FACEBOOK Business Tools
Of course Facebook is going to find a way to get money from businesses, since businesses are profiting from Facebook. So there will be a growing need for businesses to "Boost" ads and create "Ads/Offers/Events and Milestones."
It was not the original intention of Facebook, however, the amount of content being produced in Facebook is outnumbering the amount of space that the Newsfeed allows for, making it difficult for businesses to get their posts seen by their own fans. One option for getting your information seen is paying for Facebook Ads. According to Brian Neal, Client Partner at Facebook, 70% of the campaigns reviewed on Facebook are seeing a 3x return on investment. The only good thing about this is that Facebook does not seem to be overly eager to overprice their services. You can invest in as little as $1 a day for your ads. Also, note that Facebook really does have unique access to people and businesses intimate information, so you really can target your audience.
If you decide to invest, make sure you determine what the goals of your ad is. Are you wanting people to visit your website? Wanting them to engage in your posts? Like your page? Register for an event? Take advantage of a discount? Purchase something from you?
Tip: Always include a picture with the ad (use Canva.com). Remember, Facebook will not approve the ad if it is more than 20% text.
Use a page Like ad when you create a new Facebook page and you are trying to increase the awareness of your business.
There are two ways of creating a Facebook Ad.
1). You may create a post and then simply click “boost” my post which will allow your ad to be seen higher in the Newsfeed or
2). You may create a more in-depth post on Facebook.com/ads/create. This tool gives you greater control over choosing your audience, budget and campaign duration.
Next, you decide whether you want you ad placed in the Newsfeed or on the right hand column (this option is only seen on desktop computers not mobile devices). Newsfeed ads allow for bigger images, more visibility.
Right hand side ads work better to test offers targeted to different audiences and to supplement your Newsfeed ads.
Important! You should spend some time really “targeting” who you want your audience to be. Facebook has the ability to forward your ad to people with specific interests, geographic locations, demographics and lifestyle/life-stage. This makes your investment worthwhile. This can be done by doing a Graph Search. This involves typing narrowing information into the Facebook Search box at the top of your Facebook page. For example, you may type in "Pages liked by fans of Full Potential Consulting." Then all of the pages will come up. Note those pages liked and consider liking them from your page. This links those fans to yours automatically. This also gives you hints to the types of interests your patients have. You may then use those interests as categories when you create your own ad.
Facebook has also added a “create an offer/event/milestone option” while you are posting, which is extremely handy and such a great idea. You can literally create a coupon in your Facebook account in the moment. Obviously, there is a price attached, but it is actually quite reasonable and affordable.
What's even more helpful and scary is that Facebook is automatically tracking everything you do and its effectiveness for free and has been all along. Facebook has a tool called Ads Insights, which allows you to stay on top of how your ads are performing. Go to facebook.com/ads/manage.
GENERAL EDUCATION ABOUT DIGITAL ADVERTISING
What is Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising?
You may purchase ads through Google for instance on a PPC basis meaning you only pay when viewers click through to your website from the ad. Consumers are using this type of advertising less though. "People do not trust ads anymore (14%). People trust reviews and social media". -Eric Qualman, Socialnomics.
What is SEO? Really?
Search Engine Optimization is the process of optimizing your Web content so that it ranks high in search engines. This is done by, including within your content, the specific keywords or phrases people are most likely to use when searching for the information. I highly recommend spend some time brainstorming these with your content and marketing person or myself. You may also increase SEO by building quality back links-links from credible sites to your site. I can help you with this, if needed. Google and other search engines change their algorithms to ensure authentic and real and credible content is being used. It’s good to combine SEO and PPC so that when Google does change its algorithms you are still being seen by your PPC. SEO takes longer to be applied whereas a PPC will work immediately.
Google Analytics has an attribution modeling function, which allows you to track and better understand how many points of contact your readers have with your site before they decide to make a purchase. Pretty sophisticated technology!
You or your marketing person must make sure you fill out your Meta description tags and your headlines with your tested to be good keywords. This is done through your CMS (word press, etc..) Let me know if I need to show you how to do this or make your Webmaster prove to you that they have done it by showing you.
ANOTHER STICKY SUBJECT:
HOW TO MANAGE OUR ONLINE REVIEWS
2013 study by Bright Local, says about 8 in 10 people trust online reviews as much as word of mouth recommendations. 95% of respondents said they use internet to find local establishments which is an 85% increase from 2012.’
So, you need to devise a plan for evaluating your reviews (Yelp, Google Places for Business, HealthGrades, TopDentists, etc... Pay attention to when they are reviewing and of course what they are saying. Then, you must develop a clear process for reviewing the feedback and form a clear action plan. Always respond quickly, ask follow-up questions and clarify when necessary. Don’t forget to also incorporate this feedback into your face-to-face interactions.
Most of the time, consumers understand that it’s impossible to please everyone so don’t worry about one or two negative reviews. Do, however, respond quickly and help mitigate any situation that has gone wrong. Acknowledge it, thank the reviewer, apologize for the fault and clearly explain what you are going to do to make the situation better. Try taking the conversation offline if possible, by making a personal phone call. Never respond out of anger.
Be authentic, do not ever hire fake review writers or write phony reviews of your own. Instead give your current customers an incentive and easy and convenient way to leave you positive online reviews, which you have done with your patient rewards program.
7 TIPS FOR BUSY BUSINESS OWNERS ON HOW TO DEVELOP GOOD CONTENT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
1). Write about what you know. What do people always seem to like to hear you talk about? What are you good at? What excites you?
2). Find good sources. Find websites, blogs, books, journals, and other material that contain the best writing and reporting on your topics.
3). Read everyday, within your topics, by the sources that matter. Read the good ones to keep up with the good but also the bad to see why it is bad. What’s missing? What could’ve been done better? This will help you generate your own ideas.
4). Save Things-you must have a system. Have your marketing person hold an editorial meeting to share ideas between you and your colleagues, employees, etc... Make them give you deadlines, make them public deadlines and hold yourself accountable.
5). Write. Don’t censor yourself in the early stages, quote from sources and link back to them, add your take and value, have an angle, share an anecdote that helps illustrate your point, share a personal experience. Be clear and useful, not really funny or outrageous.
6). Get Edited. Tell someone to be ruthless in the name of ensuring what you’ve written is clear and has a point
7). Repeat this whole process.
GOOD READING RESOURCE
YOUtility is a good book about effective marketing written by Jay Baer. The point of his point is to make sure your marketing strategies are USEFUL. He feels people respond better if you are informing them of things rather than promoting yourself directly. Baer advises always including a call to action in every marketing piece you create. Just one. Examples include: please add your comment, share this post, and click on this link to sign up.
"If you sell something, you make a customer today; if you help someone, you make a customer for life." Jay Baer
