There’s already thousands of articles on the internet explaining how to use Facebook for marketing purposes, but I really feel most of them do a terrible job explaining how to actually market on sites like Facebook.  They leave vague comments like “Engage your audience” or “Start communicating with users” but no one is bold enough to actually explain how to do these things.

Using Facebook For Marketing

Ask Questions: If you have a Facebook page and you have people who like your page, then why not interact with them? So many times I see businesses just post junk on their Facebook page and never interact with their audience.  How is that social media? It isn’t.  That’s basically “Spam our Facebook page so it looks like we care”.  It’s important to post questions and interact with your Facebook members to get them to develop trust in your company.
Likes Are Important: It’s rumored that one of Google’s new ranking factors are Facebook likes.  Getting likes on your page can help you with your search engine rankings, but more importantly it can help you market your business online.  Get people to like your page–but don’t be annoying or spammy about it.  I have a friend on Facebook who constantly posts on their status “Like my page if you don’t already!!”.  Think of it this way– would you go out to your group of friends at a public gathering and have a sign on your chest that says “Give me money and like my company!”? No you wouldn’t, so don’t do that on social media.  Instead, go around and like pages of your friends, family, and companies you do business with and you’ll be amazed at how many of them like you back.
Actually Be Helpful: Some Facebook pages have no information at all.  Actually post useful, helpful information on your Facebook page and you’ll be amazed at how far it can get you.  Posting content is critical to engaging your audience and giving them a reason to come pack to the page.  On that note, make sure you do regular updates.  Some companies update their page every 3 months and they lose their following in between posts.  Most companies post 1-2 updates per week, with some posting as much as 1 update per day.
Don’t Sell On Social Media: We used to try to sell on social media.  It got us no where.  People aren’t on social media sites to spend money, so if you want to sell to them don’t try to do it directly.  Drop subtle hints or pieces of information about your product/service but never seem like a sales person on social media–it will get you absolutely no where.
These are really simple tips, but it’s amazing how many people don’t follow them.  I’m confident that by following these simple tips you will not only improve your social media presence, but it will also help improve your company’s bottom line.