Facebook is no longer just a place to catch up with your childhood friends or look at baby pictures. A recent report shows almost 85 percent of national brands have a profile. The social media network has transformed itself into a powerful marketing tool. It provides tools to interact with and inform both current and prospective customers. But which tools are going to actually impact sales? This article will attempt to answer that question, covering eight Facebook features to increase your company’s sales.
1. Post an Offer
A great way to spread the word about a sale or special deal is to use the Facebook Offer feature. It functions like a Facebook advertisement, but focuses on a specific deal for your customers, featuring pictures, information, and a direct link to a page about the offer.
2. Make an Event
Facebook Events are a great way to drum up excitement for your company’s promotional event. People can RSVP and see new updates and information about the event as it approaches, and you can get a general idea of people who are interested or who are coming. You can give consistent reminders from the event page to help keep the date on the forefront of the customer’s mind.
3. Promote Your Website
Let’s face it—there’s only so much information you can cram into the average Facebook post. Ultimately, you want a prospect to get to your website and see the content. To this end, Facebook has a promote website tool that allows you to pay-per-click to increase traffic.
4. Encourage Feedback
67 percent of customers say online reviews affect their purchasing decision. This is why the Facebook review feature is so important. Customers can leave a star rating as well as a comment about their experience for anyone to see. Similar to the Amazon review system, these reviews can be sorted by most helpful, most recent, etc. When a customer has a positive experience, remind them to leave feedback on Facebook.
5. Choose a Call to Action Button
With a Facebook business profile, you have the option to add a button with a specific call to action. This feature allows you to choose a certain action that will appear directly below your cover photo and before the page content. This is a great way for customers to quickly contact you, book your services, or visit your website or landing page.
6. Boost Posts
While all of these features can be used in both B2C and B2B settings, boosting posts can be especially useful in B2B, considering the fact that more than 90 percent of B2B companies have turned to content marketing. Boosting a link to a blog or other interesting information to your consumer base can help increase views. You can choose whether you want to focus on people who have already liked your page or if you’d like to reach out to a specified audience based on demographic factors, such as age or location.
7. Update Services Page
Even if your prospect doesn’t jump from your Facebook page to your website, chances are they will at least peak around some of your page’s tabs. This is where a services tab can come in handy. By creating and populating this tab with specific information about your company, a prospect can learn more about what you offer in an easy to understand format, and might be motivated to learn more.
8. App Installs
Another tactic to consider is one that specifically focuses on installs of your brand application. This will make sense for some companies more than others, especially those with a target demographic that is frequently using their smart phone to shop.
With all of these features, it is important to remember that Facebook marketing is a long-term investment. Don’t be frustrated if you don’t see an increase in sales right away. Try out different things, and find out what works for your company. You might be surprised at how Facebook transforms your marketing process.
