Facebook has the largest monthly user base of any social media platform in the world. The social media giant has 2 billion active users every month. That’s a substantial number of users that local businesses can promote to monthly.
But, of course, this figure includes users around the world – not just in the business’s local area.
Demographic-wise, Facebook has 83% of women and 75% of men on the platform, with 88% of people age 18 to 29 on Facebook. This figure falls to 62% when considering users 65+, but it’s still a substantial percentage of each demographic.
Increasing followers on Facebook is possible, and you’ll need to:
1. Provide Real, Information-rich Content
A lot of business owners don’t want to put out real information. These owners will spam Facebook pages with coupons or specials they’re offering, but they won’t put out any information that’s truly worth reading.
Don’t be afraid to give away real advice. Plumbers that do annual inspections, such as Miranda Home Services, offer free advice to customers. This advice may be a simple checklist of what the company offers during an annual inspection, but it’s still very valuable to their customer base.
This is the type of content that will be shared on social media.
If you’re having trouble coming up with information to share, you can:
- Use common questions you answer when talking to clients.
- Poll your current followers to find out what information they prefer.
- See what competitors are doing, and implement their strategies.
Fitness companies and coaches seem to have mastered the art of social media, and if you’re looking for inspiration, just type in an industry leader in fitness’s name to see the type of high-quality content their sharing.
Real information will be liked and shared more often.
2. Invite the Community That Already Exists
A community of potential followers already exists, and this is the community that a lot of businesses overlook. You can invite your current social media followers from other platforms to come and follow your brand on Facebook.
And if you don’t have a social media following yet, simply:
- Hand out business cards to customers and clients asking them to follow you.
- Dispatch emails asking your audience to follow your Facebook or other account.
You already have a community to ask to follow you even if that community only consists of friends and family.
3. Pay for Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads are going to drive a lot of targeted traffic to your page. These ads, which are still rather cheap, are very effective because they can be refined to your target audience with precision. But, you will need to pay to have these ads displayed.
The good news is that ads are:
- Reaching the right audience
- Putting your content in front of the masses
- Helping you build up a community
What you do after you secure all of these ads is very important. You’ll want to engage with your new followers, answer their questions, comment on their questions and start a real conversation. Mixing in the right type of posts and content will turn these followers into your own referral and marketing team.
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