How to Use Facebook to Establish Credibility and Attract New Customers to Your Creative Business
Maybe you’ve been on Facebook forever, but you didn’t realize that it was THE social media best suited for growing your business (until you took my quiz, that is!). Well, now it’s time to get down to business and start using Facebook to its fullest potential.
Uhh, but how does one do that exactly?!
If you’re passionate about what you do (and create!) but not necessarily pumped about spending a ton of time promoting yourself online, Facebook is for you. After all, it is the biggest and most widely known and used social media platform in the world. It’s time to simplify and streamline your marketing processes while magnifying your results. Let’s do it!
To attract your ideal clients and grow your creative business on Facebook, you need to understand the breadth of its capabilities, identify how to use it successfully, and get clear about your goals.
Deep breath, I promise it isn’t as overwhelming as it sounds!
PS. If you haven't taken the quiz yet, check it out here! :)
Why Facebook is perfect for creative business owners just getting started with their social media strategy
Facebook is the best social media platform for creative business owners who are just starting to build their online presence. Facebook is also particularly effective for businesses that plan to include paid ads in their marketing strategy. Beyond that, it is also ideal for those who want to consistently connect with their biggest fans and regularly find new customers.
The first and most obvious benefit to Facebook is its size. With 2.74 billion monthly users, Facebook is a no-brainer for new businesses. According to SEMrush, it’s the third most visited website (on the entire internet!).
What does that mean for you and your creative business?
There is a VERY high chance your potential customers are checking Facebook when they research new products. They are likely to look you up on Facebook to validate your legitimacy before purchasing from you.
Facebook has a broader reach than any other social media platform, and it is also known to reach an older audience. It’s a great place to establish yourself as a leader in your industry by sharing tutorials, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes secrets via your business page.
Beyond basic brand recognition and searchability, Facebook is the best platform for building engaged communities and connecting with particular populations via Facebook groups. If you want to build an interactive community and grow an organic following without the pressure to create a beautifully curated feed (like on Instagram), Facebook groups are a perfect place for you to start! Consider taking advantage of groups by creating your own and participating in existing groups. - But more on that in a different post.
What is unique about Facebook?
Facebook celebrated its 17th birthday in 2021. That’s ancient in social media years!
That means your biggest fans are VERY likely to be using Facebook in some capacity… and there’s a good chance they are even joining groups to ask questions, learn new information, or make like-minded friends.
Fun Facebook facts:
2.74 billion monthly users
56% of users are male
66% of Facebook users visit a local business page at least once a week
1.8 million people are using Facebook groups.
**Pro tip: To speed up your Facebook success, you can also consider the pay to play option. Many businesses get started with organic strategies, but once you're ready to skyrocket your results, a paid ad strategy will help you grow much quicker!
How to be successful on Facebook as a creative business
Facebook is a great place for small business owners to build awareness and trust. If you’re not confident you can keep up with a fast-paced marketing strategy, that’s okay. Posting once a week to a Facebook business page is still highly beneficial!
Because Facebook is such a massive platform, shoppers use it to research products and businesses. Showing up regularly helps ensure your audience that you are still in business and ready to fulfill their orders - even if you’re not actively pursuing a huge audience.
**Pro tip: If you’re in the early stages of building your Facebook business page, stick to posting pictures of your products and link back to your shop in each caption. Think of your feed as a portfolio or fancy/ interactive business card!
When launching a business page, it can be tricky to gain traction. Don’t be discouraged if growth is slow!
If your target audience or ideal client is older, that’s great news! Older adults are the fastest-growing demographic of Facebook users. You can reach almost any age on this platform, but you're much more likely to connect with older adults here than on any other social media platform. (It’s critical to know who your ideal customer is. If you’re still working on this one, no worries. Check out this blog post for some tips!)
Quick tips to win the Facebook game:
Optimize your bio and links. The minimum requirement for ANY small business is a Facebook business page that links directly to your website or shop, a crystal clear bio about who you serve and what you offer, and a specific call to action. Potential buyers should quickly know what you are selling and what you want them to do next (Join your email list? Use your coupon code? Check out your viral tutorial?).
Double-check your logo, banners, and photos are relevant, up-to-date, and on-brand. Like we talked about earlier, updated pictures and links can help potential buyers feel like you’re legitimate and trustworthy. Recently, I received a beautiful handmade gift. I loved it so much that I wanted to buy more! I had no info except a logo sticker, so I searched the company name on Facebook and found the matching logo. Sadly they hadn’t posted in over a year, and the link in their bio didn’t work. I didn’t have any way of getting in touch with them to buy more. This step is essential, even if you don’t have the time/bandwidth to create daily content.
Get crystal clear on WHO your ideal client is. When you think of your dream customer, what characteristics do they have (male/female, age, married/single, family, income, hobbies, style)? Think about what they love and how your product speaks to them or solves a problem for them.
