There's a better (and cheaper) way to connect with potential clients.If you're a small business owner struggling to make authentic, lasting connections through social media, Facebook is not your friend. True, it's easy enough to set up a Facebook business page. And you can get started with just a few simple posts. But if you want to really make some inroads, you're going to have to pay for advertising. While there's only so much you can do to maximize your page engagment sans ads, you CAN still use Facebook to promote your business expertise through another channel and, this time, it's free. I'm talking about Groups.  Photo by Annie Spratt via Unsplash
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Small businesses need to communicate their holiday hours. Social media makes it quick and easy. So why do so many business owners neglect this?Without fail, I always find myself with a restaurant conundrum every Easter long weekend. I've shown up at places which boost that they never close only to find out that they do in fact shut down. I've turned up to Happy Hours and found the place hopping (not unlike the Easter bunny itself I suppose...) only to learn that their usual menu has been replaced, or that the Happy Hour specials have been cancelled, or that the only available option is a buffet. And I've even stayed away from restaurants, convinced that I won't be able to find breakfast early on the morning of Easter Sunday, only to learn that they were indeed open the whole time. What do all these frustrating scenarios have in common? They all could have been prevented with social media.  Should You Ever Pay For A Facebook Boost?In my previous post, I detailed how only about 10% of your Facebook followers will ever see a given post in their timeline. Naturally, Facebook has a solution to this dilemma – you can PAY to “boost” a post so it appears in a great percentage of timelines. With a big enough budget, you can even boost a given post to all your fans, all of their friends, and even their friends’ friends! But is it ever worth the money to do so? YES - but in rare circumstances. Used judiciously, a small investment in a boost can be tremendously valuable – provided you know what you are doing.  Three Good Reasons to Pay for a Facebook Boost1.) You're sharing critical information
If you are changing locations, issuing a recall, or letting people know that a much buzzed-about product has arrived, it pays to boost to just your followers. This is important information that they need to know and a small investment in a boost (often as low as $5) will pay off in terms of reduced phone calls and emails, a smoother flow of service, and improved customer service. Attracting an Engaged Facebook Following - The Natural Way!Your business has 500 Facebook fans, so that must mean that 500 timelines will see your post about a Christmas sale, a new store location, or a great picture of your new inventory. Right? Wrong! On average, your amazing posts will only appear in about 10% of your fans’ timelines. So why are only 50 of your 500 fans seeing your work at any given time?  Why Is My Facebook Interaction So Low?Only a small portion of your brand’s Facebook page followers or fans will ever see a given post thanks to an anti-spam policy. This morning’s post might appear in only 10% of your fans’ timelines - and most likely a different 10% will see your afternoon post. But there is some overlap. Passionate fans who frequently engage with your site are more likely to see your posts more than someone who has never given you a single like or comment – but how can they like and comment if they never see your posts? So what’s a small business owner to do?
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AuthorVanessa Chiasson is the founder and senior digital strategist of Sculpt Social. Archives
January 2019
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