Having trouble gaining new business? In this article we will provide you with tips on how to engage with your online audience which will expand your reach and increase customer retention.
Set Up a Facebook Page for Your Business.
Setting up a Facebook page is great way to advertise your business while engaging with your clients and it is easy to setup. Check out this guide step-by-step instructions on how to setup a Facebook page for your business: https://www.facebook.com/business/learn/lessons/tips-to-creating-a-facebook-page.
Post Content Relevant to Your Business
Once you have your Facebook business page setup, start posting content relative to your business. Example topics include:
- New products/services
- Images of completed jobs (services)
- Images of products
- Promotionals
Be sure to include a call to action in your posts. Examples include prompting users to contact you or providing a link to a web page where customers can purchase the product or service.
Not every post needs to sell your product or service, encouraging users to leave a comment and creating discussion can also provide value to your business. This will help foster a community around your business and will establish your company as subject matter experts which will drive more business your way!
Thank your clients when they post positive reviews
One of the best and easiest things you can do is thank people on your Facebook page when they leave a positive review. Your post may look something like this:
“Thank you, Nick, for the 5-star review! It was a pleasure working with you and we are glad you are enjoying your *insert product/service here*
*Screenshot of the review*
This will show potential clients that people enjoy your services/products and will encourage other clients to leave reviews. If possible, tag the reviewer on Facebook in your post by typing ‘@’ before typing their name out.
Enable Facebook Messenger
Enabling Facebook messenger provides your clients with a way to conveniently get in touch with your business. You may be thinking “well, they can just call us if they have questions” however, it is important to consider that some people may have questions outside of business hours or do not have the time to make a phone call. Messenger handles this as customers will be able to send a message at any time and then you can respond when you are available.
Join and Be Active in Facebook Groups That are Relevant to Your Services/Products.
Once you have a Facebook page for your business setup, join as many groups that are related to your services/products as you can.
On these pages you will find users who will be asking questions and looking for advice. Even if the person you are replying to is not needing your product/service, it will be beneficial for you to respond to them and help them out with their problem. This will show users that you are an expert in the subject matter and people will come to you when they need your product/service.
TIP: Before joining or requesting to join groups, read the group rules. Some Facebook groups do not allow business pages to join them and group rules vary from group to group. If a group does not allow business pages, consider joining on your personal account.
Answer Questions on Forums (Facebook, Yahoo! Answers, Ask.com, Forums Specific to Your Services/Products).
Facebook isn’t the only forum that people are posting on with questions that you can help with. The more forums that you can be active in the better.
Here is a list of popular forums that you should consider becoming active in:
- Facebook (specific groups relating to your services)
- Reddit (specific sub-reddit’s relating to your services)
- Yahoo! Answers
- Ask.com
- Quora
You may also find that there is a forum website focused on your specific product or service. Some popular examples of these include:
- Subaru Owners Forum – https://forums.nasioc.com/
- Ideal for a Subaru mechanic
- Professional Electrician Forum – https://www.electriciantalk.com/
- Ideal for electricians, contractors, etc
- Baking Forum – https://www.baking-forums.com/
- Ideal for bakers, custom cake designers, etc
- Dental Forum – https://www.dentaltown.com/
- Ideal for dentists in all categories
You may find that these types of forums will be the best to become more active in due to the vast number of users, high amount of activity, and hyper-focused content. You will also be in the loop on what is going on in the industry and may learn a thing or two from other experts.
Encourage Your Customers to Leave Reviews
Finally, one of the most important aspects of engaging your base that you can do is to encourage your happy customers to leave an online review. Reviews are the first thing people check when considering doing business with or purchasing a product from your business, which is why it is so critical to have an abundance of positive reviews, especially within Google.
If you are having trouble with customers not leaving reviews, try incentivizing them. Some ideas for incentivization include:
- Discounts / Special Offers
- Charitable Donations
- Exchange Reviews (B2B companies)
- Provide direct links to review sites you want to populate
- Create a template they can follow/edit for the review on those specific sites
Once your customers leave a review, always respond no matter what! Your response may look something like this:
“Thanks for the great review Nick! We are glad you are enjoying your new *your service/product here*!”
Again, this will show that people love your product/service and will encourage new customers to leave reviews as well. (FUN FACT: Responding to Google reviews will also increase your Local SEO!).
Always reply to your online reviews, even if they are bad. What we recommend is a proven strategy to let your customers know they are heard, while informing new prospective customers who you are and that you are visibly showing you want to learn and grow and understand.
It’s best to start off your reply with a “Thank you” for sharing their feedback and providing some empathy towards their experience. Next, provide a non-defensive, quick explanation of your side of the story. Be clear and concise and… again, not derogatory or rude. Finally, end with a short commercial about your business and who you are and what you strive for in customer service as a positive note and asking the customer to contact you at the office to discuss things further.
It is important to not argue with a customer on a public platform as it is unprofessional and looks bad for your business.
Looking for a Digital Agency That Understands Small Businesses?
Here at Whiteboard Creations we specialize in helping small businesses grow and maintain their online presence in Apex, Raleigh, Cary, and the surrounding areas. We understand that as a small business owner, you need to focus on running your business, not trying to learn all there is to know about digital marketing and managing your audience. That’s where Whiteboard excels. Contact us for a free consultation via Zoom, call, or in-person.
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