Facebook has had a tumultuous five years. The platform faced issues ranging from election interference to the proliferation of troll or fake accounts. And with the increasing popularity of other fast-growing social media platforms like Twitch, Discord and Tiktok, it’s easy to understand why some might now doubt the relevance of Facebook marketing strategies.
We can set the record straight right now: Facebook remains the largest social media network in the world. It has 2.74 billion monthly active users and reaches 59 percent of the world’s social media users. In the U.S. alone, 54 percent of social media users say they’re most often on Facebook.
Facebook is also investing heavily in becoming the gateway to the metaverse, which many social media experts believe will shape marketing as we know it.
Businesses, especially those with mainstream products and services, can lose out on a lot if they don’t have a solid Facebook marketing strategy or refuse to hire a Facebook marketing agency.
In this blog, we show the benefits of investing in Facebook as a marketing platform and give you Facebook marketing tips to optimize results. We also touch on the significance of Facebook metaverse to your business and how it will influence future Facebook marketing services.
The Benefits of Facebook for Business
Any Facebook marketing expert will tell you that the benefits of Facebook for business can foster growth in the long term.
As a marketing tool, Facebook:
• Is excellent for both direct and indirect marketing
• Offers a fully supported advertising suite for businesses (via Facebook Business Manager)
• Supports highly targeted paid advertising at affordable rates
With a well-planned Facebook marketing strategy, you can:
• Reach more people and attract new audiences
• Engage with customers, window shoppers and even friendly competitors
• Build brand awareness through paid ads, viral posts and contests
• Encourage word-of-mouth marketing on and off social media
• Target audiences with high conversion potential
• Build relationships with repeat customers
• Provide real-time customer support at little or no cost
• Foster customer loyalty
These are possible through other social media platforms as well. However, as the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Pew Research Center revealed in separate reports, Facebook has the advantage of being the top platform for millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers: demographics with a high purchasing power.
Businesses across industries also use the platform, spanning across business-to-business (B2B) enterprises to business-to-customer (B2C) startups. Facebook B2B marketing is just as widely practiced as Facebook marketing strategies for B2C.
Finally, Facebook levels the playing field for advertising by offering tools even non-IT business owners can master. A 16-year-old crafter will use the same tools as a single mom who owns a successful bakery and a retail company with a dedicated social media management team. Not to say that planning and carrying out Facebook marketing ideas will be a walk in the park, but anyone can learn how to use Facebook for business.
You can do this on your own or hire a Facebook marketing agency that offers a full range of Facebook marketing services. Regardless, a well-planned and executed Facebook marketing strategy can:
• Send hot leads to your business
• Help you entertain leads no matter what stage they enter your funnel
• Cut short the buyer’s journey and still generate sales
• Increase your brand’s visibility
• Increase your bottom line
• Support your long-term business goals
It pays to know about Facebook trends, advertising best practices and the future of Facebook. Getting Facebook marketing tips from Facebook marketing experts is also a must. We’ll unpack all these to give you a clear understanding of the benefits of Facebook for business and why you should invest in Facebook marketing strategies.
Let’s begin with the trends that are crucial in 2022
Facebook Trends To Watch Out For
Now’s a good time to learn how to use Facebook for business because the platform has many new features you can use. Before learning how to use Facebook for business, however, you must guide your strategies with key Facebook trends and insights:
1. Shops are making their products available to buy directly from the Facebook site or mobile app (via Facebook Shop).
2. Video content will be even more dominant (in a recent Wyzowl survey, 84 percent of customers were convinced to buy a product after watching a video of it).
3. More companies are amplifying organic reach through paid advertising.
4. Brands are leveraging augmented reality (AR) to generate buzz, engage audiences, attract new fans and increase brand awareness. Many became more interested after the Facebook Metaverse announcement.
5. Facebook is developing AR and virtual reality (VR) integration (via Portal).
6. Brands are tapping micro-influencers (social media personalities with 50,000 to 100,000 followers, according to Mediakix) to promote their brands and encourage word-of-mouth marketing within their niches.
7. Brands are leveraging social communities (via Facebook Groups) to promote products, discover market sentiment and foster brand loyalty and awareness.
8. Facebook B2B marketing will gain more traction (business decision-makers spend 74 percent more time on Facebook than other people)
Any Facebook marketing expert will tell you that these trends will shape Facebook marketing strategies, B2B marketing, B2C marketing, paid advertising and organic marketing in 2022. Keep these in mind when brainstorming new Facebook marketing ideas. With Facebook metaverse on the horizon, you must stay updated to get ahead of the competition.
Prepare for the Metaverse: The Future of Facebook
If you’re working with a Facebook marketing agency, you may hear its Facebook marketing experts talk about the metaverse.
On October 28, 2021, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social media giant has rebranded with a new name: Meta.
To be clear, Facebook as a social media site will still exist. The company, however, has grown bigger than the app that birthed it. Case in point: Facebook also owns Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. Rebranding the company that encompasses all these apps (and more brands) and creating a separate identity from Facebook became necessary.
