What do you use for facebook marketing?

"Do you make something of it?" And the manager is gone. That is not how it should be: you do not place content on Facebook ad hoc because it 'must', but consciously because it gives your company something. Only when that is clear can you answer the question what to fill in. After Facebook marketing Why and How, now follows Facebook Marketing What. These 22 useful points give you inspiration and creative tools to collect, create and post Facebook marketing content.

Page links Facebook marketing: How?

This article is split into 3 pages: Why, How and what. Use the page links below for fast navigation.

• Emotion
• Values
• Shared experience
• Be true to yourself
• Be who you say you are
• Added value
• Instant gratification
• Be personal
• Anticipate current events
• Timing
• Take target groups into account
• Take energy into account during the day
• Social
• Pictures
• Interaction
• Humour
• Video
• Trending Topics
• Content calendar
• Quality
• Make it viral
• Giveaway

Emotion

Facebook messages that generate positive emotions provide more interaction. Negative emotions (anger, frustration, no sadness) also work to a somewhat lesser extent, but it doesn't suit most companies. What works well is: love, wonder (cool!), Pride and strong preference or love.

Values

There are values in line with emotions: what do you find important? Facebook posts that appeal to consumers about their value are doing well, especially if the company has embraced those values as core values. Also think of quizzes such as "Which Game of Thrones character are you?" and "What is your real age?" They say something about you as a Facebook user, and you show that to your Facebook friends by sharing or posting it.

Shared experience

Music from the 80s. The moon landing. When the Netherlands was world champion. Especially when you focus on a specific age group you can respond well to that shared experience. Again: keep it positive (even though everyone still remembers what he or she did for example September 11, 2001). You actually respond to the emotion of nostalgia.

Be true to yourself

Are you an expert in floors? Then you also go outside as an expert in floors. That means that you do not choose, for example, videos with cats, no matter how nice they are and how many likes you can deliver. If you are a pet shop, then that fits perfectly again. Do not present yourself differently than what suits your company. What can you expect from a construction company on Facebook? Or a baker? There is often a business blindness: entrepreneurs and employees do not always see what is actually interesting about their work. At a construction company that can be the choice and development in materials, comments on construction errors in the news, tips for home jobs. At a hairdresser this can be new cutting techniques, practical tips for cutting at home and comments on the hair of famous people.

Be who you are that you say you are

Be who you say you are: match your other marketing resources, including every telephone or personal conversation you have. As a hairdresser, do you often tell your customers jokes? Then that fits perfectly on your Facebook page. Are you the construction company where you only drink Douwe Egberts coffee? Do something with it!

Added value

Offers real information, user tips, explanations, how to's and tutorials, insights into market developments ... in short: give your fans a reason to be a fan. Don't see Facebook as a channel but as a way for your customers to use your products or services better. Facebook pages such as ScienceAlert and IFLS (I fucking love science) respond with interesting articles to the interests and curiosity of their fans.

Instant gratification

"Must .. resist ... clicking .. red .. button .."

27 percent (!) Of American road users admitted that they used Facebook while driving. People are curiosity. People like to read news and see a promise come true. You can respond well to this with Facebook posts, but be careful not to repeat click baiting. Instant gratification is the principle on which Facebook attracts people: you want to know what those red messages in the blue bar mean. The Android app therefore already shows on your desktop how many notifications you have. Instant gratification provides a small dopamine shot and is therefore very addictive.

Roeland Dietvorst on the background of the addictive effects of social media: 

Be personal

Who actually keeps this Facebook page? Who takes care of those great tips? Why do you do what you do? Show your face in the form of photos of your colleagues, behind the scenes, funny incidents, what you like yourself, your opinion and your considerations. Think of a CEO of a large company explaining a decision, an explanation from Mac Donalds about how they make their commercials, a photo of a colleague who has done something stupid and attracts the fine in a funny way. The keyword is passion.

Anticipate current events

OK, not everyone has a full desk in the starting blocks to respond to events (such as Calvé) during the Superbowl (the American example) or a World Cup or European Championship. But. You know when it is Valentine's Day, Easter, Summer, Prince's Day, Eurovision Song Contest, Sinterklaas and Christmas. You know it will rain, snow and get hot someday. You know that either the Netherlands wins, or the counterparty, or that it is a draw. With enough preparation, you too - Boem! Pop! Whoop! - go viral. Let someone else also look at it before you send something semi-funny to the world. There are many examples of companies that have completely messed up their PR while ff forwarding to a colleague was really enough.

Timing

When everyone is on Facebook, everyone also posts and responds and shares other messages. It is then busy. If you are going to post messages as a Facebook page at that time, then you are competing with everything and everyone. What is smart? Sit down for half an hour to 1.5 hours with your Facebook message. There is less competition, your message will be displayed faster and if it evokes interaction, you can build up your viral reach for rush hour. A Facebook message can last for hours, days and weeks, but keep in mind that a Facebook message only lasts two hours in the Timeline. Check the presence of your Facebook fans on Facebook via Statistics on your Facebook page and then Messages.

