Page 152 - Social Media Marketing for Dummies

Looking at Facebook Basics

Deciding how to practice SMM on Facebook can seem intimidating because so
much is going on at one time. The Facebook page for each business entity has a
host of links, ads, posts, and so on. In addition, changes to the platform itself are
being made continuously. You may feel that as soon as you understand how some-
thing works, it changes, and this can seem overwhelming. One way to overcome
this sense of feeling overwhelmed is to remember the following:

» The key to SMM on Facebook is to understand that your network
is the key.
Together, you and your friends do things online that may affect each other’s
behavior. Marketers try to harness this activity to their own advantage. That’s
what you need to focus on. For example, if several customers like your business
page, their friends will see that recommendation and perhaps buy it, too. By
understanding the interconnectedness of SMM, you can build your business.
» The heart of Facebook is a user’s newsfeed.
It’s easy to forget that the heart of Facebook is not your Facebook business
page or a user’s profile page; rather, it’s the newsfeed. This is the page that a
user sees when she logs into Facebook. It shows her friends’ activities (including
potentially your brand’s activity). In 2013, Facebook redesigned the newsfeed
so that users would have an easier way to show their friends what matters
most to them. Some users have complained that the algorithm that supports
this redesign (called Edgerank) actually makes it harder for their fans to see
their daily content.
Because it’s now harder to predict what your users will see, focusing your
Facebook marketing efforts on the newsfeed is extremely important. A lot
more users may learn about your company or your product through the
newsfeed than by visiting your particular company page on Facebook or
increasingly, your website.
» Using Facebook requires constant experimentation.

No one right way to market on Facebook exists. Your audience and products
are unique. You can follow some best practices, but for the most part, you
have to determine what works for your specific audience. If you understand
this idea going in, you won’t have to feel as though you’re failing because
things are moving slowly at first. Try something and see how it works. Then
use feedback and results to point you in the right direction.

136 PART 3 Reaching Your Audience via Mainstream Social Platforms