Grow Your Facebook Page Organically

Social media is everywhere these days. Whether you love it or hate it, one thing is sure; social media is not going anywhere. Social media trends come and go, but there has been one consistent stronghold that has become an excellent online marketing tool:

Facebook

Facebook seamlessly transitioned from a platform that kept college kids connected to a platform that and make or break your organization. Studies show that if your organization doesn’t have a social media presence (especially on Facebook), it’s viewed as less credible than a competitor that does.

Facebook has continued to evolve into a ‘pay to play’ platform, pushing businesses to purchase promotional advertising in addition to managing their page. Although it is quicker to pay for advertising, there are still a few ways you can gain a following organically.

At Sarah Catherine Creative, we use a combination of organic strategy and paid advertisements. Below, you will find eight ways to increase traffic online organically.

1. Host contests and giveaways

Announce a contest for your product, a service, or just something fun. The person who shares it and gets the most likes wins. Sharing it on their profile will lend you credibility from word of mouth and gain more visibility.

I’ve used platforms like KingSumo to host clients’ giveaways. The giveaway collects email addresses (so you can grow your list) and gives more entries into the giveaway by following, sharing, and engaging with your brand on social media. 

2. Post engaging content

According to Jonah Peretti, founder, and CEO of BuzzFeed, creating content people love to share is the key to success.

But what content is engaging and shareable? Think about what content you like to engage or share as a user and consumer. Usually, you share content for utility, entertainment, or inspiration.  

Brian Boland, VP of Advertising Technology for Facebook, said, “Publish great content – content that teaches people something, entertains them, makes them think or, in some other way, adds value to their lives.”

Engage your audience. Ask them to share an experience or a memory that relates to your organization. The more emotionally connected customers feel, the more they will remember your product. Always remember to start with the benefit. Customers want to know how your product will make their lives better.

3. Post During Your Optimal Times

There is a tremendous amount of data on the best times of the day to post to Facebook. But, your audience is your audience, and just like they are all individually different, they’re also different from industry to industry. 

Data can help inform your posting strategy but don’t only rely on the data and do what the herd does. Use that data as a point of reference and then experiment with your own content schedule. Test, retest, and test some more.

 It’s smart to post during your optimal Facebook posting times, and you can find that data inside your Facebook page insights. 

4. Schedule Consistent Content

After learning when to post on Facebook, it’s time to make sure your content is consistent. While it might not seem critical, keeping your brand posts consistent will help grow your Facebook page organically.

Think of what your Facebook page actually does for your customers: it’s a line of communication where you want to build a relationship. 

If you only engage or post a few times a month, you’re not creating a clear path of communication for your audience. You ultimately build trust with users as you post on your page. 

5. When you post, make sure you add a visual element.

It has been proven that posts with photos get more traffic. Whether the picture is cute, funny, or related to your product, it will boost views. 

When you don’t have a photo, you can always create a graphic! Canva is a great tool that can turn your quotes (or anything else) into a fun graphic.

6. Follow the 80/20 rule.

Experts say you should post 80% non-promotional content and 20% promotional. You want to create a bond with your customers that goes beyond selling your product. One way to start that bond is to give them content that benefits them. 

Are you selling yoga mats with yogis as your target customers? Spend 80% of the time showing great poses on your yoga mats, of course, and 20% sharing what makes your yoga mats the best.

7. Partner up with like-minded organizations and offer a giveaway

Pitch in with a few other organizations and create a tempting bundled giveaway to those who like and follow all the involved accounts and comment and tag 3 of their friends. 

This is a great way to use your network to support other organizations while tapping into their network to expand your own.

8. When you make a post on your business page, share it on your personal profile as well.

If you are feeling shameless, tag people who might enjoy your post. When you tag friends on something you post on your personal profile, it automatically shows up on theirs (if they don’t have the privacy settings set). Your friends want to see you succeed. Ask them to share your post and have them interact with it.

These are a few ways to grow your organization on Facebook organically, but the most important thing is to focus on how you can benefit your customers.

Remember, your job isn’t to just sell your product to everyone; it’s to find and connect with the people whose lives will improve from your product/service. And Facebook is one way to start to communicate with those people.