Introduction:

Facebook has over 1.6 billion users – you’re probably one of them – if it was a country that makes it the third largest in the world, behind China and India.

Billions log-in every day to post updates, catch-up with friends and chat – and where there are people, there are businesses trying to engage with them.

There are currently over 50 million Facebook business pages, actively trying to catch the eye of their audience every day with offers and sales.

But if users are flooded with too many business posts selling them stuff, they may stop using the platform in favour of an alternative, which means Facebook loses its most valuable asset – the eyeballs and attention of millions of people.

So how do you get the balance right?

Today we’re going to cover what types of content break through the clutter, how to set-up your Facebook page, how to use Facebook’s Insights data and take a look at what the future holds.

How do you know if your Facebook business page is doing well? Why are you using Facebook at all? What are you aiming for?

Content – what’s working

• Organic reach for pages just 5%?

As low as 1%.

Look at your feed – what’s showing up?

• What’s not working?

But there is a way to optimise your content without having to pay to reach your audience.

• What’s working right now?
  • Topical

  

  • Emotive
  • Cause
    
  • Live video
  •  Humour
  • Behind the scenes

Jot down an idea for each of these areas for your own Facebook page

Page set-up – setting the right foundations

• About tab

Complete all fields, ensure you have a Facebook web address, complete your short description and check contact details.

Yours may look slightly different if you’ve chosen  ‘Local business’ in Category.

See this example as a complete page: Integrity business page

• Using the timeline – pin a post
  

What sort of posts might you ‘pin’?

Pin a post to the top of your timeline.

• Milestones

What sort of content might be a milestone?

Create a milestone for your business page.

• Page settings

Messaging:

Cover & profile image best practice

• Examples
  • Campaign-based

  

  • Special offer
  • Views

  

  • Event

  

  • Product-based

  

Always add description and link when uploading your Facebook cover photo – so if someone clicks on it there is an option to find out more.

Look at your Facebook cover photo – how could you improve it?

• Tools to create professional images (Canva)

Correct cover photo dimensions and access to stock images:

Pages vs profiles vs groups

Research to find relevant groups

• Search for your topic and request to join.

Facebook groups best practice:

• Read the rules of the group
• Help members out
• Post consistently
• Comment on other people’s posts
• Be supportive and positive

Facebook Insights

The analytics tool within Facebook offers loads of valuable data on your audience and your Facebook page.

• How to get the data you need
  • Insight > Export > Post data > Adjust date range > OK
  • Look in ‘Key metrics’ worksheet, Lifetime Post Total Reach (column I) to identify most successful posts
  • Look in ‘Lifetime Talking About This’ to identify posts that resonated most with audience – scroll to columns J, K and L to see which posts generated the most likes, comments and shares

• Key trends to identify within Facebook Insights

• Taking action from the numbers
  • Do more of what’s working
  • Post when your audience is online
  • Experiment with format and timing

The future?

• Instant articles

If you’d like to set-up Instant Articles for your Facebook page, Buffer have created a step by step guide that you can follow here: Buffer’s guide to setting up Instant Articles on Facebook.

• Bots