5 Facebook Posting Secrets Every Small Business Owner Should Know

 

Ideas For Facebook business Pages other than making regular posts

Is your Facebook game feeling a bit stale? Keeping up with your Facebook Business page can be a chore. It seems like you are always doing the same thing and you want to make sure that your audience doesn't bored. Here are 5 tips for jazzing up your post content on Facebook.

1. Videos

March 2018 saw 12 million video views on Facebook. It is still king of the Facebook user experience. Use that momentum by making your own videos using Adobe Spark, Animoto, Ripl or any other video creation software. Even better, Go Live! Push the live button and show around your store, show a product, or talk to camera about your service. You can do anything you want to do! Remember, video is the number one way to reach your audience on Facebook, so you MUST use it often!

2. Offers

When you create an offer, it allows you to

• put a the name of whatever is on sale

• the discount or price

• a time when it expires

• a photo to catch interest

• where people can redeem it in store or online

If they redeem it online, you can put a promo code that they can put in a check out to get the offer. You can also add terms and conditions. The best thing about an offer is that it will continue to remind anyone who saves the offer to go back and redeem it until the day it expires. Talk about a set it and forget it system!

3. Call/Message Now

The Call Now or Message Now post is super cool! You can create a post to say whatever you want to say then assign the call to action button to call or message now. So when someone pushes the 'Call Now' button, it will dial whatever phone number you have attached to your Facebook account. In the same way, if someone pushes the 'Message Now' button, it will immediately open up FB messenger and start a conversation with you! So if you’re looking for immediate contact with your audience, you can use this tool instead of writing a post directing to your website. As we know, there is a time and place for pushing web traffic but you can never beat one-on-one interactions. There is a BUT to this though...

If you’re not in a position to respond to calls or Facebook messages right away, you might not want to use this one. Plan ahead to where you know you will be avalible for at least an hour after you put up the post. The last thing you want is for people to get frustrated because you asked them to send a message or call, and you’re not answering!

4. Events

You can use events if:

• you have an event in your store

• you’re going to be at a public event

• you’re having a sale for any amount of time

How do events work? People can mark interested or going and Facebook will remind those people about the event. Also, the event will show who has clicked, thus showing social proof, which means that your customers friends will will show up in the going list. Many times, the friends will see that thier friend is doing something and sign up. FOMO for the win!

5. Polls

The last tool is to create a poll. If there is one thing true about the internet, it is that people LOVE to tell you thier opinion on things! So, use that to your advantage. Ask something fun like 'What’s your favorite flavor of coffee?' or something related to your business like 'What product do they want to see on sale?' When you ask your audience to interact with you, they will respond! So the more you ask for your tribe’s opinion, the more conversation you’ll have on your page. And as we all know, more conversation means Facebook sees your page to more people.

Which idea stands out as something you may not have tried before?  Or have you tried one of the ideas on the list and had it work out like gangbusters?  Please Share!

The 10 Minute Fix to Perfecting your Facebook Business Page

At some point in the past, you started a Facebook Business Page.  Maybe you did it yourself, maybe your employee did it.  Either way...it is done.  Here is the killer question: Was it done well?  Are there elements that are missing that could be impacting your business?  Do you look as professional as you should?  

Have no fear!  I am going to give you a 3 quick fixes to make sure you are maximizing your pages potential.  Ready, Set, GO!

1. Vanity URL

Your Vanity URL is the name of your site in the Facebook web address (ex. Facebook.com/BuzzHustle) AND it is also the tool used to tag your business in conversations (EX. I Love @BuzzHustle so much!).  If you are missing this important key, it is a super easy fix!  

On your main page, click on About.  Then Click Username.  A new box will pop up where you can enter your wonderful name.  If it gives you an error, pick another one because the one you want is taken.  

2. Cover Photo

Your Cover Photo is super important.  If you already have one, go to it and make sure it follows these rules.  If you do not have one, do this immediately!!!

Rule 1: Make sure all text fits in the box on both Desktop and Mobile.  In July, Facebook began rolling out a new business page format.  This made cover photos not display correctly.  Make sure yours does!  If your photo is getting cut off on the sides on mobile, try cropping it to 838px X 315px.  This should adjust correctly on both devices.

Once you get your Cover Photo Uploaded and looking awesome, click on it.  See that box to the right?  Fill it in with information about your business AND your contact information.  Small Change, BIG impact!

TIP: To make your Cover Photo have maximum impact, Use it to showcase something impactful about your business.  You do not have to use your logo or any words or you can make it nothing but text,  but you do need to showcase what is awesome about your business!  Here are a few good examples.

