Best Facebook Practices for Businesses

Facebook is more than a social media site to connect with friends and family. The platform is also a great way for small business owners, such as dog trainers, to connect with their customers.  According to Buffer, 80 percent of consumers prefer to connect with brands on Facebook. These consumers connect with brands for a number of reasons, including discounts and brand loyalty. As a pet business, you can use your Facebook fan page to provide valuable information related to your business, acquire new customers, and promote your products or services.

Below are several tips to keep in mind when creating your company Facebook page.

1. Provide Your Contact Info

The first action you should take is completing your Facebook profile, which includes putting the company contact information on your page. There are two places where you can include this information: in the “About” section and “Page Info” section. The most important sections you should fill out are your address, hours, phone number and link to your website. You also have the option of including your company description, mission, awards and products.

2. Use Your Company Logo as Profile Picture

Your profile picture should be your company logo to maintain brand consistency. On that same note, you want to use a high resolution image for your cover photo (the banner-like image at the top of your Facebook page). The cover photo should be relevant and eye-catching, and reiterate your company’s offering. If you own a mobile grooming business, an image of your vehicle or a dog would be ideal.

3. Upload Photos of Your Business

Equally important to putting your contact info is uploading photos of your business. As mentioned in “5 Marketing Mistakes Pet Business Owners Make,” photos can build trust by giving customers a visual of your facility. Upload photos of your facility (both outdoor and indoor). This not only gives customers an idea of your business environment, but it can also help them locate your building. Consider uploading images of yourself, your staff, and clients if you can.

4. Post Twice a Day

You can’t set up your Facebook business page and expect people to find it. In order to reach your targeted audience and get them to interact with your page, you have to publish regularly. Some content ideas include company updates, industry-related information and tips catered to your audience. If you offer promotions and discounts, be sure to post that on Facebook as well.

You should post on Facebook at least twice a day every day. This doesn’t have to be as time-consuming as some business owners make it out to be. At the bare minimum, you should publish an original post and share another post. There are influencers in every industry from which you can share content. In the dog training industry, you could share posts from experts. When customers see you sharing posts from other experts in your field, they’re more likely to associate you with that authoritative figure and respect your brand. When posting on Facebook, make sure to avoid controversial topics, fact-check the information you share, and always keep proper spelling and grammar in mind.

5. Reply to Questions

As a business owner with a Facebook page, you’re going to receive questions on your fan page. People can post questions on your page, which the public can view, or message them to you in private. You can expect questions about your business and store hours. While you may already have the answers to common questions available on your page, you may get customers asking you about them anyway. In this case, reply to them in a professional, yet polite manner. Reply to all inquiries as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours. Great customer service shouldn’t end at your business door.

6. Encourage Reviews and Likes

Facebook has a feature where customers can rate your business and leave reviews similar to Yelp. Your star rating is prominently displayed on the upper left sidebar below your profile picture along with the number of likes and visits to your Facebook page. The easiest way to encourage reviews is by asking your customers in person. If you post promotions and discounts on your Facebook, you could use those as incentives for customers to like your page.

Maintaining a Facebook can be difficult at first, but it gets easier once you start using it. Facebook is another channel you can use to reach and acquire customers. The best part is you control most of the information on your page. By following these tips, you can establish a strong social media presence and grow your business.

You may also like: Talk With a Dog Groomer: Colleen Riley