5 Facebook Tips for Small Businesses

As 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.

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 will take you very long.

Our 5 Facebook Tips for Small Business Owners

Tip #1: 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 the user experience will be.

Tip #2: Schedule posts in advance.

One of the hardest parts of 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.

Scheduling posts is a great way to strategically plan and align your profile with your business goals. Set aside some time to thoughtfully plan your next month or two of posts. This can help you save time in your daily life. While you’re focusing on other aspects of your business, you can rest assured that you’re maintaining a consistent presence on Facebook.

To schedule posts, use the Planner feature in Meta Business Suite. Once you set up a Meta account, you’ll be ready to go! Meta allows you to see the days and times when your followers are most active, post on both Facebook and Instagram, and schedule all your posts in one place.

Tip #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 and let them know you will respond within 24 hours with an automatic response. Automated responses are also a chance to increase engagement. Consider including a “call-to-action” in the message that directs the user to your website.

Setting up automatic responses may take a little bit of thought and time. However, it will help you respond consistently while reducing your workload. But remember: it’s important to personally follow up on business inquiries and questions as well.

To set up automatic responses, head back to Meta Business Suite. Go to your Inbox, click on the Automations button, and hit the blue Create automation button. You can set up Instant replies, Away messages, and more to help you manage your direct messages.

Hint: Your Automations button may look like this.

Tip #4: Keep your business information up-to-date.

Many people use social media as a research tool. That’s why it’s so important to maintain updated profiles. Here is a list of items to maintain on your Facebook business page:

• Bio (Intro)
• Street address
• Phone number
• Email address
• Website
• Operating hours

If any of these things change, be sure to update it on your Facebook. You don’t want to miss out on potential leads because of outdated information.

Tip #5: Invite people from your personal network to follow your business page.

We have a feeling this will be your least favorite tip in this list. Most people don’t like self-promotion, and we get it. But getting the word out is important for the growth of your small business!

Once you’ve set up a branded and updated Facebook profile, invite any friends who might be interested in your services to like the page. Who knows? You could end up with a large following and more potential clients.

Build Your Presence with These Facebook Tips

Don’t let Facebook overwhelm you. Use these free and helpful hacks to begin building your company’s social media presence. You’ll soon find that social media doesn’t have to be as time-consuming or burdensome as you think.

If you need help creating or implementing a social media strategy, we’d love to work with you. Contact us today!