When we think of social media, we often think of connecting with friends and family over Facebook, or following a celebrity on Twitter. But businesses can also leverage social websites to their advantage. In this post, we explain how and why to do just that.
Why Facebook?
Of all social media platforms, Facebook is still the most popular. Just shy of 3 billion (2.8bn) use it, and in addition, Facebook also owns 4 of the other big social platforms, including Instagram (which can make for handy integration). From a business perspective, almost two-thirds of users go to a local business page on at least a weekly basis – and 83% of brands use social media as part of their digital marketing strategy.
What are the benefits of using Facebook?
When it comes to business accounts, there are several reasons you might consider using Facebook.
- Reach a wider audience – with billions of active users on Facebook, you have the potential to tap into a huge audience and attract valuable new clients who are interested in your sector and treatments. As mentioned, it’s also the leading social media platform in the world.
- Communicate key messages – whether it’s a new treatment or an exciting offer, Facebook gives you another place to spread the word. Your clients also love picturing themselves having treatments, and as social media is heavily image-based, you can easily share before & after shots or videos of your clinic and staff to give them more of an idea of what to expect.
- Touch base with your clients – it’s fast, easy and instant to post on Facebook, which makes it ideal for to-the-minute updates or quick announcements. Many of our own clients have found it to be especially useful during the pandemic.
- Build brand loyalty – by interacting and engaging with your clients (such as posting replies or ‘liking’ their posts), you can stay at the forefront of their minds and prove that your care and professionalism doesn’t stop when they leave your clinic. It’s also ideal for building a better awareness of your brand.
- Link to your website – you can incorporate a link to your website or treatment pages whenever you post, giving more opportunity for clients to visit your website and convert to bookings.
One of the other huge benefits of social media is it can be as low-cost as you like. While we do advise putting together a strategy around paid advertising, which can help you reach specific demographics (age, location, interests etc.), a standard post is free and it’s also free to create an account.
How does paid advertising work?
Facebook offers paid ads as a way to specifically target your clients, based on aspects such as their location or their interests. It’s ideal for when you need to trial an offer or treatment, before rolling it out on a wider basis. Businesses also love how they can get large returns on a relatively small budget – and of course, there’s nothing stopping you from running several ads at the same time.
How can I strategise effectively?
It’s really important to always bear your business goals in mind, and plan accordingly, when creating your ads. Think about whether you’re trying to generate more leads, boost traffic to your website, build awareness of your brand or simply gain a few more followers on your Facebook account, then choose your ad campaign objective, select your audience and unleash the creativity!
* Consider your content – what do your clients want to see on Facebook? Think about the image, message and call to action (CTA), as well as a webpage you could link to from your website (more on this later).
* Trust in the testing – it’s essential that any move you make in your digital marketing strategy is analysed and assessed, to ensure it’s generating the results you’re looking for. With Facebook ads, you can run several at a time with only slight differences, then see which give a better outcome (A/B testing). You can also use tools such as Facebook Pixel to track where users go on your website after they’ve clicked your ad. This tool can even help us to optimise your audience to those Facebook thinks are most likely to convert (eg book at your clinic).
* It’s all about the happy landing – even if your ad looks fantastic and is targeting the right people, it won’t help them convert if your website is slow to load, poorly designed, lacking in information or simply not relevant. Crafting a dedicated landing page for your ad, with all the information your clients need in one place and perhaps contact details or a form to submit their details, can make the whole experience more seamless and rewarding, for you and your clients.
What about organic content?
As well as paid advertising, your strategy should also incorporate so-called ‘organic’ content, which is essentially anything you post, or activity you carry out, without payment. This builds on, and engages with, your following and is a great way to reach those you’re already connected to.
There are two words that come to mind when posting organic content on social media: ‘stay real’. Be true to yourself and what your brand stands for, and you can’t go wrong. Here are a few other tips:
– Create unique content – while some types of social posts are ideal for sharing, your clients also want to get an idea of what they can expect from your treatments and services. This helps generate trust and engagement. Don’t be afraid to show your personality or add a dash of humour – people like to feel that a brand is human and personal.
– Capitalise on hashtags – whether it’s an existing or trending hashtag you can annexe for your clinic, a general treatment term, or one that includes your location, they can help widen your reach when users search for those terms. In addition, you can create your own hashtag, then encourage others to use it when they engage with you or post about your clinic.
– Vary it up – it’s no use posting the same type of content day in, day out, as you’ll see engagement drop and followers (subscriptions) shrink. It’s essential that you post a variety of content (Facebook live, videos, images etc) to ensure your ‘feed’ looks fresh.
– Post little and often – different post rates work for different businesses, but as a rule of thumb, you should post several times a week on your social media accounts. This helps ensure you’re being seen by your followers and stay on their mind.
– Trust in influencers – partnering with influencers can widen your reach and make your brand more relatable to others. Whether it’s a video diary of a treatment you offer, or simply some stunning before & after shots, never underestimate the power of the influencer.
How do I get started?
The most successful businesses on Facebook use a digital marketing strategy that’s tailored to their unique goals and aims. At Cosmetic Digital, we’re experts in the aesthetics and dental sectors and have helped hundreds of clients achieve success on social media platforms, including Facebook.
To find out how we can help your business make big gains, get in touch with our team today by calling 01159 140 640 or visiting our contact page.