3. Profile Photo

Look up at the cover photo examples again.  Notice the profile photos on the left?  

The profile photo is a logo for a company and the person's face for a personal brand.  If you are a company, your logo should be simple, bold, and easy to read.  If you are a person, your photo should show your face clearly.  Remember that the profile photo is most often seen next to your posts and comments.  It is REALLY small!  Make sure you can see it well on any device!

Again, just like you did for the cover photo, click on your profile photo and add a sentence or two into the description box to the right.  Make sure you include a way to contact your company.

That's it! DONE!  

See that wasn't so bad, right?

Time is Money: The Plight of the DIY Business Owner

You will never 'find' time for anything. If you want time, you must make it. - Charles Bruxton

We, business owners, are a tough bunch.  We want to do everything ourselves.  We want to have our hands in every pie.  The only way to know that things are getting done right is to do it ourselves, right?  Sound Familiar?

That philosophy sounds all too familiar to me!  I am bookkeeper, secretary, graphic designer, marketing dept, janitorial services, and anything else you can think of.  I am a solo social media generating machine.  Slowly, I am learning the important lesson that I can't do everything.  My business is actually better off if I resist the urge to do everything.  Getting outside eyes looking at my branding, copy, videos and course presentations helps keep things fresh!  

I know it can be scary letting go of the reins, so I suggest giving up one small thing that annoys you the most first.  For me, it is proofreading copy.  I hate going back and making sure everything makes sense with grammar and punctuation.  Pssst....guess what?  I didn't outsource this to a person.  I did it with an online program called Grammerly. Easy Peasy!  

So...now your turn!  What are you going to let go of first?  

Tweet your answers to me: @buzz_hustle

What is a Social Media Manager?

When someone asks me what I do and I reply, “I own a Social Media Managing business.”  The reactions range from a glazed-over look of confusion to a blatant “Oh?  Is that a real thing?”

gify.com

Seriously, the job of a social media manager is 100% essential in today's online world.  The problem is that big corporations have known this for YEARS!  The small mom and pop business, however, heard once upon a time that they needed a Facebook like page for their business.  So, they started one.  And that's it.   They wonder why no one is liking, commenting, interacting, or otherwise noticing its existence.

“Treat your business like a business and it will pay you like a business. Treat your business like a hobby and it will cost you like a hobby.”

— Lisa Suttora

This quote is at the heart of the social media conundrum for small businesses.  So many times small businesses feel the need to cut corners in order to keep their heads above water.  I understand!  I am a small business too.   I run my business myself.  I make the phone calls, meet customers, and pay the bills myself.  I get it!

The part that is hard to understand for most is that social media is actually pretty easy to keep up with and is THE MOST POWERFUL marketing tool they can me using.  The cost is minimal.  The potential is HUGE!  The kicker comes with education and time (but then when doesn't it, right?)  So, that is where I come in.  My business is to do one of three things (sometimes interchangeably, sometimes all together.)

reachlocal.com

WHAT I DO:

1) Teach business owners how to properly set up social media accounts that are right for their type of business.  Let’s face it.  If you are a photographer, artist, designer, decorator, baker, cake decorator, underwater basket weaver...anything creative with a pretty product.  YOU BELONG ON INSTAGRAM!  When I ask all of the crafty folks at the farmer’s market where I can find them on Instagram and they say ‘Yeah, I don’t really do that.” I stop, have a slight heart attack and then proceed to politely suggest that it would be a GREAT idea to go ahead and do that!  

2) Suggest content for posting or ideas for crowd appeal.  I know it seems like an insurmountable task to post on multiple social media channels every day.  Small business owners have multiple questions.  Do these sound familiar?

These are all legitimate questions.  I find that when I sit down with a business owner and discuss all the concerns then make a plan for moving forward, the fear of social media evaporates.  Sometimes it is a simple as a reassurance that they are doing everything right and just need to keep truckin’.  Sometimes it is a recommendation to take advantage of my management services.   

3) Offer management services.  See what I did there?  Tricky, right? If a customer needs someone to take the wheel and drive, I can do that.  If they need me to field comments and complaints for them, I can do that.  If they want to run a giveaway online but aren’t sure how to go about it, I can run that one thing then disappear forever.  If they need someone to write blog posts for them, I can do that.  It really is anything they need, no matter how big or small.  

canva.com

The honest to goodness truth is I spend hour upon hours a day pouring over trends, changes, graphics, blog posts, and news.  I write articles.  I create beautiful pictures.  I engage in conversations.  I answer questions. I log in and out of a dozen social media accounts a day.  

