Research shows that the average American spends 40 minutes per day on Facebook, and users share more than one million pieces of content on the platform every minute of every day. Furthermore, there are more than 40 million active small business pages on Facebook. I could quote even more staggering statistics, but the message is pretty simple: your target clients are on Facebook, but you have a lot of competition when it comes to being seen and heard!
Though offline word-of-mouth is still the most valuable referral tool for wedding vendors, social media is quickly becoming equally crucial, especially to millennials. Your business Facebook page is like a mini extension of your website, so it’s important to utilize it to the best of your ability to engage with couples and entice them to click through to your site, where they will hopefully request your services!
So, how can you engage with couples through the single most important social media platform? Couples are most attracted to wedding inspiration and practical advice and will quickly tire of posts they perceive as a hard sell, so experiment with different types of posts (including your best work and the moments you’re most proud of) to see what gets the best interaction with your fans. Facebook Insights is an important tool to examine what types of posts are successful in terms of Likes, Comments or Shares. Once you see what’s working and what’s not, you can establish a winning blend of marketing and educational messages to build your potential clients’ trust.
In addition to creating engaging content on your Facebook page, it’s also essential to respond to your audience. Check your notifications daily to see who is tagging your page, sharing your content or mentioning your business, and interact with them! No one likes a one-sided conversation, so be sure to respond to their comments, questions and feedback on your page, as well. And don’t forget to check your messages, especially since Facebook logs an average response time. You want clients to see that you take your business seriously and as such, you’re prompt and professional with your replies to their inquiries.
Lastly, don’t discount the advantages of allocating some of your marketing budget to Facebook ads. Facebook helps you customize your ad’s audience to target your ideal customers. Just remember, ads don’t take the place of authentic conversation on your business page!
Originally published on the HoneyBook blog.