Facebook: Why your business needs it (and how to use it!)

Are your ideal customers adults? Then your business needs to be on Facebook because that’s where their eyeballs are. Time-poor or don’t have a clue where to start? Get some answers with these six most frequently asked questions.

85% of Kiwi adults are on Facebook and using it for at least 30-minutes every day.

1. Why should my business be on Facebook?

Facebook is the most cost effective way to promote your small business right now. It’s basically ‘word of mouth’ on steroids. It’s your chance to tell more people about your services and how you can help them - bringing in more enquiries more often.

2. How much do I need to spend?

You can start small by spending $100 a month on Facebook advertising to boost the number of people who see your posts and set up targeted marketing campaigns. Or just post engaging content regularly, which doesn't cost a thing.

3. Do I need a Facebook expert or can I do it in-house?

If you don’t have a spare $4k to spend per month with an agency, do it in-house. Find someone within your business who wants to take ownership of it and get them trained in Facebook Ad Manager. Facebook content needs to come from the beating heart of the business so make sure the person looking after it knows the business, your voice and your customers. But remember, they’ll still need you to be involved to make it authentic. You, and your team, need to appear in the content and help create it.

“Just start posting."

4. My budget is small, what’s something effective I can do myself?

“Just start posting. The secret to social media marketing is consistency,” says Auckland digital marketing coach Andrew Ferdinando. “If you’re consistently posting engaging content, your audience will grow. There are people who have created an audience from scratch, with zero advertising budget, because they create engaging content.”

5. But I’m not a writer!

You don’t have to be - try Facebook Live. The live video streaming means you can use your phone to record yourself discussing something related to your industry, products or services and you’re done. It’s a powerful medium that doesn’t have to be polished.

6. When will I start to see traction on Facebook?

Look at your Facebook results over a 12 month period - not per campaign or post. “It’s not like a print or magazine advert - the benefit comes from long term content,” says Andrew Ferdinando. “You can get fantastic value from Facebook if you post consistently good content throughout the year.”