Here is a video with Mari Smith, one of the leading experts on Facebook, talking about how to use hashtags. They are a bit new on FB but it makes sense to start using them now.
Facebook Changes
FB Friend Lists
How to Use Facebook to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog
This article does a really nice job of outlining how to use FB posts to drive traffic to your website. They are talking about blogs specifically but the same principles work to drive traffic to any page of your website. We’ve talked about these steps before but I thought it would be good to hear the “lecture” from someone new! LOL
Please take time to read this! If you understand the overall principles, you and I can do a better job implementing the steps. You can call me with any questions this brings up.
Facebook posts can be very effective. But they don’t work as a shoot and splatter technique! They have to be purposeful.
Social Media Examiner article: How to Use Facebook to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog
How to Connect Instagram to Facebook
At last week’s Friday Free-For-All, I was asked about connecting Instagram to Facebook so you could make a post on Instagram and have it show up on Facebook. Click here to download the steps!
3 Facebook Ad Types That Improve Sales
Depending on your goal(s) for your Facebook ad, here are 3 ad layouts that can help you gain prospects or sales. It’s important to try new things on Facebook and to do some original ideas to grab readers’ attention.
Click here to read the article.
Is Facebook Organic Marketing Dead?
Here is my synopsis of Michael Stelzner’s interview with Mari Smith.
Michael is owner/editor of Social Media Examiner, my favorite social media newsletter.
Mari is a long-time expert on Facebook marketing. She does great training sessions and provides excellent content on her Facebook page.
- Intriguing change to Facebook’s mission: Used to be “to connect the world.” Now it is “giving people the power to build community and bringing the world closer together.”
- Facebook is putting more emphasis on groups including making them more business-friendly and allowing ways to monetize the groups.
- The ability to boost a group post and other features for groups are in the pipeline.
- Facebook is working on end-to-end encryption and short-life content.
- Don’t link to your YouTube videos from Facebook. Since YouTube is a major competitor, Facebook isn’t giving the videos reach.
- Instead upload your videos directly to Facebook.
- Link posts which link to outside content get the lowest reach and lowest engagement per BuzzSumo’s analysis of 777 million posts.
- Average reach of a post is now 1 – 6%. It used to be 5-10%.
- Video posts outperform photo and still image posts by 73%.
- Question posts are popular with Facebook. They take up less space in the newsfeed and generate “community” conversation.
- Video is extremely popular with Facebook because they are trying to become a major player in the digital streaming arena.
- Advertising in video is growing and will be economically feasible for small businesses in a short time.
- BuzzSumo’s study revealed that the optimal length for a Facebook Live video is 3-4 minutes. Facebook will let you go longer if you have engagement from the audience.
My Conclusions:
- Successful organic marketing on Facebook is much harder, more expensive and more risky than previously.
- Paid advertising is required in combination with organic.
- You can’t ignore Facebook but you can limit the effort.
- Be clear about your goals for Facebook marketing.
- Increase your Facebook budget if you want Facebook results. This means more dollars for organic posts and more dollars for paid advertising.
- Consider other social media platforms that are used by your audience and expand those efforts.
Anyone Can Post on Facebook Business Pages
Yesterday at my Womens Success Referral Group, the question came up of why you can’t always post on someone’s business page. The most likely answer is that they have their post set to only allow their posts.
Go to your Business Page
Go to Settings
Click on the General tab
The third option is Visitor Posts. Make sure it says Anyone can publish to the Page. If necessary, click the Edit link on the right and change the setting. Be sure to Save your change.
Then make sure your Notifications are set to let you know when activity happens on your Page.
Should someone make a negative post, you can delete it and block them from your Page.
Facebook Groups
The Impact of Facebook’s Changes from Social Media Examiner
I just received this email from Social Media Examiner. They are one of the experts I follow regularly to stay informed on all things social media. Michael’s article is quite serious and is a wake up call. Yes, it is also a sales opportunity. However, Social Media Examiner has always educated first then made sales so I trust his opinions. Read on… And get prepared to change your game.
Why Facebook’s future should concern all marketers
It’s Mike Stelzner (founder of Social Media Examiner) coming to you with some commentary and direction.
I took detailed notes of Mark Zuckerberg’s opening keynote at the F8 conference. It’s what he DIDN’T say that’s troubling.
Mark didn’t say a thing about Pages. There was no mention of live video, and no mention of the Watch platform.
But there was a lot of talk about private messages, participation in small groups, and creating Stories as the fastest growing opportunities.
Facebook also profiled a new look, it’s biggest change in five years.
“Reduced permanence,” is also a phrase Mark used over the last few weeks. It means disappearing content.
If Facebook is fully focused on groups and content that’s here today and gone tomorrow, this means most marketers will need to rethink their strategies.
Picture a day where content is only discovered within groups and cannot be shared outside of them.
Think of a day where you must make disappearing visual content—every day—to stay in front of your audience.
This is not an unreal possibility. You need a plan.