Why?  

bestanimations.com

So small businesses with limited resources can grow and flourish.

FOLLOW ME:

 

Why Social Media is Important for Small Business?

You get to show your customer base what you are all about.

The days of being the local one stop shop are sadly gone.  People don’t just call ‘the town handyman’ anymore.  There are dozens of options for every business, so it is important to show your customers who you are, what you stand for, and that you can be trusted with their business!  For example, take a local Rants, Raves, and Reviews group in my town.  Someone posted about a really good Philly cheesesteak in a local stop and shop.  Within 2 weeks, they were so busy that the lunch hour wait was over an hour.  Why? Because word of mouth comes from social media more than a conversation with the neighbor!  If you have a quality service or product and the word gets out online, you had better be online to greet them or they will go to the next thing that glitters!

You can respond to complaints immediately.  

Most people will not completely blast a company online, but some will!  If you are there to apologize and make it right within an hour or two, it will limit the spread.  However, if you are not online to find out about it, your bad review will stay in cyberspace forever.  Critics (and observers) have serious respect for a business owner who will own up to a problem and offer a solution instead of hoping it will go away.

Your competition is on social media

It is just like any other type of advertisement.  If you are not present and someone else is...your business will not get the recognition it deserves.  If you are right there with your competition or even *gasp* communicating with them, then you will be continually upping your game and in return increasing your business’s bottom line.

It will increase your business sales

Obviously, if you are posting and interacting with your customer base on a daily basis, you will be on the front of their minds when it comes time to use your service or buy your product.  Just today, I was talking to my husband about needing to paint in the living room.  I mentioned a handyman I had seen online a few times and said I would contact him on Facebook.  In addition to adding yourself to the mind of your customers, you can also offer incentives that keep your online following coming back for more.  It is like an exclusive club.  They will feel like you are offering a coupon code that only they know about.  

It is FREE!!!  

That is right.  Create visuals using Canva.  Create a newsletter using MailChimp.  Post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest.  Write a blog on Wordpress.com.  The only thing that it costs you is time. *Cough Cough*  The gigantic advertising budgets of yesterday are of no value online.  If you can connect with your customer, offer them a personal experience, and give value...you will win their loyalty and urge them to share it with others!    

5 Keys to Attention Grabbing Facebook Posts

The only thing worse than doughnuts at the office on the first day of Whole 30 is spending hours on posts for Facebook only to have them fall flat with no engagement.  So, here are a few tips to make sure people are not only seeing your posts but are compelled to pay attention!

Tip # 1

When it comes to content, ask yourself “Is this something I would want to read?”  Is it boring, flat, humorless, offensive, poor quality, or error ridden?  If you wouldn’t want to read your own content, then no one else is either!  Remember these few tips!

• HAVE FUN! Talk to your audience as if they are your friends. As a small business owner, they should be! These are your people who like your stuff or store or food. Speak to them as if they were in your place of business.

• Work Smart! Write your posts in Word prior to posting to check for grammar or spelling mistakes OR download an addon like Grammarly to check as you go! Also, check all your links before you hit send. Nothing is more annoying than an engaging post that doesn’t go anywhere!

• Keep your content short and sweet. Social Media Examiner suggests 100 characters or fewer.

Tip # 2

Engagement on a personal level with your audience is key!  A few ways to keep engament high are:

• Images (use a photo editor to add your logo, quotes, or slogans)

• Ask a Question at the end of your post text. Where, When, Should...or do a ‘like if you would’ type questions. No Why Questions. People will skip responding if they have to think or type to much.

• Do 'behind the scenes'. How do you celebrate birthdays, decorate for holidays, in addition to how you do your day to day operations.

• Special ‘secret’ deals for FB users. For example, I have a promo code that I only publish on Facebook and I make sure they know it. "FB EXCLUSIVE JUST FOR YOU!"

• Take advantage of current events: Women's Day, Elections, Olympics. It proves you are relevant and active in modern culture.

• Give directions aka call to action - Post, Comment, submit, like, tell us, share

Tip # 3

Mix status updates up: educate, entertain, promote, inspire - track the analytics of your posts to see what works the best with your audience.

Tip # 4

Relate what you are posting to the type of media required.  Videos get the most engagement, but if you posted videos everyday people would lose interest.  

Consider the point of the post.

• Icing tip? Video.

• New blog post? Link with picture

• Special Event? Photo.

• Question? Text in a graphic.

Tip # 5

Post at the Right Time

If you don’t post your Facebook updates when your audience is most likely to see them, you can’t expect good engagement. When is the right time to post? Well, it varies depending on your audience.  For example, if you know your target group consists of working mothers, lunchtime and evenings are probably going to be effective times for you to post because that’s when they’re likely taking a break.

