Facebook has been a part of our lives for over a decade, yet it is only more recently that marketers have learned to master the ins and outs of the social network.
That being said, many of the Facebook marketing tactics have stayed the same over the past few years, experiencing only slight shifts as Facebook has expanded its user base, recently hitting one billion users in a single day.
In 2015, you will recognize the same old suspects driving the way forward, such as cats and strong call to actions—albeit with subtle differences. As we will see, it is the small changes—that indirectly influence a part of your sales funnel—which can often bring about the biggest change.
Over the coming years, there are certain trends that could force a significant shift in our Facebook marketing efforts. In this guide, we will take a look at the current landscape of Facebook marketing, and also explore a few of these big trends.
CC by ColaLife
Mobile
Mobile internet usage is exploding. In a report on mobile technology trends from earlier this year by KPCB, it was found in the US that mobile digital media time, 51%, is now significantly higher than desktop media time, at 42%.
At the moment, 38% of Facebook’s monthly average users are mobile only, but with the number of people with access to a smart phone growing, and strong indicators appearing such as Google’s algorithm update to favour mobile friendly sites, it is not too bold a statement to suggest mobile will be the new desktop.
Video
Chances are—if you are a Facebook user—you will be very aware of how video is dominating Facebook’s news feeds. 2015 hasn’t been dubbed the year of video for no reason, and on Facebook alone there are more than 3 billion video views per day.
This leaves little room for questioning if video should be a part of your content marketing strategy—if it isn’t already, there are some great apps out there to help you to make videos effortlessly.
Facebook Search Functionality
Social networks are an increasingly rich source of new and interesting content, so much so that recent data suggests that social media is surpassing search engines as the way people find information online.
What this means for marketers is still uncertain, but optimizing your content for social media search should be at least on the radar of your social marketing strategy.
CC by melenita2012
Facebook audience insights
Facebook’s insights tool is still the best way to find out exactly who your fans, prospects, and customers are. You can learn from what type of content they engage with most, and build up user personas based on what other pages they ‘Like’. Even if you don’t have enough fans to see their other Likes, choose your biggest competitor instead.
Testing
Testing should be a consistent part of your overall Facebook marketing strategy. Test images, cover photos, ads, and even post titles—whether it be through split testing, or simply observing performance and adjusting. Posts can even be tested by trying out multiple ways to say the same thing—you may be surprised how expressing something differently can significantly change the way it comes across, and the level of engagement.
Build on what works, discount the no-hopers, and come up with new ideas based on what you found—and, always keep testing.
Connecting with your audience
Connecting with your audience is not as black and white as it used to be. Today when we talk about posting it is necessary to think about public and private faces. You serve the public face with regular posting, and the private face with targeted ads and private messages. With each means of contact, the sales funnel should be as short and painless as possible—ideally only a step or two.
CC by angermann
Positive Posting
Positive posts still win over negative when it comes to level of engagement, unless your audience like negative posts such as weather warnings. That being said, writing about the mistakes people make in your area is a sure fire way to spark conversation. Cute images are as popular as ever, however try and avoid generic stock photos. This may mean taking your own, although it is becoming easier to find authentic and low cost photos online.
A popular saying is ‘you are the sum of the five people you hang around with’. Social media is much the same in that people want to be around those who make them a better person. Motivate your audience, echo their believes and value systems, and reinforce their egos. Posting famous and motivational quotes by relevant people in your niche is a great way to do this.
Although the way people access Facebook and the medium in which they absorb content is dramatically changing, many of the same marketing principles still hold true. By adjusting your marketing efforts toward mobile users, and incorporating rich media into your strategy, you will be leading the way into the future of Facebook marketing.
Facebook Beachfront by mkhmarketing, on Flickr
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Facebook Marketing in 2015
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