Ultimate Checklist to Optimise your Facebook Business Page

Facebook is a marketing channel not to be ignored. Optimising your business page is important, but can you pull it off?

Yes – here’s how…

Despite privacy scares, boycotts and Zuckerberg’s grilling in Congress, Facebook still commands 2.89 billion monthly active users – 11.23 million in Australia. Optimising your social media pages is just as important as your online presence on Google My Business. Brand awareness, sales, lead generation and user demographic statistics are some of the main reasons why a whopping 93% of businesses are using Facebook.

More Facebook business statistics…

• 74% of high-income earners use Facebook.
• Generally, the peak Facebook traffic times in 2020 are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 am to 2 pm.
• 94% of ad revenue comes from mobile users.
• Users watch 85% of Facebook videos without sound
• Live streams get 4x more views than recorded videos

Start by downloading the Facebook Pages Manager app, It makes managing, updating and editing things on your business page much easier. The app allows you to manage your page on the go with ease. Access audience stats, organise paid ads, connect with other users. Simply download the free app and log in.

Your username will ideally be the same as your business name – or as close as possible. That way it’ll be easy for people to find. Start with the basics. Short, unique and not generic. You can’t have special characters or spaces but you can capitalise each word to make it more readable. Your custom username is also your URL on Facebook e.g., facebook.com/[username].

How: In the “About” tab on the left, change your page username. Facebook gives generic URL names which are a series of numbers and letters – customise your own to make it stand out.

Business owners and marketers alike know images make a massive impact on audiences. Make sure to select eye-catching images that reflect your business. Nothing generic or off-topic.

Profile Photo: It should be 180 x 180 pixels. Remember that when you post, your profile photo becomes much smaller so keep it legible. A clear logo is a good example.

Cover Photo: Facebook recommends 820 x 360. Bear in mind that users will see 820 x 312 pixels on desktop, mobile users will see 640 x 360 so avoid anything important like text too close to the edges. Your cover photo should reflect your business and attract users.

How: In your “Photos” section, find the drop down menu and select “Featured Content”. You can upload and select images that users will see when they visit your page.

Make sure your “About” description [link] details are accurate and up-to-date. This is 250 characters of text to give users an insight into your business. Keep it original.

Other information includes opening times, location, bio, contact details and what products and services your business actually offers. Keeping this fresh gives the impression that you’re actively engaged and showing no signs of stagnation.

How: Click on the “About” tab on your page and find the “Edit” options.

Tip: Make sure to add a link to your website to increase findability.

Call To Action. Under your cover photo, you can add CTA buttons which allow users to interact with your page and / or business. You might want them to sign up, contact you or watch a video you’ve made showcasing your business.

How: Below your page’s cover photo, select “Add a Button”. You can select from pre-existing buttons or create your own.

Crucial even in social media. Boost your page’s search engine results by strategically adding in keywords in the ‘About’ section of your page. For example, if your business specialises in financial products, add in ‘low rates’, ‘simple applications’ or ‘experienced brokers’.

How: Click on the “About” tab on your page then navigate to the “Edit About” section.

Tip: Avoid going overboard to keywords and instead, add them in context. Overly repeating keywords can lower your search engine ranking.

Did you know that 97% of customers read online reviews? Allow them to leave reviews, comments and ask questions on your page. In turn, you’ll be able to show your expertise by helping them and answering questions – all in the public eye.

How: By default reviews are turned on. If off, you can toggle on by going to “Settings”, then “Templates and Tabs” and find “Reviews”. Click “Settings” next to the reviews – turn it on.

This is another portal to clients and potential clients. Your responsiveness rate appears on your page so people can see how ‘engaged’ you are. Make sure to treat people who message you just as you would face to face in a business setting – polite and helpful.

How: “Settings” > “General” > “Messages” – allow people to contact you by the message button.

Tabs are sections of your page’s content. You can configure, order and arrange your pages tabs. For example, an Events tab, Photos tab, About tab and Services tab. In other words, you can decide the order of tabs you want your clients to see and click on.

How: Go to “Settings” then “Templates and Tabs”. Scroll to the bottom of the page to toggle the tabs, and reorder using its drag and drop function.

DO – Tailor your posts

Facebook allows you to target your audience segment by gender, age, etc. for example. Make sure to engage the right audience.

DON’T – Post too often

There’s no need to bombard customers and followers. Make sure to focus on quality rather than quantity.

DO – Post during strategic times

Try to think when your clients or potential clients are active on Facebook. A recent study shows users are most active in the evening and first thing in the morning. Surprisingly, when commuting was the lowest.

DON’T – BE slow or inaccurate

Make sure you respond to requests and questions and keep your information accurate – opening times for example. Users react negatively to slow or unresponsive businesses.

Facebook is a huge player for businesses. By following the above checklist, you’ll maximise this marketing avenue and become an expert in communicating with the giant audience. Make sure to continue editing, adding and analysing your business page – a high ranking Facebook business page is never ‘done’.