My advice is to always post half an hour before the prescribed optimal time. If the majority of your fans log into Facebook at 8pm, your update should go live by 7:30pm. That way, when your fans come online your post will already be in their news feed.

Adapted from Social Media Examiner

5 Tips to Increase Productivity

We all need more hours in our day.  We all need ways to get us moving, get us motivated, and get our work done.  I work from home with a 4 year old and a 2 year old.  I have blocks of time set aside for working and I try not to work outside of those blocks, so I need a solid plan to keep me as focused as possible.  These are the top 5 things I do in my crazy house.  If they work for me, then they will work for you!

WORKOUT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

Get up.  Wash your face, brush your teeth, and drink a glass of water.  Then get to it.  Do not check your phone.  Do not turn on your computer.  Get to it and don’t look back until you have been at it for at least 30 minutes.  

Not only is exercise good for your health, it is also great for your mind.  I take morning runs and sometimes do yoga.  During this time, I think about what I need to do for the day.  I think about problems that need to be addressed or try to work through issues in my head.  Exercise is mindless work.  It is a great time to focus inwardly and get really good thoughts circulating. The next step is up to you, but I get done, drink water, then sit down and make my to do list before taking a shower.  Since all the thoughts were swirling around in my head, I want to get them on paper as soon as possible.  Yes, I use paper (the PUSH GOAL day planner to be exact.)

MAKE A TO DO LIST BEFORE BEGINNING WORK

Brainstorm what the TOP 3 priorities are for the day.  These are the things that MUST get done TODAY.  If these things do not get done, the entire day will be shot.  These are the tasks that other tasks build on.  Once, you get these duties on your list, list other work related goals that you need to accomplish within 2-3 days.  These are tasks that need to get done, but if they are not done today, it will not ruin your work flow.  Maybe they become tomorrow’s top 3, but today they are ok to get to later.  Last, in a separate section, list the household/outside of work things you need to do.  This can be cleaning, kids activities, dinner plans, pickups at the cleaners, etc.  

At this point, I also make a rough schedule.  More about that when I talk about breaks.

TURN ON YOUR MUSIC AND PUT ON YOUR BLINDERS

Since I work from home with kids running around, this is dangerous but it still must be done!  I would assume that working in an office is no different with all of the chatter buzzing around.  Choose a music that you can mindlessly listen to with a good upbeat.  I personally listen to Afternoon Acoustic on Spotify.  I do not listen to any of these songs any other time than when I am in ‘the zone’.  I don’t know if that is important, but it is how it works out for me.  

Blinders on means no phone alerts, no texting, no pms, NO FACEBOOK!  I wear an apple watch, so I can see who is texting or calling but do not have access to my phone.  If it is my kids school, I answer.  Otherwise, I let it go.  I have disabled any and all alerts that might pop up on my desktop to distract me while I am working.  This may sound extreme to some, but do not worry.  I have a method to my madness.  Read on….

TAKE SCHEDULED BREAKS - SET A TIMER

Earlier, I mentioned the rough schedule.  I make a rough outline of what must be done in order to accomplish my goals for the day, as well as remember the outside of work things that need to be done.  I ALWAYS leave 10 - 30 minutes open between blocks of time.  I use this time to get up and walk around, check my phone, use the bathroom, and refill my water.  Since I work from home and still have Stay At Home Mom duties, I also schedule in pick up times, playdates, grocery shopping, etc.  This keeps me on track because it can be so easy to let those things take the day over without getting any work done.  This is my schedule for today, in case you need it visualized:

Work on Blog              6:30-7:30

Breakfast/Clean up      7:30-8:00

M School                      8:00-9:30 (getting dressed, drop off, come home)

Work on Blog              9:30 - 11:30

M School                     11:30-12:30 (pick up)

Clean                            1:00 - 2:00 (Today, my task is cleaning bathrooms)

M Dance Class             2:00-4:00

Work ( research)           4:00 - 5:30

Family time                  5:30-8:30

Work (Reply to all SM interactions)     8:30-10:30

It is a crazy schedule and it is never the same thing twice, but if I write it out everyday fresh, life is MUCH easier! I also set alarms on my phone for each stopping point (7:30, 11:30, 5:30, 10:30 in example) so that I can stay on track.  It is so easy to say “Just one more minute and I can get this done” and it turns into 15-20 minutes….and I am off track with the day's tasks!  As mentioned earlier, as soon as my work time is up I pick up my phone and check missed calls and messages.  I only scroll my personal facebook after all my work is done.

MARK TASKS OFF LIST WITH A RED MARKER

This may sound silly, but seriously...DO IT!  The sense of accomplishment when physically marking things off of a list is HUGE!  When I kept my list on my phone and would check something off, it would disappear...but there are still a list there with lots of stuff.  Now, when I mark off with a red marker, I can glance at my list and see how much I have accomplished!  It is motivating to see what you can do in a day.  I use red, just because of the WOW factor.  You could use black or purple, but there is just something about red that says “HA!  I HAVE DEFEATED YOU EVIL TO DO LIST!”  No?...maybe that is just me!

Do you have a tip/trick that works for you? Please share below!

5 Amazing Books for Personal Development

You Are A Badass - Jen Sincero

 In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, Make some damn money already. The kind you’ve never made before.

Rising Strong - Brene Brown

Social scientist Brené Brown has ignited a global conversation on courage, vulnerability, shame, and worthiness. Her pioneering work uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability—the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome—is the only path to more love, belonging, creativity, and joy. But living a brave life is not always easy: We are, inevitably, going to stumble and fall.

It is the rise from falling that Brown takes as her subject in Rising Strong. As a grounded theory researcher, Brown has listened as a range of people—from leaders in Fortune 500 companies and the military to artists, couples in long-term relationships, teachers, and parents—shared their stories of being brave, falling, and getting back up. She asked herself, What do these people with strong and loving relationships, leaders nurturing creativity, artists pushing innovation, and clergy walking with people through faith and mystery have in common? The answer was clear: They recognize the power of emotion and they’re not afraid to lean in to discomfort.

The Slight Edge - Jeff Olson

The Slight Edge is a way of thinking, a way of processing information that enables you to make the daily choices that will lead you to the success and happiness you desire. Learn why some people make dream after dream come true, while others just continue dreaming and spend their lives building dreams for someone else. The Slight Edge is not just another self-help tool for traveling the path to success. It is the doorway to creating powerful results in any area of your life, by using tools you already hold within you.

Presence - Amy Cuddy

By accessing our personal power, we can achieve "presence," the state in which we stop worrying about the impression we're making on others and instead adjust the impression we've been making on ourselves. As Harvard professor Amy Cuddy's revolutionary book reveals, we don't need to embark on a grand spiritual quest or complete an inner transformation to harness the power of presence. Instead, we need to nudge ourselves, moment by moment, by tweaking our body language, behavior, and mind-set in our day-to-day lives.

A Year of Yes - Shonda Rhimes

This poignant, intimate, and hilarious memoir explores Shonda’s life before her Year of Yes—from her nerdy, book-loving childhood creating imaginary friends to her devotion to creating television characters who reflected the world she saw around her (like Cristina Yang, whose ultimate goal wasn’t marriage, and Cyrus Beene, who is a Republican and gay). And it chronicles her life after her Year of Yes had begun—when Shonda forced herself out of the house and onto the stage, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and giving the Dartmouth Commencement speech; when she learned to say yes to her health, yes to play and she stepped out of the shadows and into the sun; when she learned to explore, empower, applaud, and love her truest self. Yes.
This wildly candid and compulsively readable book reveals how the mega talented Shonda Rhimes, an unexpected introvert, achieved badassery worthy of a Shondaland character. And how you can, too.

4 Perks of an Email Newsletter

1. You have a group of dedicated followers ready to hear what you have to say.

The customers who walk into your store or visit your online storefront want to hear from you.  They want to know when you are having a sale.  They want to know if you have a coupon they can use.  They want to know if you will be open late hours for the holidays.  Open communication with your customers is KEY to your success and their faithful patronage!

2. Allows you to reach your readers on a personal level – their inbox.

Personally, when I scroll through my social media feeds unless a really cute graphic catches my eye, I scroll on by.  However, when I get an email from someone I signed up to, I stop and read (at least the subject) to see what is going on.  Something that is so special to need an email is worth my time.  

3. Keeps your blog in front of their eyes and makes them aware of new content and new projects you are working on.

When sending out newsletter containing new blog content, you are adding value to the lives of your customers.  They may not catch your announcement or piece of advice in their social media feed, but it will be waiting for them in their email inbox.  

4. If you ever decide to sell a new product or service, you have an engaged audience ready to buy.

When you have a loyal following who already love your brand or store, they will be ready to buy anything you have to offer.  Coffee Shop who now offers donuts.  Etsy monogram shop who now sells custom decals.  Restaurant who now plays live music on weekends.  Your customers what to know and they will respond!!!