But I am going to say that using Facebook is one of the biggest opportunities organizations have to reach people online.
The fact is that there is no "magic" involved in a successful boost or campaign. Your organization needs to have (depending on size) a committed member or a committee of members dedicated to learning about social media and using social media on behalf of your organization. The important and wonderful thing is that many of the benefits you can gain, actually cost no money and if you decide to "boost" a post the cost can be minimal compared to the possible outcome.
To get started, we always recommend the essentials:
- a business page for your organization (not a "Friends" page)
- a WRITTEN posting plan and schedule (you want to provide useful information to the people, for the people and not just about your organization, for your own benefit)
- use images in every post...and video where ever you can
There's lots more, but just these three steps can set you on a very successful path. These steps work really they do ....time and attention are paramount, and we can answer any questions you man have about the essentials.
Beyond these essentials, Facebook (and some other platforms) uses an advertising system that can be even more powerful in helping you to increase the number of people who will take a look at your organization; it's called "Boosting" a post. Boosting a post means paying for Facebook to put your post in front of more people than would see it if you didn't pay.
The truth is that over time and with the proper methods you can get a great deal of people to see your posts ...and not pay a penny. Another truth is that unless you have a very strong on-line business presence your post will not get in front of many people. And there-in lies the conundrum; you'll need a big audience in order to reach a big audience....but wait ....you don't have a big audience....so just how are you supposed to grow one? That's what I'd like to talk about with you.
- targeting people based on demographics (you can reach more people in a specific area who may be interested in your post and will take a look at your deeper message)
- reaching large numbers of NEW people with your brand (you are allowed to put your message in front of people who are OUTSIDE your four walls...and that's really who you are trying to reach...right?)
- getting the right content seen; (After some research, you'll be able to create the right posts, and send them to the right people, at the right time)
- getting and using the analytics from your efforts (Every action you take can be tracked and you'll see where to make improvements for better and better boosts)
Two points of caution: 1.) ALWAYS have a specific WHY and GOAL for boosting a post
2.) Avoid You may see announcements claiming to bring you hundreds or thousands (some may claim millions) of people to "Like" your pages....we don't recommend spending your money on those promises. If you want me to explain why you should avoid them, just connect with me for the real story.
We are here to assist you. For those who have never ran a boost, we offer a free service to our Clients; this is geared to give you a insight of the possibilities. If you'd like to try boosting a Facebook post, or any of our other “Growing Your Membership” recommendations, select a day and time on my calendar to discuss it!