No matter what type of business you have, your customers are using Facebook. The world’s biggest social network boost sales to an average of 1.04 billion daily active users from around the globe, according to the network’s December 2015 statistics, and Pew Internet reports as of September 2014, 71 percent of American adults had Facebook profiles.

Your competitors are reaching them, too. Facebook announced in April 2015 there were more than 40 million active small business pages on the network. Converting customers on Facebook goes beyond quickly putting up a page and hoping brand recognition is enough to boost sales. Here’s how to successfully utilize Facebook marketing to increase your business sales.

Optimize Your Page

As you set up your business page, strategize the design as thoughtfully as you would any page on your own website. Take advantage of all Facebook’s features to make it obvious to visitors what your brand offers and why you’re valuable.

Take a look at LifeLock’s Facebook page, which has received the coveted blue checkmark next to its name indicating it’s a Facebook-verified page. It includes its branded tagline that features a compelling call to action in its About section, where it links to its fully functioning home page. Videos are prominently featured to help users to learn more about the brand, the top cover image is optimized based on Facebook design specifications, and the page’s profile picture is simple and branded.

Use every element on the page as an opportunity to feature your brand in the best light, entice visitors to learn more, and include calls to action that lead to sales.

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Get to Know Your Customers

Facebook is one of the most powerful tools in getting to personally know your customers. Besides interacting with Facebook fans through posts, by responding to questions and asking opinions to learn what their pain points are and what they love about your brand, Facebook also offers built-in analytics for pages that show key demographics that can be used to drive strategy. The free social network allows brands to check in with followers before product launches to see what potential offerings they’re most likely to use, which saves your business money on testing and polling costs.

Facebook also provides significant opportunities in providing exemplary customer support. More than two-thirds of customers have used a business social network site for servicing, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Social Media Benchmark Study, making it imperative that your Facebook community manager promptly responds to customer care queries and puts customers in touch with the right parties. By wowing your following with immediate service to let them know their problems have been heard and are being worked on, Facebook provides a way to increase positive sentiment for your brand and alleviate frustration, which may increase sales.

Promote Your Products in a Useful Way

Your business Facebook page should not simply be used to spam followers with marketing messages about your products. When deciding what to post, ask, “What kind of message would be most useful to my followers?” Sure, special offers and discounts on the products they love are useful, but think beyond product promotion to share helpful content marketing posts, which may also have a product tie-in that channels consumers into the sales funnel.

For example, say you’re a gluten-free flour brand. Instead of just posting your new product, post a recipe infographic that shows a mouthwatering photo of delectable low-calorie cookies that just happen to have been made with flour by your brand. If you’re a cloud storage company, don’t just promote your latest gigabyte package. Share a well-researched whitepaper about security issues in the workforce that is so engaging and information-packed, it compels fans to invest in your product.

Treat your business Facebook page following as you would your own personal network of friends. Genuinely interact, make them a priority, and share practical information presented next to an optimally branded layout to boost your marketing efforts.

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5 Tips for Successful Business Networking
Is There Still Gold in Cold Calling?

This article is published by Will Sherwood | The Sherwood Group |Website Design | Graphic Design | Marketing Communications: The Sherwood Group has over 30 years of experience working with all sorts of companies, small and large. Our clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 firms, in nearly every business sector, from across the street to around the world (and yes, even Europe, China, and South America). Our goal is to create advertising,  graphic design, website design, and marketing communication that still looks fresh and relevant 10-15 years later. Our mission is to stir your imagination and leave your competition shaken and wondering,  Now what do we do?”  We are located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

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