Facebook Page Optimization for Business Communication
Introduction
Facebook presents an unmatched opportunity for businesses to address all their communication and marketing needs. This presentation details how organizations can set up successful business pages on Facebook to communicate to various stakeholders. The specific page optimization ideas discussed include the reasons for using Facebook, setting up the cover photo or video, calls to action, labeling pages, tabs, and best practices.
Why Facebook?
According to Newberry (2021), Facebook serves 2.74 billion active users every month while reaching 59% of all social networking users worldwide, making it the only social media platform that reaches more than half of the users. Therefore, it presents a market like no other for businesses to communicate to existing and potential customers. Additionally, 48.5% of B2B decision makers conduct their research through the platform, making it effective for businesses that sell to other businesses (Newberry, 2021). For businesses seeking to communicate to consumers, Facebook offers a selling platform as 18.3% of American adults purchased through Facebook in 2020 (Newberry, 2021). With 63% of Americans aged 12 years and above being registered on Facebook as of 2020, it provides an important promotion platform for businesses (Newberry, 2021).
Optimizing the Cover Photo/Video
First impressions are important in every aspect of life, including business. In Facebook communication and marketing, the page acts as the storefront, creating the first impression of the business to visitors (Coles, 2017). When designing cover photos or creating cover videos, businesses should focus on the format and make it a marketing tool. Adding texts to images can make them more professional and relevant, including business slogans and brand names. However, the position of the text should be such that it is not obscured by other elements of the page. The description area of the cover photo is another opportunity to communicate to the intended audience (Coles, 2017).
Calls to Action (CTAs)
According to Coles (2017), businesses can use CTAs to direct traffic to their websites or to provide a quick purchase process. Every Facebook page seeks to get visitors to take any action, which could be buying, registering, donating, attending, visiting, and booking, among others. CTAs should change along with cover photos to reflect special events, such as offers, promotions, and contests (Mariani et al., 2018). For example, musicians can change their cover photo and CTA in preparation of an album launch to communicate the message and invite viewers to attend the launch or watch a video clip.
Page Labels or Templates
Choosing the wrong template or label for a business page can reduce the effectiveness of its communication (Mariani et al., 2018). However, the right label or template will enhance the page’s communication by using the relevant layout, organization, and labeling. People who are unfamiliar with the business should understand its core specialization from the Facebook page. Selecting an appropriate template will enable easy navigation for the visitors.
Managing Posts
Research shows that the optimum number of posts should be one every day (Mariani, 2018). Businesses that make three weekly posts and those that make two posts per day report lower engagement than those posting once per day (Mariani, 2018). Businesses should pin important posts to get optimal engagement because pinned posts appear at the top of the page. Some examples of posts to be pinned include lead magnets, urgent information, special offers, welcome videos, and live videos. Most importantly, each post should include a call to action and a link that directs the visitors where the business wants them (Coles, 2017).
Adding and Arranging Tabs
Tabs are found on the left side of the Facebook page. The in-built tabs are organized according to the page label or template. However, Facebook allows customization and addition of more tabs to cater for each business’ needs. For effective communication, businesses should customize their tabs to include important links to their sites. One of the most important application of tabs is collecting customer emails through a mailing list tab (Mariani et al., 2018). While other tabs lead the visitor to the business website, a mailing list tab should quickly get a visitor’s email address, which is later used for direct communication.
Conclusion
Since Facebook has billions of active users every day, business can leverage their Facebook pages to communicate to customers and other stakeholders (Newberry, 2021). Social media calls for consistent communication across platforms. Businesses should consistently use the same profile photo, specifically the business logo (Coles, 2017). Business pages should be branded consistently to include URLs and brand names that visitors can easily grasp and remember. All Facebook communication should be formal and professional to display the business’ image (Mariani et al., 2018). The page should include opportunities for business communication, interaction, and marketing. These are achieved through CTAs and tabs.
References
Coles, L. (2017). Social media for business: Foolproof tips to help you promote your business or your brand. John Wiley & Sons.
Mariani, M. M., Mura, M., & Di Felice, M. (2018). The determinants of Facebook social engagement for national tourism organizations’ Facebook pages: A quantitative approach. Journal of destination marketing & management, 8, 312-325. Web.
Newberry, C. (2021). 47 Facebook stats that matter to marketers in 2021. Web.