5 Facebook Tips for Small Businesses

If you’re a small business owner, you already know that social media is a great, cost-effective way to engage customers and build brand awareness. But with so much on your plate, maintaining social media accounts for your business may seem like too much of a burden or just a waste of time.

So if you’ve been wondering how to use Facebook as a business owner, and how to not waste time doing it, today is your lucky day. We’re sharing five specific tips and tricks for using Facebook to build your business. And guess what? None of them take very long.

1. Schedule posts in advance.
   One of the hardest parts to maintaining a strong social media profile is posting regularly. But did you know that business profiles can schedule Facebook posts for certain days and times? Instead of setting reminders to post on certain days, or logging on every day to post something, you can plan ahead and schedule all of your posts for a week, or even a month.To schedule posts: Simply log in to your business page, and create a post like you normally would. Then, click the drop-down arrow next to Publish, and click Schedule. Now you can select the date and time you would like the post to be published. You can schedule as many posts as you’d like, and as far in advance as you’d like.
2. Use Facebook Insights to post at the right times.
   When scheduling your posts, you may ask yourself, “When is the best time for me to post this?” Thanks to Facebook Insights, you can plan your posts around the days and times that most of your followers are online. Additionally, you can view the analytics from past posts to see which ones performed best.To view best posting times with Facebook Insights: From your business page, click Insights on the top of your page. Next, click Posts on the right-hand side of the page. You will see a graph that displays when your followers are on Facebook. For the most engagement, schedule your posts around these times.You’re two tips in! Congrats, but we know this can be overwhelming. If you need any help, have questions, or just want someone to handle it, give us a call!
3. Set up automatic responses.
   If you receive frequent business inquiries via your Facebook page, automatic responses are for you. Thank customers for messaging you or let them know you will respond within 24 hours with an automatic response.To set up automatic responses: From your business page, click Settings on the top right > click Messaging. Under Response Assistant, click the toggle button to change it to Yes. Customize your message.
4. Change your page’s layout.
   Did you know that you can change the layout of your business page to reflect the products or services you offer? Facebook has nine templates to choose from, including a standard template as the default. There are specific page layouts for venues, nonprofits, cafes, and more. Choose the template that best reflects your company.To change your page layout: From your business page, click Settings on the top right > click Edit Page. Under Templates, click Edit.
5. Brand your page.
   Be strategic when choosing a profile picture and cover photo for your company’s Facebook page. Use a quality version of your logo for your profile picture, and a photo or graphic that matches your brand for your cover photo. A great way to see if your Facebook page is consistent with your brand is to go from your website to your Facebook page. Is the transition from one to another seamless, or does it feel like you’re viewing two different companies? The more cohesive your brand is, from your website to your Facebook page, the more positive user’s experiences will be.

Don’t let Facebook overwhelm you. Use these free and helpful hacks to begin building your business’s social media presence. You’ll soon find that social media doesn’t have to be as time-consuming or burdensome as you think! And if you’d like any help creating or implementing a social media strategy, we’d love to work with you. Contact us today!