Although it used to be a platform to connect with friends, Facebook is now used globally for businesses to promote their content and grow their following. The platform boasts 1.56 billion daily active users on average, and this number continues to increase as time goes on. If you use the platform to grow and cater to your audience, there’s no doubt it can easily be found and marketed to.

Many businesses try to promote their brands through Facebook but fail because they don’t have a set marketing strategy in place, nor do they take advantage of special features Facebook offers to grow their business. When you know what features to invest in, you’re more likely to see a spike in conversions as well as a growing audience because you’re catering to it in a new, exciting way.

Let’s look at three unique ways you can use Facebook to promote your business this year:

1. Run a Facebook Live campaign

It’s no secret that video has power. When you incorporate video marketing into any strategy, there’s a good chance you’ll see improved conversions because video is captivating, exciting and visually pleasing. What’s more, live streaming is now a popular method marketers use to cater to their audience and improve engagement. 

Use this to your advantage by running a Facebook Live campaign to promote your business. First, let your audience know ahead of time when you will be broadcasting so they make sure they’re available. The more you promote your live campaign, the better the chances you have of entertaining a larger audience. One way to do this is to write strong, persuasive copy in your video caption so people feel excited to join your live stream. 

For example, The Hershey Company used Facebook Live to introduce their newest cookie crunch bars and encourage customers to buy. In just under a month, the campaign proved a success, reaching 65 million people and lifting 11 points in brand awareness.

Additionally, ask users to subscribe to your Facebook Live notifications so that when you do finally go live, they get a notification sent directly to their phone. Take advantage of the eyes and ears you have on your brand by engaging with your audience when you go live. Respond to their questions and comments, and show them they’re more than a number to your brand. Close your live campaign with a call to action telling your audience what to do next, whether that’s following you on social media or subscribing to your newsletter.

2. Use Messenger bots

When someone subscribes to your Facebook page, it’s a clear, direct sign they’re interested in your brand and what it offers. It’s easier to market to people when you know they want more of your content and information about your brand. What’s more, chatbots are popping up everywhere and being used in marketing strategies for brands of all types. Facebook research shows that 53 percent of users are more likely to shop with a business they can contact via a chat app. When you put the two together, you’re bound to promote your business successfully.

Thanks to chatbots, the brand Butterball used Alexa to field more than 20,000 calls over the 2018 Thanksgiving holiday. This wouldn’t be possible without artificial intelligence using its technology to cater to a mass amount of people when using human agents wouldn’t get such a huge job done.

Implement Facebook Messenger bots into your social media marketing strategy, and use it to share updates about your business, upcoming events, sales, promotions and more. Tailor your messages to your audience’s needs, and write like you’re sending a friendly text, as this is still a messaging app. 

3. Hold a contest

You’ve probably seen brands run contests through Facebook before. This is because it’s a highly effective way to get current customers engaged with your brand and invite newcomers to check out what you’re offering. If it entices them enough, you’ll see an influx of new social media followers and subscribers.

Take London Drugs, for example. The retailer ran a Facebook contest with the goal of increasing followers in their target market as well as engagement. Giving users gift cards as prizes, the company managed to gain 28,000 new followers and increase engagement from 0.5 percent to 2.5 percent. After this, their Facebook page became the leading source of website referral traffic.

To enter your contest, have users share their email, like your Facebook page, or comment on and like a specific post. This way, you improve your lead generation, and they’ll be happy to know they have a chance to win something. Only those interested in your offer will apply, so it’s safe to say they’ll continue to invest in your brand even after the contest is over. You can track this segment of your email list to continue offering products similar to what they entered to win, increasing your chances of making sales.

Set clear objectives for your contest and what you want it to achieve for your business. If your goal is to increase brand awareness, keep this in mind when creating your strategy so you create the appropriate steps to achieve it. Make your contest exciting by offering your best content or products so it feels worthwhile for potential customers to enter. When your incentive is enticing, more people will feel encouraged to participate, and you’ll get closer to reaching your goal. 

Using Facebook to promote your business might be one of the best things you do. Just make sure to keep things interesting and use different ways to cater to your audience’s needs and capture their attention. How will you use Facebook to further your brand reach?

Source: https://adage.com/article/industry-insights/3-unique-ways-use-facebook-promote-your-business/2191551