For a long time, the companies have assimilated the great potential of Social Media, and especially of Facebook. The main value of that network is the number of users at the same place (each one with different quality and loyalty level). The Facebook users are not some regular users. All of them are, in one way or another, mini-influencers who interact with others by publishing photos, creating content or commenting posts.

All that time dedicated to Social Media represents a great opportunity for the companies. What should you know to take advantage of that opportunity? What are the keys to attracting more customers through Facebook?

Do not hide

One of the main keys to having a quality presence on Facebook is to appear. It is not about publishing your logo over and over again, but it is about showing the human part of your organization. Facebook is a personal social network and not a commercial communication tool. Things that in real life could seem a lack of professionality, on Facebook, is the proof of your humanity.

There are many important brands on Facebook, such as Coca-Cola or Starbucks but at the level of SMEs or freelancers, it is wiser to opt for a human image. Before becoming your clients, the Facebook users should be your friends, and for that, you should use empathy, closeness, and sympathy.

Define your target audience

One of the first things you should do is to select your target audience. Let me explain it to you: between the millions of Facebook users, we can guarantee you, that not each of them will become your client. Hopefully, they do, but not even big enterprises can achieve it. For that reason, you should think about your ideal clients and base your strategy by thinking about them. That way, your marketing will become more efficient and rentable.

Instead of taking multiple mini-strategies to reach different segments, choose just one strong strategy for only one segment, which will compensate for it. Why do you need two millions of “likes” if you only have two clients? Each user is a unique person with a particular taste, and it is not possible to satisfy them all.

Create a positive environment for your target audience where one can find a community which speaks the same language and has the same values.

Add value

Think for a moment about your target audience. You want to attract it through Facebook, but, how are you going to do it? Why should they follow you on your social networks? What benefits can you bring them? If you do not know how to respond to these questions, you should stop for a while and think about it. Guide your actions and posts around them. By following these guidelines, you will not only create content, but you will also create value, which will help your users to take a decision to purchase your products or services. The Facebook users do not like pages without any purpose: they make their decisions after you have given them something special. Laugh, satisfaction, emotion, benefit, knowledge or sense of belonging are the hints you could use to give your audience something that will make a difference. Show your company’s values, your history, something that will help them know you better.

Create an emotional link

All the professionals ensure that the best offers are made when you have an emotional link with your target audience. When you create a link not connected with the commercial relation, such as beliefs, feelings, interchange of ideas or just a simple coincidence, it is more probable the people will listen to you. Use that technique on Facebook: put yourself in shoes of your potential customers, learn their behavior to offer them your services in the best way possible, using the vocabulary adapted to them. Do not judge them and try to understand why they do what they do: why they like your posts, why they stop following you, what are their motives. By answering these questions, you will know how to retain your public.

Do not attach yourself to Facebook

Facebook can be a really useful tool to stay connected with your clients and increase your sales but remember not to spend all your efforts on that social media. It is really easy to fall into the trap and spend all your time publishing and writing comments and putting aside other important marketing strategies. Do not publish every hour, 2-3 times a week should be enough. Remember that people use Facebook for social reasons, and not to have their walls full of advertisements. If you publish too much, the only thing you achieve is to saturate what will lead them to unfollow you. You need to focus on the quality of your post and not on the quantity.

Summary

The world of Facebook is not that different from real life. It is a good way of prospecting, and if you use it correctly, it will help you to attract many new clients. However, the interest has changed the rules of the game in marketing terms. Do not limit yourself to promote your products, offer something that adds value to create a relationship of trust. The quality of your relationship with potential clients is essential to increase the number of new clients. Facebook is a great tool, but be careful and attract only the public that will help you grow.

Article was written by Emma Smith, PR and content manager at Fonvirtual. Fonvirtual provides companies and entrepreneurs with international virtual phone numbers. I’m interested in digital marketing, technology, and international logistics. I am a usual collaborator in blogs, where I try to spread the word of telecom services in international business.