Whether in politics or in business, it’s hard to ignore the impact of Facebook today. Leaving politics aside, the social media giant’s active users surpassed 2 billion in June 2017 and its targeting capabilities are beyond belief as showcased in 60 Minutes' episode about the Trump campaign's use of Facebook. The conclusion: in addition to political campaigns, companies of all sizes need to understand how to leverage Facebook (and the other social channels) to reach and engage potential customers.
As consultants to small and medium-sized companies, one of the top questions that we field from our clients is how they should incorporate social media into their marketing plan. They seek our direction on:
- How many resources should they devote to creating content?
- What is the expected return of their investment in social media creation?
- Which platforms are worthwhile for their product or service?
- How should they leverage Facebook to find and convert customers?
The last is usually the most pressing question. With a focus on Facebook and its sophisticated targeting capabilities, here’s how we start the social media discussion:
There are no magic bullets when it comes to Facebook marketing, especially with limited advertising budgets. Setting up a business page and expecting that you can run a campaign that will find your audience by identifying prospective customers’ interests and motivating them to take some action is unrealistic. Without a well-thought-out digital content plan, the odds of motivating qualified prospects to visit your website, sign up for an e-newsletter or buy your product from a Facebook ad is unlikely. Capturing attention of likely buyers who have never interacted with your product is challenging.
Jon Loomer, one of the top experts on Facebook marketing, provides insightful direction on how to leverage Facebook to drive potential customers down the sales funnel. Yes, I am referring to the sales funnel that was introduced in Marketing 101 – the customer conversion process from awareness, at the top, to interest, evaluation, purchase and, to the ultimate, at the bottom of the funnel, of re-purchase and brand loyalty. Transforming prospects to repeat buyers via social media starts with content. Not advertising.
Based on extensive market testing, Loomer identifies eight ways to target – and convert – prospective customers on Facebook, creating a ranking from most to least effective. In my summary below, the value of creating relevant content becomes clear.
Five of the top six most effective targeting techniques on Facebook involve advertising to prospects who have already interacted with your brand by consuming your content. No surprise, the #1 content platform is your website. No better way to ‘warm’ potential customers to your brand then to drive them to your website for information. The more time spent on your site, the better a prospect. The more often the visits, the better a prospect. Your website visitors are the most qualified target to reach and convert while on they are on Facebook. That’s another good reason to have a blog and employ strong SEO.
The second most effective source of customer on Facebook: your own custom database. This is the database of emails (and more) which the brand owns -- they are customers, e-newsletter subscribers, consumers who have expressed an interest in your product/service. By definition, these names represent warm leads, or better yet, previous buyers. With our clients, we emphasize the importance of aggregating their own email list. A company’s email database is a brand’s most enduring marketing asset.
The third, fourth, fifth and sixth effective ways to convert customers targets those who have interacted with content on your Facebook page. Advertise to those who have engaged with a post, watched a short-form video, interacted with an immersive Canvas ad or last, and least, have followed your page. Developing a content plan that populates your Facebook page with engaging content yields results that will help you target potential customers.
We stress the escalating importance of posting video. Video is the #1 currency of today’s culture. By 2019, video content will be the driving factor behind 85% of search traffic in the U.S., according to Cisco. Video on social is not just a latest trend, but is the future of social marketing. Brands who have not yet invested in video will quickly lose the attention of customers who crave engaging and entertaining video content. One way to maximize organic reach and ensure engagement on your Facebook page… create a video that’s relevant to your category. Not a video that promotes or sells… but one that informs, tells a story and conveys insights. Whole Foods might run video showing a farmer harvesting his latest crop, talking about the yield of the season. Once a customer shows interest by viewing the video, the brand has begun the sales process… down the funnel.
The seventh effective method of Facebook targeting harkens to the earlier days of direct mail marketing: leverage the data available in Facebook (demographics, ownership, spending, online behavior) and find Facebook users that look like your current customers. The larger your customer base, the better this targeting works.
And last and least effective, interest targeting. This low-ranking tactic underscores the premise that knowing one’s interest without having any interaction with the brand makes it a very cold call.
The take-away: If you aren’t interested in the technicality of this above list, take in the theme: the best way to identify potential customers is by providing content that is of interest to them and relevant to your brand. A comprehensive digital content plan that captures the attention of prospective customers, and best yet, their email addresses, is essential.
We are happy to discuss how we can help you build fully-fleshed out marketing plan that incorporates content and targeting that will expand your business. Email me at beth@hyphen3.com… and keep reading our blogs.
