When you rob a ship, what name is on it? It’s not MINE! After a successful run of twenty-three years as a Pirate, I believed I could offer the market the Ultimate Pirate Ship. My ships are tougher, faster, and more reasonable than the competition. I use all my Pirating experience and wisdom to create my ships. Like you, I lust for gold. That’s why I build my ships Pirate Tough! Did I mention Pirate-friendly pricing for fleets?
Pirate Ship Builder Campaigns
- “I’m in a good mood; the first 27 people that share this will get an 11% Off Code and a bag of sand.”
- “This just in from Polly, ‘We’re offering 7% off all day!’ and, ‘Where are my crackers?'” – Birds are also on sale!
- “Captains Catch Tuesdays are here! Don’t leave port unless it’s in MY boats, now with bonus Live Catch Nets.”
Hello. Have you become increasingly frustrated with Facebook posts fulfilling your business goals? Do you feel like you’re giving 70%, and Facebook is giving 30%? Most importantly, have you been questioning whether Facebook posts are worth your time and energy? I wrote this post for you! I am going to show you why Facebook is relevant, and the specific things you can do to conquer it. Don’t get mad at Facebook. As Ivana Trump said, “Get everything!” Let me show you how to get started.
Use a Facebook post to Throw a Party for your Audience
Why do people come to your brand? What makes it unique? Why do you believe in it? You need to communicate this on Facebook. Nothing is more important than connecting with your audience. Don’t fear trying new things. The options to engage your audience are only limited by the imagination – contests, ideas, giveaways, etc. Treat your audience like family, and throw a party for them when you can!
For example, let’s suppose I were a former Pirate (old school, hook, high seas, etc.) that now builds Pirate ships. Like the beginning of this article, I need to establish why I do what I do succinctly. It’s about engaging our audience and sharing why they should care about our business versus another. It’s not easy, but your audience is your brand’s evangelists.
Once you have demonstrated that you are offering something of value to your audience, you need to ask them to do something for you. Maybe this is joining your email list or sharing why your product or service is a must-have – it can be anything. Remember, if you don’t ask you won’t receive it. Never be afraid to use Facebook posts to ask your audience questions. Be professional and put your audience first. They will respect you and help you grow.
Captivate your audience to bring them to you. Tell them why they can’t ignore what you have to offer.
Is Facebook “Still the place to be?”
Let’s tackle this important question. Over 225 million people are interacting with Facebook in the US and Canada today! Facebook is the largest single audience in North America and has become a primary news source as well. It also has the best advertising and promotion tools available to businesses. Why not use Facebook posts, their engagement, and promotional tools to grow your business?
It doesn’t make sense to ignore your audience on Facebook. If your audience doesn’t find a solution from you, they will benefit from your competitor. With Targeted Ads and behavioral analysis, Facebook is darn good at knowing what to show you to click.
People have less affinity for brands than ever. Show them why they should commit to you.
However, most people don’t have a plan. In almost every case I get involved with, the people didn’t have a plan, didn’t set goals, and didn’t research it enough.
Have a plan for Facebook posts
While I can’t give a plan for every permutation in one article, I can share the basic things you can do to develop engagement (likes, comments, shares, and clicks) to build an audience. These techniques work. Why am I so confident? I use them every day for my clients, my brands, and myself with success. Let’s jump right in.
You must post every day because it’s critical to your success.
You can schedule some posts. However, I would not schedule more than half of your Facebook posts. Therefore, if you post four times a day, do not schedule more than two posts either on Facebook directly or through a tool like Buffer. Why is this important? Facebook bumps live posts, especially mobile posts. Why is this? Facebook believes that a Page is a way for businesses to interact with their audience in real-time to be a community, not a billboard.
It’s equally important to understand that only one-half of your audience is on Facebook on any given day. Frequency is often an issue as in posting too much or too little. I experience the most success with clients posting no less than twice a day, and I’ve found the ideal amount is three to four a day during the hours your audience is on Facebook. You can find when your fans are on Facebook in Insights.
Many businesses post excessively often or sporadically. This level of inconsistently is the recipe for Facebook to lower your Page’s reach. Therefore, post every day, preferably at different times of each day, and you will see increased reach, engagement, and decreased swearing at your screen.
By using Facebook posts every day to engage your audience (fans), you are tending to your business’ digital garden.
A modest frequency and consistency are bedrocks of Facebook success.
Success with video in Facebook posts
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth at least pi cubed! Use video in your Facebook post-marketing. Adjunct to this, upload your videos directly to Facebook for the best results. While Facebook will never explicitly state that they give preference to their videos, it’s both obvious to anyone using the platform and makes sense from a business standpoint.
Facebook wants two things to happen with video: to compete directly with YouTube, and to make tons of cheddar with video advertising.
Logically, it makes sense that Facebook will be eager to share your videos. Perhaps more so than other types of Facebook posts, and this is my experience. Remember, you can share any of your YouTube videos working for you. Ideally, you should share videos on YouTube and Facebook, while uploading the video directly to each. I know this is a pain, but the results are worthwhile.
The Three Golden Rules of Video Marketing
Rule 1: Thou shall have a Call to Action
If you don’t ask, you don’t receive it.
Rule 2: Thou shall create a Sense of Urgency
Limited quality, limited time, contest, etc.
Rule 3: Thou shall include links directly to your videos.
No links often equal little buying or conversions.
* Note that you can apply these rules to your YouTube videos. Be sure to include Custom Thumbnails and add details and links in the information area for your audience to click. Don’t forget to tell them the links are there and to click them. Yes, it works.
Share Facebook posts from other Pages
You can find details on this tip from my former post. Share RELEVANT posts from Pages you are following. Remember, Facebook’s goal is to be a community. As I mentioned above, you should be posting three to four times per day. Why not make one of these Facebook posts a relevant share from another Page? I also recommend mixing up the sequence of when you share from another Page and when you post original content.
Create VIDEOS using the “Three Golden Rules” above and post them with a DIRECT LINK to your product or service. Always make it easy for people to visit your content or buy from you. If you have a mascot or funny logo, this makes it super easy. Make goofy contests, coupons, etc. As mentioned above, throw a party for your brand. If you are having fun, your audience will too.
Should you use Facebook advertising?
However, you have not seen one tip about advertising here. Therefore, here’s one: NEVER hit “Boost.” Hitting Boost is taking a bucket, filling it with money, and throwing it out of a window. Growing a strong core audience and consistently getting your message out work. I’ve done it. Details on advertising with Facebook posts are outside the scope of this article. However, I do recommend advertising for any business. It will bring many more people to your brand or business.
When advertising on Facebook, use the Facebook ad tools or, preferably, Power Editor. I have excellent results from running ads with a budget as small as $3 to $5 a day. If you have not advertised before, start out with a small budget and work up over time. However, please do not Boost or throw money at a problem. It seldom, if ever, is the solution.
What did we learn about Facebook posts, Spencer?
- Think like Facebook!
Understand Facebook’s mission and how to play its game and you will succeed. - Facebook is as relevant as ever.
Don’t believe the hype. If I had to pick one platform to engage my audience, it would be Facebook posts and ads every time. - You must post two to three-time EVERY day.
I know this is not easy because I’ve been doing it for years. However, like showing up for work, consistent Facebook posts are half the battle to success.
- Video is power!
Use video in your Facebook posts as much as possible. Take advantage of its engagement and reach. You need only a smartphone to start. - Lastly, don’t forget to share from OTHER Pages.
However, only share content relevant to your audience.
Most importantly, have fun darn it! Marketing should be fun. If you have fun, your audience will too.