Industry experts also believe that Meta has another purpose: to position the company as a pioneer of the metaverse.
What is the metaverse? It is a vision of the future, a virtual world that enhances social interactions whether people are in the same physical space or not. It leans heavily into AR and VR, meaning the metaverse can merge the physical and digital worlds.
The sci-fi movie Ready Player One is a fairly accurate example. But if you haven’t seen the film, Meta’s Work in the Metaverse montage at Facebook Connect 2021 shows Zuckerberg’s vision.
“The metaverse is inevitable,” said Alyssa Tear, Thrive’s Senior Manager for Organic Social Media. “The Metaverse will be built out in Web 3.0, which means it is poised to connect people with places and things.” It may sound futuristic, but technology is heading in this direction.Exactly how can businesses benefit from the metaverse? Tear offered an example. “Web 3.0 and the Metaverse will allow you to own a [virtual] retail store and get [real] leads, customers and thought leadership through the web.”
To put things into perspective, think of how Instagram can show what your picture or video looks like with interactive filters and effects before you take the shot. Now, imagine using the same technology so that your customers can virtually “try on” clothing and accessories, for example. They’ll know right away if they look good in a hat or pair of sunglasses. Presenting your products this way is more compelling than displaying a model wearing the same products.
Facebook Marketing Best Practices for Businesses
Considering all of the above, we recommend these best practices and Facebook marketing ideas to businesses in 2022.
1. Utilize Facebook Marketing Partners
Facebook Marketing Partners (now renamed Facebook Business Partners) are Facebook-accredited companies that are experts at Facebook marketing. Any business owner who wants to try paid advertising or set up a business page can partner with a Facebook marketing expert who will help them increase the impact of their Facebook marketing.
Facebook Marketing Partners is a good option if you have limited experience and knowledge about FB marketing.
2. Maximize Facebook Features (Shop, Groups and Ads Manager)
Online shoppers want convenience. If they click on an ad for a product they like and immediately see a product listing complete with pricing and an “add to cart” button, you could entice them to buy right away.
Set up your business pages and paid ads to lead directly to your Shop. You can capture leads and generate sales in minutes.
Consider creating a Facebook Group focusing on interests that are relevant to your business (i.e., a travel group for a sportswear brand), too. Another option is to create a Customer Support Group. This will attract current and interested customers, so you can also use the group page for indirect marketing.
3. Use Facebook’s Integrated Features and Different Ad Formats
Take advantage of the features and content formats available on the platform. For example, if you have an Instagram account for your shop, you can update it simultaneously with Facebook by posting stories.
Want your ads to generate more leads? Make them more dynamic by creating carousel ads and sponsored videos. You may also host a Facebook Live.
Facebook ads are worth the money you spend – provided your campaign is expertly managed. What’s great about Facebook is that a small business can also advertise and generate a high return on investment (ROI). Our social media experts at Thrive, for example, increased post engagements and clicks for a financial advisory firm by 11.82 percent higher than the average Facebook click-through rate (CTR) with a budget of only $25.
4. Consider Micro-Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is one of the most widely recommended Facebook marketing tips because they do work.
The best part is you don’t have to spend millions of dollars on celebrities and influencers with millions of followers. Recently, many brands have uncovered the value of turning to micro-influencers who, despite having fewer followers, are perceived just as “influential” as their more prominent counterparts.
5. Pay Attention to Meta and the Metaverse
Meta gave us an exciting peek into the metaverse, but Zuckerberg claims it won’t be happening in 5-10 years. Some are understandably uninterested, even skeptical about it. But remember: Facebook was unheard of only 16 years ago, and now it is developing technology that would merge real-world experiences with virtual reality.
Metaverse may seem far-fetched right now, but it could be a big part of our everyday life soon.
So while you look forward to that future, observe the industry. Get Facebook marketing ideas from experts and learn how to use Facebook for business. Include the integrated apps and brands under the Meta brand, too. These can give you a solid foundation for the digital marketing environment that will take shape in the metaverse.
“Meta will be pioneering different features as the time comes,” said Tear. “As of right now, there isn’t a lot that you can do to start building, but there are communities where you can start learning and that is the key: Learn and be ready to [adapt].”
The Future of Facebook Is the Future of Business
Facebook is on track to maintain its standing as the world’s biggest social media platform. If things go as planned for Meta, it will also be the gateway to an immersive digital world where work, leisure and conducting business can all occur.
Is your business ready for the future? Today, you can be future-proof and reap the benefits of Facebook for business – a wider reach, higher engagement, improved brand awareness and increased conversions and sales. But first, you need a solid strategy, preferably created by Facebook marketing experts.
You can find such people here at Thrive. We help businesses succeed by providing information and Facebook marketing ideas to help those determined to learn the industry. We also provide Facebook marketing services carried out by experienced specialists. Take a look at our case studies to see how our social media marketing services benefit businesses worldwide.
Reach out to Thrive today. Talk to our social media strategists to develop a tailored Facebook marketing plan that’s built for the future.
