IS FACEBOOK THE BEST SOCIAL MEDIA FOR MY BUSINESS?
With the development of technology, social media has become a powerful tool utilised by many businesses to connect with potential customers and increase awareness of products and services. Most platforms allow you to create profiles for free, making this an opportunity that cannot be missed.
Easy access to a variety of social networks - including Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube - means you may find yourself unsure of which platform to employ. This post will focus primarily on Facebook and how it could assist your business.
FACEBOOK PROVIDES ACCESS TO A LARGE AUDIENCE
Exposure to a broader audience is, of course, a factor that is going to maximise a business’s conversion rate. Considering this is, therefore essential when developing your marketing strategy.
While users across many social media platforms have grown significantly in the past year, Facebook continues to boast the largest number of active users (along with YouTube). In January, it was recorded that the platform acquires roughly 15 million active users each month, translating to approximately 60 per cent of Australia’s total population. This makes it a promising platform to target a broad audience.
The ability users have to share and like posts will also promote your content to those not necessarily following - or looking - for your business. When a person interacts with a post, those following their account will see this in their own Facebook news feed. Therefore, if a customer is responding to something you have posted, this exposure isn’t going to be limited to just those following your account. This creates an easy way to drive and maximise awareness.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Creating a Facebook account will also allow you to identify and monitor customers: What kinds of people are following the page? Are they from your target audience, or are the services and products attracting a different group of consumers? Knowing your audience is essential to creating marketing strategies that are refined and appropriate.
Comments and reviews left by customers - mainly where they express frustrations - also create an opportunity to identify areas for improvement. This supplies an easy and free way to develop new insights and plans for the future of your business. Even directly asking through a post on your page which users can respond or comment on is an excellent way of receiving feedback, leading to new ideas that will better the customer experience.
EASY WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH CONSUMERS
While a website is necessary for any business, the probability of customers checking it regularly are minimal, meaning new updates or announcements posted there are likely to go unnoticed.
This is where Facebook can help.
As mentioned above, the media platform obtains millions of active users each month, indicating the many of your consumers are likely to have an account. When a customer follows your page, any posts you upload will appear on their feed. Considering 53 per cent of US residents said they use Facebook “several times a day”, we can safely assume consumers are more likely to notice posts on this platform than on a business website.
MEANS OF VALIDATING THE BUSINESS WITH THE NUMBER OF LIKES AND FOLLOWS
Consider the importance of Google Reviews: when someone searches your business online, it’s one of the first things they see and will help them determine whether or not to proceed to your services and products.
Users on Facebook will use your page in the same way. The quality of the page, coupled with the reviews and ratings left by customers, are significant factors that will determine conversion rates. Additionally, customers have begun using Facebook as a means of finding services, more so than Google Reviews. A survey with 1,800 US consumers discovered 52 per cent saw a new business through Facebook in the past year, ahead of Google Reviews with only 43 per cent.
As a result, refusal to create a page or poor maintenance of it, risks potential customers moving to competitors.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Consumers are turning to social media platforms with increasing frequency - not just for pleasure, but when seeking particular services and products. Businesses are rapidly signing up for free exposure, easy access to thousands of users, and the ability to build a brand reputation online. We can conclude from the above that Facebook can provide ample opportunity for your business.
Want to know more about starting a business page on Facebook? contact us at kylie@popcom.com.au.
