Written by ContentPowered.com
Facebook is a great tool for generating sales. With more than 1 billion users, it offers an expansive audience for promoting goods and services. Most business owners are aware that it has vast potential. What many have failed to understand is how to use it effectively to generate sales. A Facebook page can benefit a business in a number of ways. It can provide a powerful means of reaching new customers, communicating with existing ones and building customer loyalty. This not only involves attracting people to the page but keeping them engaged with interesting and relevant content. Businesses need to interact with customers and encourage comments, “likes” and sharing. The interactive environment presented by Facebook requires a different approach than traditionally employed when creating a sales funnel.
Creating a Facebook Presence
The first step in creating a sales funnel on Facebook is to create a presence. This is the most time intensive part of establishing a sales funnel. In addition to setting up a page, other users must be directed to it to be informed about the business and products available. Initially, people will know nothing about the business. At this point, marketing involves informing other users of the business’ presence. The main objective is to create interest in order to direct users to the Facebook page. There are three ways to inform users about the page and direct them to it.
Facebook Ads
Facebook’s advertising platform places an ad in the sidebar of Facebook pages and profiles. One of the best features is that it can be set up to target users based on demographics such as gender, location, age and interest. Even the time of day the ads are shown can be selected. The ads can be set to direct people to a Facebook page, group or event. Facebook also includes a “Become a fan” or “RSVP to this event” button in the ad so when a person clicks on it, their followers also see the ad. The cost per click model allows ads to be targeted based on keywords. Additionally, it can be used to control your advertising budget based on click-throughs.
Viral Content
Another major advantage of using Facebook is the ease of spreading information from user to user. Facebook’s “share” function makes it simple for users to repost content for their followers to view. Generating interesting content is the best way to create a viral effect. Facebook allows information to be posted in a variety of media. Viral content may be created in the form of a YouTube video, picture or website link. Convert Powerpoint presentations to slideshows and place them on the Facebook page. There are a number of options when it comes to creating interesting content. Information on a new product and new ways to use an old product are just a few.
Promotion Outside of Facebook
Incorporate Facebook promotion into other applications frequently used. Include a link to the Facebook page on your Twitter account. People can be directed to the Facebook page from Instagram or Pinterest. If you already have a website or blog with a high volume of traffic, use it to promote the Facebook page. Embed the Facebook plug in and send visitors to the page to become a fan. A link on the Facebook page can also drive traffic to the website. Include Facebook information in e-mail signatures and any ads that are posted.
Communication
Communication is necessary to provide new visitors with information about the business, products and yourself. Those who are not familiar with the business will have questions about what the business does and who you are. They will want to know what your connection is to the product and service. Providing information about yourself helps to connect with individuals on a personal level. It allows users to perceive a human side to the business that leads them to associate positive feelings with the organization. Information about the products you sell should also be communicated to those who are new to your page. Facebook pages include a tab where you can include information about the business. This is also a good place to describe products the company sells.
There are several features on the Facebook page that should be noted as highly relevant in retaining visitors. One is the number of fans the page has. The higher the number of fans a page has, the faster their new followers grow each day. This is largely because pages with a high number of fans are considered to be an authority within their industry. The members on the Facebook page may also be relevant since many users will skim through to see others who have become fans. They will usually read the comments on the page and posts that have been made to determine if the content is something that interests them. Posting valuable content is the best way to attract and retain visitors.
Engaging Facebook Users
Engaging customers has become the basis for social network marketing. Rather than simply bombarding them with information, marketing has become the practice of speaking with the customer. Facebook not only provides a platform to accomplish this, it allows you to control the environment where the interaction takes place. It provides an opportunity to develop relationships with new customers, and with the tremendous number of Facebook users, you’re sure to find existing ones as well. Engaging customers can take the form of “liking” a status update, commenting or participating in ongoing conversations. Branded applications can be highly effective in engaging customers. Users’ personal preferences for certain types of media will vary and largely determine their response. For this reason, it’s important to use a variety of media to reach as many of your fans as possible.
Presenting a Call to Action
Marketing through Facebook provides multiple opportunities for customers to take action. The relationship building process develops trust and customer loyalty. This strategy has proven more effective than displaying an ad to be clicked on and generates substantially larger numbers of repeat customers. Most people are not ready to make a purchase when they first become a fan. It is through relationship building and engagement that you build interest and educate customers about the benefits of your product or service. The next step is to present an opportunity to make a purchase. Presenting a call to action can take the form of internet only specials, limited time offers or directing customers to your site for a free offer. There are many strategies available to encourage customers to take action. Choosing a variety will help you find those that elicit the largest response. A call to action should be posted frequently.
Continued Engagement
Once a call to action has been made, some customers have responded. The engagement process is important to maintain the relationship and encourage repeat business. In addition, it extends relationship building to new fans. Relationship marketing isn’t intended to generate a one-time sale but repeated sales. Therefore, engagement is a continuous process.
The strategies used in the Facebook sales funnel will depend on the nature of the business. The most effective techniques will involve relationship building and engaging the customer prior to purchase as well as afterwards. The Facebook sales process will help you establish valuable customer relationships that generate repeated sales.