Facebook is a key way that that we can reach our customers today, but our Facebook reach won’t do much if we don’t have an optimized Facebook fan page. There’s many things that have to be considered to run a successful Facebook page. The following eight tactics can help you to optimize your marketing success on Facebook from the first day you set up your page.
- Consider the Fan Page type carefully. The type of Fan Page you choose can have a surprisingly large impact on your reach now that Facebook is constantly improving the algorithm to show people posts that will capture their interest. If you choose a “causes” page versus a “community” page, the types of people (and the locations where they live) will be vastly different. Consider carefully who your ideal customer may be before categorizing yourself, because you want to align yourself best with how your customer sees you–and with what they want. Just remember that it has to reflect accurately on your actual business or you will lose SEO power.
- Choose the right name and vanity URL. Keywords are great to have in your page name and URL, but keyword loading can make you look like spam. It’s important to balance these needs by using a single, relevant keyword. Make sure that your company name is represented, as well as what you do, and keep in mind that your brand is stronger if the URL and name match.
- Fill out your About section completely. The best way to give customers an ideal of who you are and what you do is in your About section. This is an area where you aren’t limited in how you describe yourself, so build up credibility and show your brand personality. Keep in mind too that this is where most SEO practices will be most efficient for indexing purposes, so put your best stuff here.
- Choose the right photos for your brand. Images are the most powerful way to brand yourself on Facebook, so make sure that you choose a representative photo for both your Profile Picture and timeline cover picture. Plus, all images can include as much text as you want now, including ads for upcoming events now that the 20% rule is gone. So long as your photos aren’t “deceptive, misleading or infringe on anyone else’s copyright” it is acceptable. Just remember that an image overly filled with text doesn’t always look good, especially on mobile.
- Use keywords strategically and naturally throughout your profile. Keywords matter, even on social media, so make sure that you are using them throughout your entire profile. Place your targeted keywords in the most important, strategic parts of your page, especially your titles and About section. Just remember not to overdo it. Choose your top five or six keywords and only use them naturally within sentences. Awkward keyword loading hurts more than it helps.
- Include relevant contact information. All contact information should be up-to-date and accurate, so your fans can easily be in touch. Beyond that, though, including an address helps index your brand for local search results and increases your page following. Google pays more attention to pages with contact information, so don’t leave yours out.
- Cultivate the right page audience. Now Facebook allows you to choose your Preferred Page Audience, so make sure to cultivate the right one. This ultimately determines what demographic of your fans will see the majority of your posts, which can have a huge impact on the success of future campaigns. Consider who you have a vested interest in reaching with your Facebook efforts and target your posts there.
- Leverage your CTA. Every Facebook Fan Page can have a call-to-action button on the top of your page. This is the action being pushed by your page, whether it’s a follow or to sign up. Consider how you want to interact with your fans before selecting the CTA.
The 8 steps you just learned are going to be a great start optimizing your Facebook page. Bottom line, if you don’t have an optimized Facebook fan page, you’re not going to build your audience nor will you see consistent conversions. Your Facebook page needs a process, your audience needs to learn what to expect and these strategies will help you get started.
Once you have all of these elements set up correctly on your fan page, you’ll be strategically placed to interact with your ideal customer base in the best way possible. Of course, these tips are only the beginning of an effective Facebook strategy. Once you set up an optimized page, you’ll still have to maintain interest through a strategic digital content strategy, which we would be happy to help you develop at Provaro. Still, starting off strong is the only way to ensure a powerful online presence from Day 1.
