Key takeaways
- Yes, Facebook is still a viable platform for business marketing.
- Facebook reach and engagement metrics: 500+ million active users, over 50% log on daily, average user spends 700+ minutes/month, average user connected to 80 pages/groups/events, 150 million mobile users, 70+ translations and top user countries are the US, the UK and Indonesia.
- Choose platforms by two tests: (1) Is the network a hub for your audience? (2) Are you using it the right way for your business?
- Page basics matter: use a recognizable profile picture, a high‑quality cover photo and add descriptions (links) to those images.
- Don’t skimp on the About section and avoid short, incomplete answers.
- Use Facebook’s built‑in CTA buttons where relevant: sign up, shop now, contact us, book now, use app, watch video, play game. They are trusted and accessible to users.
Introduction
The biggest trend in social media right now you would guess is Twitter, and that’s a fair assumption. Twitter isn’t new, but it’s the hot social network right now, with Instagram hot on its heels. When you watch entertainment news, it’s all about what celebrity tweeted who and what their last Instagram post looked like.
It’s not often that a Facebook post pops up in this realm of trends and hot topics.
However, businesses and Entertainment Tonight aren’t the same creatures. While businesses can take notes from the world of entertainment media for workable trends and marketing ideas, the same social strategies that work for celebrities don’t always work for businesses.
Take LinkedIn for example. Have you ever seen a Kardashian trending there? And yet it’s a wonderful place for businesspersons to network and spark peer lead generation.
Important Facebook Statistics
Facebook is in an in between period right now. It’s certainly not a network to be counted out, but the public eye is roaming elsewhere in many circles. Still, Facebook is a social powerhouse, and KISSmetrics has the stats to back that up:
- Facebook has more than 500 million active users.
- Over 50% of these users log on any given day.
- An average user spends 700 minutes or more on Facebook per month.
- An average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events.
- More than 70 translations exist for the Facebook interface.
- The top countries that use Facebook are the US (111,212,840), the UK (23,449,100), and Indonesia (19,528,560).
- More than 150 million users access Facebook through their mobile device.
Are you convinced it’s still a worthy platform for business marketing now?
Improving Your Facebook Strategies
Maybe you’re still wary because Facebook isn’t working for you how you’d like it to. Because your Twitter strategy is bringing you more results, Facebook has to be dead in the water, right? Wrong. Two tips to keep in mind when considering the social network to use for your business are:
- Is this social networking site a hub for my audience?
- Am I utilizing it in the proper way?
In the case of number one, some businesses do inherently well on some social sites while they fail on others. A tweet posting social media management company will likely do better on Twitter compared to Instagram…but why? The media that’s being pushed is more in line with Twitter and the company isn’t visual-based. Thus, Twitter works better.
In the case of number two, it’s quite possible you simply aren’t using Facebook in a way that’s valuable for your business. Every social media platform has a nuance to it. When you tap into this channel of specific strategy, you’ll succeed.
Some Quick Facebook Tips:
1. Focus on Page Aesthetics
This should be a no-brainer.
Make sure your profile picture is uploaded and easily recognizable and that your cover photo is high quality and eye-catching. You can also add descriptions to these photos, which you should definitely do. It’s a great way to link your website or specific posts you want people to focus on.
2. Don’t Neglect Your ‘About’ Section
Try not to be too cheap with words here. You don’t have to ramble, but many businesses make the mistake of filling these out with short answers and incomplete thoughts. Don’t do that.
3. Facebook CTA Buttons
For businesses use, Facebook offers you seven different pre-made CTA buttons: sign up, shop now, contact us, book now, use app, watch video and play game.
If you can use one or more of these, you better. These built-in calls to action are trusted by Facebook users and easily accessible.
4. Post Visual Content
You can do this to promote recent discounts, events and promotional offers you want your consumers to focus on. As a general rule of thumb for all social media? If there’s an option to use a picture or video, go with it.
5. Focus on Quality
Every update you post shouldn’t be focused on buy, buy, buy and sell, sell, sell. Consumers know this is a marketing ploy. Mix things up by posting valuable information, sharing peer-posted blogs or updates, or even share in-office pictures for a more personal touch.
A valuable note directly from the Café Quill infographic is the 70-20-10 rule. This states that 70 percent of your posts should be brand and value focused, 20 percent should be shared content from other sources and 10 percent should be promotional material.
To answer the basic question: Facebook for business isn’t going anywhere. Many businesses find themselves successful because of their Facebook reach, and you could to as long as you know exactly how to use your opportunities through this social site.
FAQ
Yes. Facebook remains a social powerhouse with large reach and engagement (see listed user statistics) and many businesses continue to find success there when they use the platform correctly.
More than 500 million active users, over 50% log on any given day, average user spends 700+ minutes per month, average user connected to 80 community pages/groups/events, more than 150 million mobile users, 70+ interface translations and top countries by user count are the US, the UK and Indonesia.
Evaluate two things: (1) Is that social network a hub for your target audience? (2) Are you using it in the proper way for your business’s media and goals? A text‑focused social media management company may do better on Twitter than on visual platforms like Instagram.
Ensure a recognizable profile picture and high‑quality cover photo with descriptive captions/links, fully complete the About section, enable relevant Facebook CTA buttons, post visual content (photos/videos) for promotions and events and prioritize quality over constant direct selling.
The seven pre‑made buttons listed are: sign up, shop now, contact us, book now, use app, watch video and play game.
Use pictures or videos to promote discounts, events and offers. As a rule of thumb, if you have the option to use an image or video, choose it over text.
Apply the 70‑20‑10 rule: 70% brand and value‑focused posts, 20% shared content from other sources and 10% promotional material.
Avoid being too brief: don’t fill it with short answers or incomplete thoughts. You don’t need to ramble, but provide meaningful, complete information.
