Below is a guest post from Matt Goulart (@IgniteDigitalCa), founder of Ignite Digital, a digital marketing agency. Through Ignite Digital, Matt works with Fortune 500 companies and advertising agencies around the world. He can be reached at matt@ignitedigital.ca.
There was a time when having any kind of a presence online, be it a website or social media account, spelled online marketing success for any agency. However, as online marketing has taken off, the landscape has become much more complex.
More and more, it is not simply enough to be present online. You must also have a firm grasp of marketing strategies, from content marketing and SEM to website and app development. Perhaps most crucial of all, however, is for agencies to have a strong and dynamic social media presence.
In our experiences at Ignite Digital, Facebook continues to be one of the most powerful ways to interact with target audiences online—from both an agency and client perspective. Here are some of the most recent stats from the social media giant:
- Active monthly users have surpassed one billion, as of December 2012.
- In December 2012, 618 million users were active on Facebook, every day.
- 604 million users logged into Facebook mobile products, as of Dec. 31, 2012.
In addition, in October 2011, 89% of agencies said they would use Facebook in their campaigns with 20% of agencies predicting to spend more on digital than traditional media by 2014.
With such a vast potential audience, it is absolutely crucial that you leverage the many engagement tools that are available via Facebook to make the most of your agency’s presence online, and thereby lead by example for your clients.
Here are five marketing tips that will help you make the most of your Facebook page in 2013.
1. Do Your Research.
Facebook provides invaluable materials for its users, which it readily provides to you at no cost. For example, it recently released a white paper, co-produced with product researchers ComScore, called “The Power of Like 2: How Social Marketing Works.” You can download a copy for free.
2. Don’t Flood Your Audience with Updates.
It can be tempting to post to your feed constantly, giving your audience a steady stream of updates. However, this is actually a way to disengage and completely lose your audience. Research, including the ComScore study mentioned above, indicates that posting a single, valuable status update once a day, seven days a week, is ideal. Make sure your social media manager sticks to it.
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3. Stay Engaged with Current Events.
While it can seem more prudent to act as if your agency and the brands you represent exist in a vacuum, it is more advisable to play off current events, holidays and major news items. This enables you to engage with ideas and issues that are top of mind, and works with Facebook’s own algorithm to ensure that your posts are seen by a wider audience.
An excellent example of a brand that uses this to their utmost advantage is Taco Bell. For example, on Election Day, they posted an image of the American flag and the words “I voted” made out of their sauce packets. This picture was shared and reposted far and wide, and was a fun way of commenting on something that their audience cared about while staying on brand.
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4. Balance the Types of Posts You Make.
It is important to balance between text posts, images, videos and links. While an image, on average, reaches only 6% percent of your potential audience, a standard text post can reach anywhere from 11% to 19%. By varying the kinds of posts that you make, you appeal to the broadest range possible. This not only serves your needs better (and those of your clients), but also ups your chances for engagement every time.
5. Make Sure Your Look Is as Good as Your Words.
Your updates are engaging, your responses are witty yet on-brand, and your posts are balanced. But, sounding great is only part of the battle; it is equally important that your Facebook page looks great. Make sure that your profile picture is a high-quality image that suits your client’s brand, and that you have a great cover photo.
Your cover photo can also be a great way to comment on, or engage with, current events, and to remind your audience of your brand. Treat your images as another opportunity for engagement. Below is a great example by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada (BHGREC).
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Following these five simple tips is a sure way to give your agency’s Facebook marketing strategy a boost, and prove to clients that you know how to do social well.
BONUS: Check out this social media marketing video to jump start your social media success, and that of your clients.
Image credits: Taco Bell and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada
