How companies use Facebook for marketing.

Facebook is not Google, it is not a keyword search engine.  On Google people let you know what they want by searching on  a particular keyword or phrase. Your job is to give them what they want as quickly as possible.  On Google people are looking to be sold to.

Update 23/08/2019  This blog post was originally written in 2014 and it is still very accurate. I talk about uploading your customers email addresses to Facebook so you can market to your customers. You can still do that but the interface has changed and for all kind of pricacy and GDPR reasons Facebook will look to ensure you are entitled to use the emails addresses you are uploading. Not a bad thing either. Anyway enjoy the blog and happy marketing. 

Don’t be the Pushy Salesman

It is key to running a successful Facebook marketing strategy that you understand in the main people on Facebook are not looking to be sold to.

Getting New Customers

If your aim is to get new customers through Facebook marketing then consider the following approach.

1. First of all build trust and engagement with the potential client. This can be done by offering helpful tips and advice on problems you know people are having.
2. This help and advice are delivered by status updates or Facebook posts been turned in Facebook ads that are then seen by your target audience.
3. Facebook status updates that are used as ads are not really suitable for long explanations. It is a good idea to have these Facebook ads offer an introduction to your solution, but also hav a link to a fuller article on your web site or blog.
4. If possible build this trust over a period of time. Offer the help for free and initially ask nothing in return
5. Use Facebook’s tracking options to allow you to see who engages with your initial content.
6. Target those who really engaged in your original content with new and better tips or advice. The difference now is you ask for an email address before the potential client can see the offer or access the help.
7. Once you have their email address you can take the sales process away from Facebook.

This Facebook marketing strategy will not suit all businesses.

If you sell a product or service that

1. Is easily available on the high street,
2. Generates little or no excitement or passion with the user,
3. Works exactly the same for everybody,
4. Where there is little advice or explanation required or added value you bring to it

then Facebook marketing will not be your main driver of business. It will have a role to play just not the biggest one in your marketing mix.

If on the other hand there is added value , engagement & passion involved in what you do or sell then this strategy could be a winner for you.

Keeping Existing Customers or looking for repeat sales.

You are in business for a while and have lots of customers. You know staying in touch is important especially if you want to sell to them again and again.

You may already be using email  to keep in touch. Excellent but you can build on that marketing strategy.

Facebook allows you to

1. upload your email database to its servers.
2. It will then look to match your email addresses against the ones it has from people registering on Facebook.
3. It will create a list of the ones that match and allow you to target ads to that list.

This can be a great way of allowing you to get your Facebook Ads in front of your existing customers, remind them you are still here and ready to do business. If you have new offers etc again you can get his out to your customers this way.

I have used this strategy very successfully with clients whose Facebook marketing was not really suitable for getting new clients but is very good as helping them keep them.

Check out my video blog post on Email Custom Audiences to see how to set this up in Facebook.