Social Media
How to write Facebook posts that actually get seen
Small changes to the first line, the photo and the ending that help more people see and respond to your posts.
· 2 min read
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Facebook marketing for small businesses
Facebook is still where the neighborhood talks.
For most local businesses this is the one to start with. Your customers and the town's community groups are already there. Here is how to show up without it eating your week.
- Time:
- About 2 hours a week
- Cost:
- Free
Is it worth your time?
Worth it if
- You serve a town or a neighborhood. Almost every one has an active community group.
- Most of your customers are 35 or older.
- Your business runs on recommendations. On Facebook that word of mouth is typed out where everyone can read it.
Skip it for now if
- Your customers are other businesses spread across the country. LinkedIn will do more for you.
- Your customers are mostly teenagers and people in their early twenties.
Step one
Set it up once
Do these in order, in one sitting if you can. After that, the only work is the weekly rhythm further down.
Step 1: Use a Page, not your personal profile
A business Page is free. It shows your hours, lets customers message you and keeps your personal life separate. If you have been running the business from your own profile, create the Page and invite your friends to follow it.
Step 2: Fill in every field
Hours, address or service area, phone number and website. Type them exactly the way they appear on your Google listing, so customers and search engines see one business and not two.
Make your details match everywhere →Step 3: Choose the button
The button near the top of your Page can say Call now, Book now or Send message. Pick the one that matches how customers actually buy from you.
Step 4: Turn on messages, then answer them
Plenty of people would rather message than call. Set an automatic reply that says when you will get back to them, and then get back to them.
Step 5: Join your local groups as yourself
Read each group's rules first. Most don't allow ads, but nearly all welcome a helpful answer from someone who knows the subject. Be that person.
What to post
Rotate through three kinds of post so you never start from a blank box, and add an event when you have one.
- 01
Show your work
A photo you took of something you made, fixed, sold or served, with a sentence or two about it.
“Finished this deck in Oak Hills today. The old one lasted 22 years.”
- 02
Help
Answer a question customers ask you all the time. Start with the question itself.
“People always ask us whether they can freeze our bread. Yes, and here's how.”
- 03
Be a person
Introduce an employee, say why you started, mark a milestone or thank a customer.
“Meet Dee. Nine years behind this counter and she knows everyone's order.”
- 04
An event, when you have one
Create a Facebook event for a sale, a class, live music or an open house. People who mark themselves interested get reminded for you.
A rhythm you can keep
About 2 hours a week- Monday
- One hour: write and schedule three posts
- Tue · Thu · Sat
- A post goes out
- Every day
- Ten minutes answering comments and messages
- Once a week
- One helpful answer in a local group
Mistakes to skip
- Putting a link in every post. Lead with your photo and your words, and save the link for when people need it.
- Only posting sales. If every post is an ad, people stop looking.
- Sharing memes and other pages' posts instead of your own photos.
- Dropping ads into community groups. It gets you removed, and remembered for the wrong reason.
Do this today
Open your Page on your phone and check the hours, the phone number and the button. Then answer one question in a local group without mentioning your business unless someone asks.
Businesses that get the most from Facebook
Each page ranks every channel for that kind of business and gives you the first jobs to do.
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