3 Things I Learned From Facebook Community Boost
By: Charlene Dunbar
Like most small business owners, I spend a lot of of time figuring out how to reach more customers and increase my sales. So I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to attend the Facebook Community Boost event in Atlanta and learn strategies for using Facebook to grow my business.
First of all, Facebook knows how to put on fabulous, engaging event. Throughout the day, there were 45-minute sessions that covered topics like “Instagram Stories School”, “Taking Facebook Ads to the Next Level” and “Getting Creative with Your Mobile Phone”. In between sessions, you could network with other attendees, get a free headshot or visit kiosks to get a free business page audit from Facebook team members. And super important, it was all free, from parking to a delicious catered Cobb salad for lunch. Ok, enough of me drooling over the event production, which was a user experience lesson in of itself.
Three takeaways from the “Connecting with Local Shoppers” session I attended.
#1 – Build your mobile presence
Customers looking for local experiences and businesses want to find YOU! Make it easy for them. This includes having a complete “About” section on your Facebook business page, such as the best hours to reach you. Even if you don’t have a physical shop or have a 9 to 5, are there certain hours that you can be reached? List them, along with the best phone number (or physical address if applicable) to contact you. I added business hours and updated my dated business cover photo with a short video (videos are king!) after attending this session.
#2 – Communicate with your customers
I appreciated this one because I sometimes fall into a rut of talking AT my customers (“shop now”, “look at this new thing”, etc…) vs. talking WITH them. You can open up the lines of communication by asking more questions or seeking their input with tools like polls or live Q&A sessions. For example, a clothing business could run a poll on what new pant colors their audience would like to see in their next collection. Another key tip was responding quickly to messenger questions or using the autoresponder option to let potential customers know when you can get back to them. Communicating well with potential customers can drive engagement and keep them coming back to you.
#3 – Build community
Online shopping grew 16% in 2017 and is here to stay, but people still crave real life connections and experiences. In addition to having an helpful Facebook business page and communicating well, consider holding events or shopping experiences. In-person events can build customer trust, help you learn more about their needs and increase loyalty through memorable in-person experiences. The beauty of Facebook Events is their visibility on timelines. Users usually search for events happening near them and pay attention to events their buddies are attending (I always click those notices! FOMO is real). Using Facebook events is pretty much a free virtual billboard for your in-person event.
It took me about 20 minutes to improve my “about” section of my Facebook business page based on what I learned in the session. I also plan to use Facebook events to help get the word out about my next pop-up shop event. Check out Facebook Blueprint to learn more helpful tips and tricks for connecting with customers. Are you already putting these three tools to work and if not, what are your favorite tips/tricks for reaching new customers online?
Do you have a local craft business and want to build community with potential customers? Consider becoming a vendor at our next Craft Savvy Market on November 3rd in Decatur. It’s a fantastic, affordable way to reach to new customers in a beautiful venue. Click here to sign up and here’s to reaching new customers!