And of course you can easily schedule a Facebook message. (click on the down arrow next to To publish, and click Plan) Handy for after office hours and on weekends (when most people are on Facebook).

Take target groups into account

People who are on Facebook in the morning before work and after work are most likely to do this on their mobile when traveling on public transport. A certain group of office workers can Facebook all day long, another group only during lunch and another group never. Home mothers and home fathers will be on Facebook when the children are in school. And so there are also Facebook users who only check at night, for example night workers. What can you do with this? Well, you can schedule your messages for those different groups. You can repeat your messages so that you reach multiple target groups. Through Statistics on your Facebook page and then People you gain insight into your fans, the people you reach and the people involved.

Take into account the energy during the day

In the morning we go to work fresh after breakfast: Facebook is simply wasting time and interesting posts are very good at that. During lunch there is more time for consumption (word joke). After lunch you can have a lunch dip: the blood is in the stomach and not in your head. So don't think too much. At 16.00 many people faint a bit (Time for a Cupasoup!). In the evening we are tired and do not record anything anymore ... but we do respond to emotion. In short: if we are hungry, we respond emotionally, that also applies just after eating, and if we are satisfied then we can think.

Social

Facebook is a social network. We are social animals. That means that we find it important how our actions radiate to others, what others think of us and that we go along with the masses. People show a different face on Facebook: cozy terrace, selfie photo, nice dish made, beautiful holiday destination right? So look with your Facebook messages especially how you can support people in this. For example a photo that states: "I like this. Do you think that as well?' This works especially with emotion, but also with nostalgia. Can you give your fans that content to share that they find hip, timely, interesting or smart? How can they improve their social status? Consider, for example, product reviews for fashion products.

Pictures

Previously, placing an image had more organic reach than a link. That has changed Facebook, with the idea that as a Facebook user you know what you are clicking on. A photo + link also has the disadvantage that when you click on the photo as a fan, you do not go to the site, but to the larger version of the photo. When you place a link, Facebook grabs usually the photo of the page and you can scroll the photos or upload a new thumbnail. Keep in mind that images are also legible on mobile.

Interaction

Ask a Question. Submit something. Involve your fans in your business operations. The more open you are, the more interaction you can create. Keep the added value for the fans as a starting point: give them power in responding.

Humour

There are different types of humor: determine which humor suits you as a company. In general, humor a la Hans Teeuwen is more outward-looking than, for example, humor from Herman Finkers. Humor works entertaining, but it must also suit your company and your strategy.

Video

Will it Blend? Blendtec shows how good their blenders are by blending everything: this iPad too. 

Already covered in detail in it How part: use video wherever possible. Video gets more organic reach from Facebook. Don't make video just to have video, but use it for a strategic purpose. So to explain how your product can be used for higher customer satisfaction, or to address questions from your fans, or to show with humor how your product works. Video must be part of your customer journey.

Trending Topics

Trending is new on Facebook: it shows what is currently popular on Facebook. Trend is not yet everywhere: in some countries Trending Topics is shown in English. Facebook posts messages about trending topics rewards with more organic range.

Read Facebook's explanation about Trending Topic

Content calendar for themes

There are two types of content: ad hoc and thematic. Ad hoc is when a stork lands on a car roof in the parking lot and you take a picture of it. Thematic is when you use Facebook strategically to support your fans in their customer journey, to support your marketing campaigns and for content that fits your business objectives. A content calendar translates strategy into practice. If you do not plan this in advance, it will be very difficult to give a proper interpretation here, especially for smaller companies.

Quality

Create really nice content that perfectly matches your target group and objectives. Go for quality. Then you may still occasionally make a mistake with little reach, but the trend for your fans is clear: it is worth following your page. See how you make it exceptional! Ask yourself: would you like it yourself as a fan? This example above is from Tom van Oossanen, photographer in Den Helder.

Make it viral

Make sure you send your colleagues an email or message (WhatsApp group!) When you have posted nice content on Facebook. Their like, response and share action triggers Facebook Edgerank and generates more viral reach.

Giveaway

Don't give away a big prize: you will only make one person happy with it. Give away ten small things: that makes ten people happy! Do not give away an iPad (unless you sell iPads) but only your own product or service. After all, that is what matters to you. Don't ask your fans to like and share, because Facebook doesn't allow that. Have them respond to your Facebook message. Facebook is allowed, let your message go viral just as fast and fans share and like your message. What works really well: let your fans tag or name someone to let that person participate, for example for an overnight stay for two. That person hears from your Facebook page in a very positive way: a friend has called them to win a product or service that suits them well.

Read more about Facebook promotions: what is allowed and what is not allowed?