How to Use Facebook Marketing for Small Business

Facebook. It’s not just where you occasionally see what your old high school friends are up to or browse the latest couches for sale in the community. Your personal profile isn’t the only way to use Facebook either. Facebook is also a great place for organic and paid marketing, especially for small businesses. 

You’ve probably seen social media marketing in action just by using the platform. Targeted Facebook ads will pop up and recommend specific products based on your algorithm, liked posts, and your interests. Sometimes, it seems Facebook can even see your thoughts.  

Social networking can have some significant benefits. Find out what Facebook marketing is, how it works, and how to learn it step-by-step below.  

What Is Facebook Marketing? 

Facebook marketing is a way for a business to connect with custom audiences all over the world. According to Facebook Business, “2.7 billion people use Facebook every month to connect with friends and family and to discover things that matter. Find new customers and build lasting relationships with them.” 

Facebook marketing includes a micro-targeting feature that allows you to reach the customers that matter the most to your business. Additionally, organic reach, global coverage, and integration with other marketing channels are all possible with Facebook marketing. 

What Is Facebook Marketing Used for? 

Facebook marketing is used to create a brand, answer customers’ queries, create calls to action, and sell a product or service. Below are a few ways social media marketing courses can lead to strong Facebook marketing campaigns.

• Business Page. The easiest and cheapest way to promote a business is through a business page. Setting up a business page on Facebook is entirely free and is an excellent way to share content. 
• Facebook Ads. This type of ad appears on the side column of Facebook. You can set ad budgets, create a target audience (including age, location, education, and interests, to name a few), explore measurement tools, and target a particular demographic area. 
• Promoted Posts. Increase a post’s reach and impressions using promoted Facebook posts by paying a flat rate. Promoted posts are extremely easy to set up, all you need to do is click the button underneath a specific post. 
• Sponsored Stories. Built around user activity, businesses pay for sponsored stories to be highlighted on a user’s page. According to WordStream, “Facebook claims that Sponsored Stories have 46 percent higher CTRs and 20 percent lower CPCs than regular Facebook ads, making them a very serious strategy for marketing on Facebook.” 

Types of Facebook Marketing

The type of content you choose to create will depend on various factors, including your target audience, how comfortable you are with Facebook, and your goals. There are a few types of Facebook marketing:

• Text Post. A text post, or status post, is just that: text. You can use a text post to ask your followers a question or give them an update. These types of posts can be used to create engagement. 
• Photo Post. A photo post includes a picture as well as text. It can be a great way to sell a product to a customer. 
• Video Post. On Facebook, videos automatically start playing as you scroll your feed. Video posts contain a video alongside your text. These are some useful tips from Facebook for choosing a video. 
• Live Video Post. Facebook live is used to bring users’ live content directly to their phones or computers. 
• Linked Content Post. Share content from other social platforms or websites using a linked content post. Copy the link into the status box, and Facebook will bring up the rest of the information. Simply add a caption and post. 
• Poll Post. Increase engagement by creating a poll post where followers can share their opinions. 
• Stories. Similar to Instagram stories, Facebook allows you to post information for a short time (24 hours). It’s important to note that Facebook stories aren’t affected by the algorithm. 
• Pinned Post. If you have an important or relevant post, make sure your followers see it with a pinned post. The post will remain at the top of your Facebook page until you unpin it. A little blue thumbtack identifies a pinned post. 

Learning Facebook Marketing

Learning Facebook marketing isn’t just trial and error. There is an actual strategy behind the posts, advertisements, and pages. You can learn with books, tutorials, and a multitude of online resources. A few of the best ways to learn are explored below. 

How Long Does It Take to Learn Facebook Marketing? 

Like learning any new skill, becoming a Facebook Marketing expert will vary depending on how much time you put into learning. However, just creating a business page, and drafting and implementing a Facebook marketing strategy can take a substantial amount of time. Learning how to create each type of ad will also take time. 

How to Learn Facebook Marketing: Step-by-Step

1. Create your Facebook business page. Setting up a Facebook business page is not complicated. You must have a personal page, which you will use to start your account. Don’t worry—no personal information will be transferred to your business page.  

1. Complete your information and add images. Next, you will need to complete your business profile and add all of your business information, including profile photo, cover photo, description, contact information, hours, and pricing. 

Make sure that you set up your vanity URL. A vanity URL is a username that will help people find you on Facebook. Under your cover photo, you can also set up a call to action button which visitors can use to buy your product or service. 

1. Ensure your Facebook page settings are correct. This is where you control what will be seen on your page. 

1. Create a marketing strategy. Now that you have your page setup, you can begin creating a marketing strategy. This will include the following:

• Define your target audience using Facebook demographic tools and audience insights. 
• Set specific goals for your company using SMART goals. Make sure they are measurable. 
• Start planning content based on your goals and objectives. Hootsuite recommends using the 80/20 rule, “use 80 percent of your Facebook posts to inform, educate, and entertain. Use the other 20 percent to promote your brand.”
• Optimize your Facebook page by including the link on marketing materials, your webpage, newsletter, and any appropriate channels. 
• After you get the hang of Facebook for business, you can begin using other Facebook tools such as Facebook groups and Facebook chatbot.
• Start creating Facebook ads as a way to target a more specific audience. 
• Finally, track the pages analytics, including likes, reach, and engagement. Using a third party’s analytics tracker is also an option for tracking specific numbers. 

