Blog

Expanding Your Reach on Facebook

Ever since Facebook began its EdgeRank system in an attempt to make money, they have begun making subtle changes to the way content is being viewed by its users. What does this mean for the small business owner who is trying to use Facebook as a way to reach more customers for free? It means that they have to be more creative than ever and expand their reach on the social media giant.

 
But how can you do that, you ask? The first, and easiest, thing you can do is to write engaging content. Sound familiar? It should, as quality, engaging content is what will make customers take notice of your business and want to learn more about your products or services. Giving potential customers valuable information is important, but don’t forget to throw in some questions or opinion polls to get them talking and sharing their ideas with each other and your company.

 
Another method you could employ is to encourage your customers to add your fan page to their interest list or ask them to click the “receive notifications” option in their settings. To many, this move may seem very forward, but in actuality, it’s not. In fact, a higher percentage of new customers say they don’t mind being asked by a company to like their page or sign up for special offers.

 
If asking your customers to like your pages bothers you, you could always invest in some promoted posts or paid advertising offered by Facebook and go that route. Promoted posts are relatively inexpensive and give you the opportunity to reach more of your total fan base and non-fans, too. You can decide how much you want to spend and when you want to spend it. You could even use the promoted posts as a tester and see what gets a better reaction from potential customers before spending a lot of your advertising budget.

 
The paid Facebook advertising gets you great visibility but does tend to cost a bit more. With this method, you do get better control over your ads and you can be assured that more people will see them and potentially click on them. You can target a particular audience, space out your ads and even set weekly spending limits for your advertising.
You could even try both of Facebook advertising methods at the same time and see which one works better for you. Many people choose to run both methods all of the time and just direct them at different audiences. Whichever route you choose, knowing ahead of time what you intend to get out of the advertising campaign is important.

 
Extending your reach on Facebook more effectively isn’t as difficult as it sounds and there are many methods to choose from that will suit your needs and the needs of your business. Try one, or try them all; only you can decide which method you choose, but then it will be up to your customers to choose the one that is most effective at grabbing their attention.