’re trying to build trust and community.
Instead of constantly pitching sales, you can use your Facebook posts as a way to educate and engage potential customers. You can even include sales and promotions.
Do you own a landscaping company? You can share lawn care tips, tutorials, and seasonal reminders. Run an ice cream shop? Post photos of customers enjoying their favorite scoop. Create a product like pottery, furniture, soap, or artwork. Keep track of your progress and share it with others.
Kela Nabours, founder and CEO at Organically Bath & Beauty in San Antonio, Texas, made and sold organic, vegan beauty and bath products. She also gave people a glimpse behind the scenes of her business.
This one post, a video of Nabors making soap has been viewed more than a million times.
“I make product four to six times per week. Nabors says that she just set up a tripod to record herself. Sometimes you get so involved in the process that it becomes a ‘What kinda dance can I do?’ thing. But it doesn’t have span>
Add an action item
Help people find your Facebook page to book appointments, shop or ask questions.
Combine action buttons (a Facebook tool that you can add to your page for business) with links in posts to direct people to your website.
Do you already have an ecommerce business? Add a storefront on your Facebook page.
Nabors said that it was very easy to set up. She noted that Facebook pulls product descriptions, photos, and inventory counts from her GoDaddy ecommerce site. It syncs everything together so that, no matter where a sale takes place, I can keep real-time inventory at our store .”
Don’t forget to reply to customers
While you don’t have to respond to every comment or message immediately, it is important to respond to the majority of them and to do so in a reasonable amount of time.
Comments have more leeway than comments. A response is often a bonus, not a requirement. To ensure they don’t become overwhelming, set aside time to reply to them.
To send direct messages, you can use an autoreply. This will let the recipient know that their message has been received. It also sets expectations about when you will respond. It is best to reply within two business days. Next, you should meet your expectations.
Ty Wilson, cofounder of CustomMade (an online custom jewelry company) based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, says that strong customer engagement shows customers you care. You can also increase engagement by commenting on reviews and attract new followers .”
Do: Be patient
It takes time to build a following. It may take longer to convert followers into customers. But perseverance and patience will pay off.
Nabors states that “for the first four years, no one ever replied to any of my questions on my posts,” Engagement increased as her following grew.
She advises, “Be consistent and focus on what works.” “Talk to your audience .”