Decide how best to SERVE your ideal clients. What do your customers need and want? Do they need tips, encouragement, connection, or entertainment (or, most likely, a mix!)?
Commit to a REALISTIC posting schedule. Your posting schedule won't look like all the influencers you follow. Consider starting with 1-3 posts/week and increasing if/when you feel comfortable. And don’t be afraid to recycle/repurpose content! A small percentage of your followers will see each post, and it’s ok to re-use photos and posts!
Create a content plan! The best way to show up consistently and intentionally on Facebook is to plan and schedule posts in advance. This step will help you avoid the burnout of creating/posting daily!
Use the right tools! Having the right tools can make a huge difference too! Check out my post with my must-have tools for marketing your creative business on social media.
A few common Facebook mistakes to avoid:
Feeling pressured to follow someone else’s posting schedule! Keeping up with the “social media gurus” and posting x times per day/week is a common pitfall. (Can I let you in on a secret? They probably have a team of marketers helping them create all that content, and they’re serving a completely different audience than you!) Experiment and find your ideal posting schedule and stick with it!
Worrying too much about vanity metrics. Yes, it's good to measure your Facebook growth to ensure you're on the right track, but MORE followers are not always the answer. You can have thousands of followers with very little engagement because your audience doesn’t trust you or feel connected to what you’re sharing. On the flip side, imagine the impact 100 dedicated supporters could have on your business! Focus on speaking directly to your biggest fans and connecting with them in a real way.
Waiting until your Facebook game is PERFECT. The absolute WORST thing you could do is not to start because you’re afraid you’ll mess up. Spoiler alert: You will. 100% of social media users have posted something that wasn’t perfect or didn’t have the impact they had hoped for. The best/only way to get better is to get started. And remember - the more you post, the better you’ll get to know your fans. So your content will keep improving as you go!
Okay, I know that was a lot. There are so many ways for you to use Facebook to benefit your creative business! You might find that your fans are super into your educational content or behind-the-scenes posts. Or maybe you connect and engage with Facebook group members. The best part is that you can figure out what works for you and your customers and then run with it! The key is to consistently show up, be true to who you are, and share your incredible work!
5 ways to extend your reach with Facebook:
Let’s make sure Facebook is working FOR you as much as you’re working to create a consistent presence on it!
Use your network: Invite friends and family members to “like” or “follow” your page to help you get the ball rolling… and don’t be afraid to ask them to share with their network too!
Mix it up: Try out different types of content. Your audience might love to see sneak peeks of new products, but they might also love funny memes (that relate to your niche). Pay attention to what is getting shared the most.
Include a call to action (CTA): Maybe you’ve seen this term around but can never remember what you’re supposed to do. Having a call to action just means giving your readers a specific task. Ask them to respond to a question with an emoji or to share your post on their page. You can encourage them to tag a friend or click a link, but CTAs make a huge difference when it comes to ENGAGING your audience vs them scrolling past.
Join and create groups: We already talked a little about this one, but Facebook groups can fast track your growth on Facebook! Join groups similar to or related to your business and network, ask questions, or introduce yourself. Some groups even allow you to share your page (but check their rules first). OR, if you’re ready to take it up a notch, create your own group to nurture a community of your customers and future customers!
Maximize your content: One of the advantages of Facebook is that it also owns Instagram. Because of this, it is super easy to post to Facebook and Instagram simultaneously. Double the exposure for half the effort. Yes, please. With Facebook as your focus, you can select "auto-post to Instagram" in your Settings, and this will automatically post your content to your IG business page at the same time.
Side note: I typically recommend setting up business profiles for Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest even though you will focus most of your efforts on one platform at first. It never hurts to start building a presence on a second platform if you decide to add it as you grow! You will show up when potential clients and customers search for you - no matter what platform they prefer. And on a more practical note, you’ll claim your username on all platforms so no one else can take it, and it will be ready for you when you want to expand your marketing efforts or outsource your social media content creation later down the road.
Let’s recap…
Remember, your possibilities are endless with Facebook. There’s a 100% chance your dream audience is on this platform. And with a little bit of planning and strategy, you can turn them into paying customers and raving fans!
But as lovely as that sounds, there is no magic Facebook wand. And it’s not exactly FREE either.
Without a plan or strategy in place, you might spend hours a day figuring out what to post or getting distracted and stuck in a “doom scroll” instead of working. This approach will eventually lead to burnout or frustration. I’ve seen this repeatedly happen with the bakers and makers I work with.
Repeat after me: I am a creative CEO. I run my business… not Facebook! ;)
It’s time to treat social media like your assistant. Facebook can help you grow your customer base, but it doesn’t get to boss you around and steal all of your time. With the right action plan in place, you can use Facebook to build credibility and connect with new customers - and you can do it in a few hours a week (not a day). Are you ready?
