With the ever growing popularity of Facebook, it’s actually uncommon to find a local business that’s not on it. However, a business just having a business page on Facebook does not guarantee success for that organization. Ultimately, a local business wants to drive consumer behavior. More specifically through the social media, such as Facebook, the organization wants to build a relationship, have a conversation, and influence the buying habits of its current and potential customers.
Facebook suggests a key to influencing the buying habits of consumers is to cultivate “likes.” In fact, Facebook cites on its business resource page, “People who like your Page spend an average of 2 times more as your customers than people who aren’t connect to you on Facebook.” As a local business, it’s important to understand what a “like” on your local business Facebook page means. When individuals “like” your page, your posts may then show up in in that individual’s timeline. It’s important to understand there is a complex algorithm Facebook uses to determine what content shows up in individual’s timelines, but in general the more people who like your local business page and continue to view your content on a regular basis, the more individuals who will have the opportunity to see what you post in their timelines.
However, when you just start your Facebook business page, it can be hard to know how to garner attention and “likes” from the millions congregating on the platform. This is where Facebook ads come in. These ads allow you to target specific demographics with specially developed ads in hopes of driving them to your page. Once on your local business page, great content and perhaps offers may entice them to like your page.
One nice aspect of Facebook ads is you’re able to work with a limited budget. When you set up your ad, you’re able to tell Facebook how much you will spend each day. You’re then charged when your ad is viewed.
Additionally, Facebook also suggests businesses create multiple ads to help determine what resonates with potential customers. Further, Facebook helps a local business optimize its spending when using multiple ads by “automatically allocating more of your daily budget to higher performing ads.” Therefore, ads can be a great test ground to determine what content may also be most attractive and engaging to your Facebook audience.
Finally, any good marketing campaign will provide your local business metrics. Facebook does this through a tool it aptly calls ‘Ad Manager.’ Its ‘Actions Metric’ allows a business to see actions taken, such as “likes,” which are tied to the local business’ ads.
For more information on this topic, read Facebook for Business page on Connecting With People.
Chris Marentis, considered an expert in the field of local business online marketing, is the founder and CEO of Surefire Social.
About the Author
