Facebook marketing: 5 things to do differently in 2016

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Many thought Facebook (FB) was a flash in the pan for business marketing, but here we are in 2016 and FB remains a user favorite today, even challenging news outlets for viewers. What’s its value to your organization? Most businesses take a dart-throwing approach to social media platforms, but with a little discipline you can maximize your return on time as well as investment, reducing wasted hours spent seducing the wrong audience. A true ROI requires establishing a focused, five-part process to convert a Facebook visitor into a viable client.

First, establish a link with a potential client with no strings attached — a free newsletter or newsfeed opt-in opportunity. Then ask for a FB “Like”. The “like” count isn’t a goal – the real prize is every person who becomes engaged in your site to the extent of cycling through your sales process. Too many marketers judge FB success by “like” numbers, instead of sales numbers. (3) Then move on to a magnet offer geared toward your ideal customer, followed by (4) a sales opportunity. Finally, (5) track your standard FB ad performance by tracking conversions. Here’s how it all comes together:

Make your magnet offer a value proposition keyed to your ideal customer
What does this customer care about? What do they use your product or service to accomplish? Offer content that meets that need and establishes your organization as an “expert” and “partner” with them. For example, link to a downloadable report or to a blog or video embedded on your website that offers relevant content. Run daily polls on questions with relevance to your audience and post the results the next day, etc.

If you sell top-line bikes, you likely want to offer a free brochure about your bikes. That’s great for your photo posting section, but an immediate value proposition might be a free report on the “Five biking exercises to improve endurance and speed” which shows people doing the exercises on or around images of your bikes. Pair that image, then, with what they want to accomplish with your product. Are they marathon bikers? Extreme sports enthusiasts? Do you sell touring bikes? Think about that when you position your graphics – what event would be taking place in the background? That’s your cover image.

If you do knee surgery, the image is of someone able to do something physically challenging again. Think of the benefit and then pair the product (you doing a knee consult with a patient) to it and offer a free report on “The five life-changing benefits of knee surgery” etc. Explore Slideshare, which converts your Powerpoint presentations into a web slideshow; you can then link it to FB.

Follow-up with a targeted sales offer
If your target customer has responded to a report on speed racing, offer them, via email, a $50-off coupon on your most profitable racing bike. If they have responded to a different type of bike, tailor your response and offer to their needs and your profit margins.

Don’t “boost post”
Sending your post wherever FB analytics compute it might succeed, because you can never measure the true response or conversion rates that way. FB is removing its conversion tracking pixel mid-2016 and instead is steering clients to the FB pixel, which combines the power of the conversion pixel and the Custom Audience pixel. This will allow you to retarget audiences, find lookalike audiences, and maximize and track and customize conversions. It’s more effective than boosting.

Launch a new FB campaign or site
Email existing prospects and customers about the new FB site and “seed” your pages with likes from friends to trigger more responses. Offer an emailed inducement to “like” your page, like a free report. On your website, post a blog that helps drive traffic to your FB site.

Whatever you try, do it with purpose and with the final objective of increasing sales.

About Jody Glynn Patrick

Jody is President of Glynn Patrick & Associates, which provides management consulting, executive coaching and strategic planning services. She is Publisher Emeritus of In Business magazine, which she published for 17 years. Selected as the “U.S. Business Journalist of the Year” in 2007 in Washington, DC, by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Jody has been a business reporter, editor, radio talk show host , and has won other state and national journalism awards. At the same time, she has helped corporate clients grow their businesses -- the basis for her practical coaching advice here. She also was the 2005 Athena Award recipient for her leadership role in mentoring other professional women. Jody will be talking with you weekly on TDS’ blog to share her insights and tips from the C-Suite perspective. Follow on G+.

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