5. Create content: Finally, you can begin creating content using your marketing strategy. Creating a content calendar is important to become a successful Facebook marketer. The calendar will help you schedule upcoming posts and keep track of what you are posting. 

The Best Facebook Marketing Courses and Training

With social media marketing more in-demand than ever, Facebook marketing courses are popular worldwide. You can take classes in a variety of formats, including in-person and online. Some courses are even offered for free. Learn more about what it takes to enroll, the topics, and how much it will cost you below. 

Best In-Person Facebook Marketing Courses 

In-person classes are a great way to learn. Among other benefits, you can pick up on the teacher’s body language and other physical cues you may not notice in an online classroom. 

Facebook for Business

• Class: Multiple courses available
• Duration: Varies
• Prerequisites: Must already be familiar with social media marketing 
• Price: Varies 

Blueprint Live is an exclusive one day workshop presented by Facebook business and taught by its experts. The platform describes the Blueprint live course as “where learning meets doing.” 

Best Online Facebook Marketing Courses 

Is there a better way to learn Facebook—an online platform— than online? As you might have guessed, there are plenty of online courses for learning social media marketing. You can explore some of them below. 

Coursera  

• Class: Digital Marketing Specialization presented by Illinois University 

• Duration: 8 months 
• Prerequisites: None 
• Price: Free

Offered by industry experts at Illinois University, this six-part overview course teaches the latest industry skills. Set up in partnership with Grainger, you will have the opportunity to put everything you have learned to use by completing a capstone project at the end of the course. 

Udemy  

• Class: Facebook Ads & Facebook Marketing MASTERY 2020 | Coursenvy ®
• Duration: 12 hours
• Prerequisites: Varies
• Price: $139.99 

Designed with beginners as well as advanced users in mind, this class teaches the skills needed to succeed in the social media era. Learn about creating custom audiences, Facebook campaigns, pixels, and much more. 

Best Free Facebook Marketing Courses 

Do you want to learn the skills needed to become a Facebook marketer for free? These courses might be right for you. Learn social media marketing without spending a dime. 

Facebook for Business 

• Class: Understand Audience; Choose Where to Establish an Online Presence; Understand the Customer Journey 

• Duration: Varies
• Prerequisites: Varies
• Price: Free 

Facebook for business offers a full marketing directory designed for those who want to learn more about the platform for free. Learn about establishing a presence, attracting an audience, building relationships, and much more. 

LinkedIn Learning  

• Class: LinkedIn Video Marketing for Personal and Brand Pages; Social Media Marketing for Small Business; OMCA Certification for Online Marketing Associate Test Prep

• Duration: Varies
• Prerequisites: Varies
• Price: Free

Learn on your own schedule with LinkedIn Learning. Here, you’ll find more than 16,000 expert-led courses that offer certifications and uninterrupted access to the material.

Hootsuite 

• Class: Hootsuite Platform Certification Course 
• Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes 
• Prerequisites: Beginner level
• Price: The course can be taken for free, but a certificate will cost you $99

Master Hootsuite, a popular social media marketing tool, with this certification course. Boost your social media impact, reach your audience, and drive Facebook results. 

Best Facebook Marketing Books 

There are plenty of books on the topic of social media marketing. Learn from the experts with the following reads. 

Social Media Marketing Mastery 2020, Robert Miller 

The three-in-one Social Media Marketing Mastery book shares how you can improve, grow, and master your social media marketing tools. 

The Social CEO, Damian Corbet

Learn how to become an effective social leader with the Social CEO. The book explores why social media is needed in today’s business age. 

Facebook Advertising, Michael Robert Fortunate

Facebook advertising is designed for those who are just beginning their social media marketing journey. Learn what it takes to expand your brand and product sales with this step-by-step guide. 

Best Online Facebook Marketing Resources

Books and online courses aren’t the only resources available to learn. There are many online resources for those interested in the subject, including these below:

Hubspot 

Hubspot provides educational materials, e-books, free courses, and certifications. Designed to make the process more human, large corporations and small businesses alike use Hubspot. 

Digital Marketer 

Digital Marketer offers tools and training for marketers, teams, and agencies. Large companies such as HarperCollins, Shopify, and Uber all use its courses.

Should You Use Facebook Marketing?

All businesses, regardless of size, should be using Facebook marketing. If you don’t wish to invest much money, you can simply use the free services accessible through a business page, such as publishing products or services. 

One of the best parts of Facebook marketing is that, whether you are simply setting up a profile or have already mastered a plethora of social media tools, there is always more to learn. After all, there’s so much to ‘like’ about social media marketing.