Facebook is continuing to grow at a fast rate with currently over 800 million active users and the number of businesses creating a presence on Facebook is also growing at a fast rate.

The fact that many people have experience using Facebook and that it is free to create a business account, lead many businesses to create a Facebook business page and start posting content with no strategy or plan.

This lack of planning or strategy often leads to what we call “Facebook Failure”, where businesses risk harming their business brand and often would be better not participating at all.

The recent 2011 Sensis Australian e-business study backs up this trend showing that

• 18% of small to medium businesses use social media in their business
• While 95% of small to medium businesses are online, only 16% of those reported that they had some form of strategy for their businesses digital activities.

Here at Joyer we encourage and help our customers develop online marketing strategies which include social media components giving them the framework and process to evolve and adapt with their implementation. We also understand that not all businesses want to invest in a professional online strategic plan so below are some top tips on how to make your business Facebook presence a success.

1. Set up a Facebook page

Set up your businesses as a page in Facebook and not as an individual profile. This will give you access to analytics and will comply with Facebook terms of service which will help ensure your account won't be cancelled (yes, it has and does happen). 

2. Post regularly

You don't have to post every day, however a Facebook page that hasn't posted for the last 6 months shows a business failing to engage and can appear that you don't value the medium or the fans following you. Give your Facebook page and followers, the attention they deserve.

3. Don't just sell

Facebook content posts should not just be about selling a business’s product or service. Provide interesting and worthwhile content that provides value to people who follow you. What this content is will depend on your business, target market and your online strategy. It is important to have a strategy and content plan.

4. Have a personality

Don't be afraid to share the businesses personality via your Facebook page. Share photos, events and news that give people an insight into your business and what you stand for. Put the "social" in your Facebook page.

5. Set goals

Set clear goals and outcomes from your Facebook page and have a process that allows you to measure yourself against these goals. By setting clear and measureable goals, this allows you to track if your strategy is working and adapt as required. Also look to tie your Facebook goals in with your wider online marketing goals. Analytics tools like Google Analytics allow you to segment and analyse the effectiveness of different traffic sources and posts. 

6. Have fun

Remember that Facebook and social media are supposed to be fun. If your mindset, energy and the person responsible for managing your business page, has this outlook, it will become evident in the increased amount of people drawn and engaged on your page.

For more information or to find the right social media strategy and implementation for your business, contact Joyer.