If you’re involved in digital marketing for a small business, Facebook can be an excellent tool to drive traffic to your store.
In addition to having a website to display your business, social media can effectively showcase what you sell or the solutions you provide.
Facebook should definitely be an area of focus. It doesn’t require a significant investment on your part.
Here are five ways to promote your local business on Facebook.
1. Location Pages
Location pages allow you to display your Facebook presence, especially if you have multiple locations.
It’s a great way for your business to:
- Be found faster.
- Customize content for specific locations.
- Organize and manage multiple locations.
- Tailor check-ins to specific customer locations.
- Develop localized ads based on specific locations.
Essentially, the "Locations" tab on a branded Facebook page is relatively easy to set up. Ensure you’re an admin to expedite the process.
2. Facebook Advertising
Facebook advertising doesn’t have to be expensive and is fantastic for increasing brand visibility.
Facebook’s demographic and geographical targeting capabilities are excellent for showing your message to your ideal consumer.
You won’t find a more robust ad platform than Facebook. Depending on your objectives, Facebook offers various ad types to help you achieve your goals.
For example, if you have a new location and a new location page, increasing your community size could be an objective. Gaining more likes will provide more opportunities for your targeted audience to see your content.
3. Local Awareness Ads
Local Awareness ads are a hyper-targeted form of advertising designed to attract nearby consumers.
Features like “Get Directions” or “Call Now” can significantly increase foot traffic to your business.
For instance, a client with a new medical center wanted to drive traffic, so we developed ads highlighting both the services offered and the new doctors at the location. These ads targeted demographics and interests relevant to potential customers and focused on the specific area of the location with a 10-mile radius around the new address.
This not only helps with brand awareness but also helps specific locations meet their goals.
4. Events
Events are another low-cost strategy to generate business. Developing an invitation for health fairs or other in-person events can be effective.
The advantage of invitations is that when someone accepts, it shows up in their friends’ notifications, bringing more attention to your event.
If you have the budget, you can “boost” these events similarly to other ads, thus increasing awareness about what is happening at your business.
I often create events for clients with new location openings.
5. Facebook Live/Videos
Facebook places significant emphasis on video content. Facebook Live, a video-broadcasting/streaming service, allows anyone to broadcast their message directly to the Facebook news feed from a mobile device.
Facebook Live videos have three times the engagement of traditional videos shared on the platform.
Creating both traditional and Facebook Live content will undoubtedly draw attention to your location.
Here are some video content ideas:
- Show your latest menu items or "Today’s Specials" if you’re a restaurant.
- Take a tour of your store and display your latest stock.
- Highlight new product deliveries.
- Introduce your employees to personalize your brand.
- Announce sales through Facebook Live.
- Share helpful content relevant to your brand, such as styling tips for clothing boutiques.
- Demonstrate DIY projects related to your business, like dessert recipes for an ice cream shop.
Now you have some tips on how to promote your local business on Facebook. Use them to start driving more business.
More Facebook Marketing Resources:
- Facebook Feed Changes – What Businesses Can Do Next
- Facebook Analytics: A Beginner’s Guide
- How to Use Facebook Page Insights Like an Expert
Image Credits
Screenshots by Victoria Edwards. Taken March 2018.
