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5 Ways to Build a Facebook Following for Your Business

You’ve set up your business on Facebook. Now it’s time to sit back and watch the likes roll in — or not. Building a social media following takes time and effort, but it allows you to better connect with your audience and generate leads. Looking to build your Facebook following? Check out these 5 tips for growing and maintaining your audience!Grow your Facebook following

  1. Leverage Existing Content:

    Creating content doesn’t have to be a full-time job. Do you have a blog? Are you taking pictures of staff around the office or work on job sites? Share these on social media! It will build your image as an expert in your field and make finding unique content easier. Just think carefully about what you share.

 

  1. Engage with Your Audience:

    Social media is, well, social! Don’t be afraid to engage with your audience beyond posting content. Did someone ask a question in the comments? Reply! A client left a review on your Facebook page? Thank them! Don’t leave your audience feeling like they’re talking into the void. Engaging with your audience shows that your business cares about what clients have to say and is accessible.

 

  1. Post Frequently:

    It used to be that if someone liked your Facebook page, your content would always appear in their newsfeed. However, when Facebook updated their algorithm to prioritize content that would be more relevant to individual users, pages saw their viewership drop. Now, only about a third of your content populates on your followers’ newsfeeds. To maximize your reach, posting frequently is essential. We recommend a minimum of 3 times per week, ideally once per day to build your Facebook following.

 

  1. Run a Like Building Campaign:

    While it will take more effort on your part to develop and run a like building campaign, it’s a great way to gain followers quickly. A campaign can take many forms, but is usually a type of contest which encourages users to like your page, the post, and/or comment to enter for a chance to win a prize. The prize should be related to your business, (e.g. 20% off services) and the details of the contest should be clearly stated in the post. It’s important to follow Facebook’s rules regarding contests. Otherwise, your contest may be removed by Facebook.

 

  1. Boost Posts:

    Do you have a stellar piece of content or an offer you want to reach more people? You can pay to boost a post to a targeted audience. The amount you spend depends entirely on how long you want the post to be boosted and how many people you want to reach. This makes it easy to customize your budget and reach a wider audience outside of your existing audience.

Don’t have time to build your business’ Facebook following or not sure where to start? We can help with that. Contact MLT Group at sales@mltgroup.com or (507) 281-3490 and ask about our social media campaign services!

 

 

 

 

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3 Social Media Lessons We Learned From Big Brand Blunders

Social media is no longer optional for businesses. Not only are more consumers on social media than ever, more of your competitors are taking advantage of the business tools social media platforms offer. Social media offers a platform for you to communicate directly to your audience, allowing you to build a relationship with them while promoting your brand.

However, like with most things, there’s a downside. When not used responsibly, social media can be a business’ downfall. Even the biggest brands make mistakes that cost them dearly. But by learning from them and following these 3 tips you can avoid your own social media disaster.

Research Hashtags:

Digiorno, twitter, tweet, twitter fail
Digiorno instantly regretted their poorly researched tweet.

 

Hashtags are a great way to help your content reach a specific audience, outside of your followers. Latching onto a popular hashtag is common practice for businesses. However, when used improperly, a hashtag can be your undoing. Just ask DiGiorno Pizza who faced harsh criticism when they used the #WhyIStayed hashtag to promote their pizza. The hashtag was trending as a way for survivors of domestic violence to express the complexities behind why they stayed in abusive relationships. In using a hashtag that was supposed to promote support and understanding to advertise pizza, DiGiorno appeared insensitive and ignorant. Though they apologized, the entire situation could have been avoided with a little research.

 

 

 

Bing, twitter, tweet, bing fail, twitter fail
Bing was quickly called out for trying to capitalize on tragedy.

Treat Tragedy with Sensitivity:

It sounds like common sense, but time and time again, we see businesses treating tragic events with insensitivity or even trying to capitalize on them. After the 2011 earthquake that devastated Japan, Bing said it would donate $1 to relief efforts for every retweet. It may have seemed like a kind gesture, but using the tragedy to promote their brand wasn’t well received and Bing received harsh criticism. When in doubt, just don’t say anything at all.

Apologize & Admit When You’re Wrong:

Social media is an open stage and there is nowhere to hide. Mistakes happen, but things can quickly become much worse it’s mishandled.

In 2013, this was the case for Lululemon, a yoga attire retailer. In response to a recall for the fabric in Lululemon’s yoga pants being too sheer, founder Chip Wilson suggested that women’s bodies were at fault, rather than the fabric in a televised interview.

There was instant backlash for the body-shaming comments. Wilson attempted to apologize in a Youtube video, but only apologized for the repercussions his comments had on the Lululemon staff. In failing to apologize to Lululemon’s customers or acknowledge why his comments were inappropriate, the apology completely missed the point.

This not only damaged the company, losing approximately $6 billion in market value, but two years later, Wilson resigned from his position. When apologizing, remember to remain sincere, don’t make excuses, and learn from your mistakes as not to repeat them.

All of these mistakes could have been avoided with a little research, tact, and compassion. The internet has allowed for unprecedented levels of communication between businesses and customers. With that great power comes an even greater responsibility. Remember, the internet may forgive, but it never forgets.

If you’re ready to boost your business’ social media presence, contact MLT Group today at sales@mltgroup.com or (507) 281-3490! We offer custom social media strategies and social media management on the platforms your customers use most!

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