facebook findings

Facebook is one of the largest social media networks available to businesses today with more than 1.6 billion users around the globe. From it's original creation as Facemash, an online "face book" or photo directory for college students, the company now called Facebook has come a long way allowing anyone over the age of 13 to create a pages. Today, 50% of 18-24 year olds checking Facebook when they wake up and every second five new profiles are added.

As a business using Facebook, there are many resources and helpful tips to keep in mind. Facebook offers a variety of sites to assist with running an account and tips on how to post as references for businesses.  Beyond Facebook itself, many blogs and news sites provide helpful information.  Some of the articles that could be helpful to a business working to make their Facebook business page better are 5 Content Tips For Your Facebook Business Page, 4 Facebook Business Page Tips That Are Total No-Brainers, 10 Advanced Facebook Tips and Tricks, and 6 Small Business Facebook Posts: Critiqued with Tips for You. From these articles some of the best tips and tricks include:

• Use Images but Be Strategic.  It's important to have a great profile picture and banner (kudos if they mesh into each other like Corona's) so the users can recognize your brand.  Posts including photos are twice as engaging as text or links so choose the photo wisely and consider showcasing happy customers.  And remember to make it easy for the consumer to share their photos back by uploading to your page or sharing with a specific hashtag.
• Experiment with the Time of Day.  When starting out post at different times and track the engagement.  While most 18-24 year olds check first thing in the morning, other demographics check might check later in the day or at lunch. Figure out when your businesses target market is on Facebook and post accordingly. 
• Buy Facebook Ads. If your company has the financial resources, Facebook ads provide your business with exposure to more users.  Ads can be targeted to specific groups of people to aid in engagement and retention of new likes. Post Planner suggests to "treat your Facebook ad budget as you would a utility bill -- a necessary cost of doing business!"
• Offer Value.  Like any social media platform, a business needs to offer value to the user. Interesting content that is not too lengthy is a great start.  Try a monthly feature or even a new pinned post each week.  Perhaps showcase a special coupon for your followers to bring with them the next time they visit your business. 

From my use of Facebook, the businesses I follow are typically nonprofits, small businesses, education, or sports related.  I do not follow many large companies like Target or Owens-Illinois.  Instead I want to see what local businesses like Grounds for Thoughts has happening or what news articles Rotary International is posting about this week.  Large businesses for me are often a turn off as they often seem to be pushing their products at the consumer instead of engaging in conversation.  Which is not to say some large companies don't provide a human side. For example, some businesses use Facebook as their customer service page allowing for discussion on things that have gone or need improving.

As someone who runs a Facebook page for an organization, generating intriguing content can be a difficult task.  The time of day, whether the post is text only or includes a photo, if there are hashtags or not, can all affect the visibility and effectiveness of the post.  As a Facebook page administrator, there are many insightful analytics provided to help a company see where to adjust their strategy.  For the Women in Business Leadership page, I am able to see which posts are most engaging by reach or views and adjust accordingly.  Since it is summer and students are not as engaged with the page many of the statistics are a little sad this month, but I am confident come September the page will be showing growth and great engagement!