Marketing Through Facebook

If you're new to using social media for business purposes, the idea of connecting with colleagues, clients and prospects and marketing your firm through online networks can seem daunting.

Luckily, Facebook recently released a new guide listing some of the best practices for advertising on its website. Before launching a profile on the network as part of your broader effort to market your firm, it's necessary to take some time to plot out your strategies, the goals you hope to achieve on the platform and a plan for how you will integrate profile management into your list of responsibilities.

Facebook is quick to note that firms shouldn't search for a one-size-fits-all model for structuring the organization of social marketing tactics. Rather, it's key to clearly define everyone's roles and responsibilities in the program and have a single point of contact for those in the company who are working on the social initiative.

The website notes that the person in this role typically makes sure the social strategy is tailored to the overriding business objectives. He or she also manages relationships with any external creative, public relations or media groups and heads up the teams that oversee the brand and any marketing activities.

It's also important to assign a person or a team (depending on your company's size) to be charged with maintaining the page and updating content according to an editorial calendar. The so-called "Pages" person/team should also communicate with others to coordinate the message it is promoting and monitor what's posted on Facebook for any insights on the kinds of products or services clients want or would be interested in.

When it comes to actually posting content to Facebook, keep it short and sweet. The company suggests publishing updates that are roughly three lines long, since they are approximately 60 percent more likely to generate a comment, a share or a positive response from readers (in the form of "Likes") than longer posts. If you have a blog or article you're excited about and want to promote, it's better to share a link rather than an extract or the entire piece.

Being consistent and constant are also important aspects of marketing through Facebook, which suggests posting five times per week at a minimum. What kind of things should you post? If the firm is offering a new service or has an educational event coming up, your followers will probably want to hear about it!

Have you begun using Facebook or other social media websites to promote your brand and reach out to clients and colleagues? How did you pick the right platform to use? It's important to go to where your target audience is - if many of your ideal clients are on Facebook, start there. Consider seeking guidance on getting started.