Retargeter

5 No-Brainer Fixes for Your Neglected Facebook Page

Facebook then followed all of that up with research that revealed posts that include an image generate 120% more engagement on average than text-only posts.

Bottom line: No matter what you’re posting, try to include an image of some sort – even if it’s an infographic or a basic bar chart.

3. Talk with – not at – customers

Facebook users don’t take kindly to the hard sell. They’re on the site first and foremost to socialize.

That means you have to be willing to have a conversation with your customers – not just push promotional messages at them.

Your Facebook page can’t be a one-way street. Talk to your customers. Ask them questions. Gather their feedback. Start a debate.

And if you really want to turn customers’ heads, go to their personal Facebook page and comment on their posts.

4. Utilize Facebook ads

Facebook ads excel in one area in particular: attracting new customers to your company.

Buttons on your homepage, blog and product pages are great for drawing an audience to your Facebook page – but they only garner the attention of those who are already looking at or doing business with your company.

What about those who haven’t heard of your company or one of its products? That’s where Facebook ads come in.

There are two main types of Facebook ads that can help drive people to your page:

• Marketplace ads. These ads are fairly straightforward. These are purchased on a cost-per-click basis directly from Facebook and are used primarily to generate Likes (using “Like Ads”) or draw attention to particular Facebook posts (“Sponsored Stories”). These ads use Facebook’s massive treasure trove of data to help marketers target the audience they want. For example, you can target Facebook users based on their location, school they’ve attended or specific interests.
• Exchange ads (FBX). These are retargeting ads that must be purchased through FBX ad providers. FBX ads differ from Marketplace ads in that they use Facebook users’ online behavior, which is tracked using cookies, to construct individualized ads. For example, say a person has been searching for cheap airline tickets online but has yet to purchase any. Cookie data will reveal to an FBX ad provider that the person is interested in airline info. The ad provider will then generate an ad for Southwest Airlines (or another airline) that will appear in the user’s news feed the next time he or she is on Facebook.

5. Make the experience worthwhile

Sure, a customer may pop over to your Facebook page because you ran an ad that addressed a need or desire, or because a friend shared a link to your page.

But to get more than just a one-time page visit, you need to offer something worthwhile on your site – an incentive of sorts.

The incentive doesn’t need to be a discount or free swag. It could be sneak peeks at new products, insider info, fast responses to questions or fun contests.

A good place to start: Take a look at your Facebook posts that have generated the most Likes, Shares or Comments to date. They’ll give you clues as to what grabs customers’ attention – and may get them to return to your page.

Christian Schappel is the managing editor of Customer Experience Insight, which is published by Progressive Business Publications to help organizations optimize the customer experience. The more than 155,000 marketing, sales, customer service and C-level executive subscribers depend on the site’s weekly dose insights to drive revenue and improve customer loyalty. Connect with PBP on LinkedIn.