Six Steps To Promoting Your Business On Facebook

As a business coach I am seeing more and more opportunities for small businesses to make use of Facebook.

However, not investing the right kind of time into your efforts can work against you. Take a few minutes to check and then adjust your strategies for effective Facebook promotion.

No matter what you may have heard, simply having a Facebook page and posting a few times a week will not produce the results you are hoping for.

The advantages of a productive Facebook page are these – you engage your customers and prospects, share your success stories and deliver a new level of customer service. These advantages are compelling and are easy to put into practice.

Here are a few simple straightforward techniques for creating a successful page.

First and foremost, know that your profile and your page are different!

A profile (otherwise known as a personal timeline) is for your personal use, for posting pictures of friends, families and fun.

A page is designed specifically for a business. As a business coach I stress, it needs to reflect your business, not the personal views of the owner.  That is to say, your business page needs to reflect its own personality.  The personality of your brand.

Now that’s an important differentiation!

Your page should include your logo as the profile picture as well as a brief, engaging summary of your business and what it does.

Got that sorted?

Here are some more helpful tips:

• Know why you are creating a Facebook page. Don’t create a page simply because everyone is doing it. Make an informed decision with a clear strategy to develop your business via Facebook.


• Identify your ideal audience and define your ‘voice’. Who are you hoping to reach? Each message/post/share should be crafted with your selected audience in mind. Defining your ‘voice’ is important in determining how you speak to the audience. This is your online personality – You’ll want a fresh, innovative voice that is real and honest and will engage your audience.


• Determine your ‘content pillars’. These pillars are intended to create focus, help you post with intention and specifics, and create posts that make your audience want to participate with you. Start with three to give yourself direction.


• Share, post and engage. Posting alone will not drive new users to your page. Sharing is the Facebook version of networking. Each share is a potential new market niche, so be selective with what you share. If your see your posts are not garnering comments or shares, make changes.


• Utilise the strategies offered by Facebook. They have crafted methods that work well for page promotion, such as Facebook Offers, for coupon creation or Post Promote, which allows you to boost your post visibility.


• Leverage the connections offered. Facebook is online word-of-mouth. Take advantage of the connections and encourage fans to check in and post reviews. Create special events, promotions and discounts only available through the Facebook channel to create unique connections.

Remember - Tie your marketing channels together by asking customers in store or online to “Like” you on Facebook. But, even more importantly, give them a reason to do that.

Mike Reddy is a Chartered Accountant, business coach and advisor helping businesses in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Gold Coast to easily increase their profits and cash flow. He is currently President of the North Sydney Chamber of Commerce, a Regional Councillor for Sydney North East and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Sydney leadership team. As well as advising businesses, Mike presents business development seminars and webinars and is regularly contacted by the media to comment on small business matters. You can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.