How to run a suc­cess­ful company Facebook page

It is without question that a business Facebook page is essential in today’s world. Given the size and im­por­tance of the platform, this social media market leader can’t be over­looked when planning marketing strate­gies. Re­gard­less of the industry or target market, a company Facebook page rep­re­sents a business and allows direct com­mu­ni­ca­tion with existing and potential clients. To ensure that expenses are reflected by success, it is crucial to plan the Facebook page metic­u­lous­ly, invest suf­fi­cient time into design and main­te­nance, and learn how to reach potential customers (followers).

Be aware that a Facebook profile reflects a business’ phi­los­o­phy. A company Facebook page which gives users a mis­lead­ing image can stand in the way of success, and even lead to a loss of customers in the long run.

Au­then­tic­i­ty plays an important role in the planning, es­tab­lish­ment, and general upkeep of a business Facebook page. It is also vital to display factually accurate in­for­ma­tion on the page and to provide in­ter­est­ing, unique content. In order to achieve this, check out the following tips:

• Use timeline and profile pictures that underline your corporate design – the outward ap­pear­ance of your company
• Offer visitors all important in­for­ma­tion about your business to make yourself more trust­wor­thy to customers
• Take the op­por­tu­ni­ty to customize your Facebook URL (available after 25 likes), to make your business easier to find
• Mark the page as the official Facebook page for your company
• Share content in different formats, such as photos, videos, articles, etc.
• Offer variety in your posts and relate every­thing back to your firm

The way you handle customers is just as critical as the form and content presented on your company Facebook page. Social networks like Facebook are so at­trac­tive for busi­ness­es because they fa­cil­i­tate un­com­pli­cat­ed com­mu­ni­ca­tion with existing and potential customers. Social media is very practical in this regard: customers can leave feedback about specific posts, but also more general feedback about your brand, your products, or your customer service. Moreover, a business Facebook page can act as a primary support point. It’s good to make sure you use the same tone and level of formality across all platforms when in­ter­act­ing with customers and always respond politely and factually to user comments, even negative ones. A regular and generally positive exchange between company and customers on Facebook is a sure-fire way to improve customer happiness and trust.

A business Facebook page is not a free ad­ver­tis­ing wall for dis­play­ing ex­clu­sive­ly new products. If this is your aim, you can purchase Facebook ad­ver­tis­ing space that appears sep­a­rate­ly to your profile.

Instead, post in­for­ma­tion which offers customers added value. In this regard, a high number of posts is actually less relevant than many people assume: in fact, users tend to react un­fa­vor­ably to too many posts. By analyzing which posts have the highest reach using the built-in Insights and Pub­lish­ing Tools section, companies can start to find their exact target market, and optimize types and timings of posts. When writing your posts, remember that you are writing for your customers, not yourself. For this reason, you should consider the com­pre­hen­si­bil­i­ty of your texts and choose an optimal time to publish, based on the time zone that your target audience lives in. Include oc­ca­sion­al posts ex­plain­ing any de­vel­op­ments in your company, and take the op­por­tu­ni­ty to wish your fans happy holidays. Featuring exclusive com­pe­ti­tions, discount offers, and surveys give a business Facebook page ad­di­tion­al appeal and relevance, so long as these are not overdone.

The following things should be avoided:

• Spelling errors and gram­mat­i­cal mistakes
• Automated text
• Lengthy, wordy posts
• Untested link at­tach­ments
• Multiple links per post
• Use of copy­right­ed images

Creating a business Facebook page isn’t child’s play. However, it is an effective marketing tool – either in­de­pen­dent­ly or with the help of an agency. There is an enormous number of potential customers on Facebook and the market leader in social media fa­cil­i­tates direct com­mu­ni­ca­tion between companies and these potential customers. However, patience is required to build up a suc­cess­ful Facebook page. It is important to pay less attention to the number of likes on the page, as this tends to grow very slowly, and focus instead on high-quality posts that increase reach across the network. By following these guide­lines, a company Facebook page can be very suc­cess­ful.