While using Facebook to market your business, certain unwritten rules need to be followed to make sure things run smoothly.

It is a well known fact that Facebook can help your business reach a bigger audience. In fact it is the biggest audience. So, how do you go about it? How do you leverage the power of Facebook, in the right way? What are the Do’s and Don’ts of Facebook Marketing? So here we go...

Do’s: There are many things to do, when it comes to marketing your business on Facebook. Below is a list of must-do things.

Have a good thumbnail

A thumbnail or profile picture can be something which identifies you. It can be a photo or your company logo. Make sure it is visible to the user.

Keep your messages consistent with your cover theme and profile picture.

The postings must be in line with the company message. For e.g., if you are a restaurant, you may post anything related to your field like the latest menu items, specials, food, and latest recipes. Your fans do not expect you to post about NBA, Football, Cricket, Science or Politics. Excel in your related area. Also keep your postings in consistence with the colours on your company logo.

Target the right people

You need to know about the audience you are targeting. Use Facebook tools and tailor your posts to the right audience. Your content needs to be tailored according to their age, gender, location and other factors. For e.g., if you are targeting teenage girls for selling cosmetics, use a pink theme colour and not black. Similarly, if you are a restaurant, and targeting the nearby office-goers, use bright red, as red is an appetite stimulator, according to colour psychology.

Time your posts correctly

People are usually more active on Facebook in the latter part of the day or evenings, when they tend to take a break from routine work and unwind. So time your posts from 1PM to 5PM. By timing your posts accurately, you can make sure that they will show up on your fans’ timelines in the first place, and not get ‘buried’ by other posts.

Analyse your own performance

Use Facebook insights and find out which of your posts has done better than the rest. You may accordingly modify your future postings to suit the taste-buds of your fans. Give them more of what they like to see!

Tag people

You may tag people, especially any of your fans who have been actively engaging with you online, liking and sharing as well as commenting on your posts. You may also tag people who have provided services, like catering etc. They will definitely love it and you will definitely get noticed online.

Make your post viral by a paid campaign

The posts which are performing well, as indicated by your FaceBook insights, can further be boosted by means of a paid campaign. This will make it reach a wider audience and become more viral.

Don’ts: Here is a list of what shouldn’t be done in order to avoid Facebook blunders.

Stop bombarding fans’ timelines

Do not post more than 2 or 3 posts a day. If you exceed the number, there are chances that you are bombarding your fan’s timeline with your postings, and this is one of the most common FaceBook blunders. The result is obvious, they will dislike you immediately and you will thus start losing fans one by one. What you need to do, is spend the extra time in creating high quality posts for the future.

Never forget to mix up different kinds of postings

Always make your page interesting to the viewers. Do not just post text or photos always. Be different, and mix it up to make things more unpredictable and interesting to view. Post videos, audio, slideshow presentations, other people’s posts (in your related field), occasional humour, quizzes, puzzles and many more. This leads to more interest, engagement, likes and shares for your postings.

Never give admin rights to everyone in your company

Given that your company consists of different departments or individuals, who may occasionally contribute with social media postings, it is important that you exercise moderation in giving them the rights. Do not give admin rights to everyone, while you may definitely give them the right to make and edit their own postings.

Never Leave the information Blank

Don’t leave your people guessing what your company really is about. It is always good to have a brief description about your company, with a web link for further information.

Don’t be slow to react

When your fans comment, the usually expect a quick response. Whether it may be negative or positive, they usually expect your reply within an hour. Your failure to do so, can lead to resentment and even anger.

Don’t overtly depend on Facebook

Facebook is a social media and you need to build a loyal following. However, getting thousands of people to like your page, doesn’t guarantee 1000 leads. Social media is more about awareness, getting people know about your brand and engaging them. You also need to have other relevant social media accounts like Linked-in, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Quora. You need to check where your audience hangs out and then reach out to them via relevant social media. Apart from that, you undoubtedly need a blog, which connected to your website. A website along with regular blogging is your basic necessity for SEO and the related organic traffic. You can then use social media to reach out to more people. Putting all eggs in one basket, i.e., FaceBook, isn’t such a great idea.

These are the do’s and don’ts of Facebook marketing, that you need to follow in order to make the most of your company page.