The Best Ways to Advertise Online With Social Media: Facebook

Welcome to the wonderful world of online advertising.

Since the rise of social networking sites, people have come to learn that using them to advertise has helped their business’ growth expand exponentially. There are so many different social networks in this day and age… but is any one better than the other? Do you need to use them all? And which one is best to advertise your business with?

Yes, you need to use all of them. With different social channels come different audiences, styles, and features. Today will go over advertising using Facebook.

Facebook was originally launched in 2004 and has since evolved into one of the most popular websites worldwide, with a staggering 1.86 billion (yes, with a B) monthly active users.* Facebook marketing has completely transformed how businesses advertise and connect with the online community. As of 2016, more than 60 million Facebook Business Pages have been created.*

Here are some of the best ways to use Facebook to advertise your business:

Create a Facebook Business Page

All you need to create a Facebook Business Page is your business’s name, information, and two photos (one for the Profile Picture and one for the Cover Photo). Click here to start setting up your Facebook Business Page from scratch.

Once your page is set up, you’ll establish an audience. Check out the “Build Audience” tools found in your Page’s Admin Menu. You’ll find options to invite both your Facebook friends and email contacts to follow your Page.

Join Facebook Groups

Another great way to build your audience is to join a few Facebook Groups. Facebook Groups are a great way to network with other businesses and build your name in your community.

For an easy start, Facebook offers a “Suggested Groups” feature that you can find on your top navigation bar when you view Groups from your Page. You can request to join any group by clicking the “Join” button on the Group’s Page.

Post Regularly

Now that you’ve got your page set up and have created a follow-base, you’ll need to start regularly adding content to your page to keep your followers interested and to encourage them to shop with your business.

Keep your posts short and visual - linking to an element like a photo or video, article, or a different page. You can post anything from events to special offers to articles you find interesting or that your audience would find interesting. There is no need to post every day, but a good average is 3-5 times per week.

Although you should be checking your Page daily for messages, comments, or other interactions from your audience, you can schedule your posts ahead of time so you don’t have to worry about posting at specific times.

Every Tuesday during the entire month of June, BBB will be releasing a different blog post for each of the four most popular social media platforms of today with instructions on how to use each site to it’s full potential for your business’s benefit.

Keep a lookout for our feature on the best ways to advertise using YouTube next Tuesday.

For more information you can trust, visit us at bbb.org/boston, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

*information and statistics provided by facebook.com/business