It’s no secret that Facebook is the most-used social network in the US. However, because its capabilities for businesses are so different from the personal experience, many people still don’t understand some of the basics behind Facebook marketing. In this 4-part series, we will ask and then answer some questions about Facebook, from the more basic to the highly tactical.

Last time in Part 1, we looked at the most fundamental aspect of Facebook marketing: the difference between a profile and a Page. Today, we’re going to dive into how the Page you have created for your brand is discovered by other Facebook users.

There are three main ways through which Pages are discovered on Facebook: invites, fan activity, and ads. By looking at what each of these is on a fundamental level, we can uncover insights about how to best utilize each method of discovery.

Like Invites

Once you have created your Page and decided it is ready for views, make sure it is published and invite all of your friends to like it. When they do, they become a “fan” of that Page (as opposed to a friend). This is going to be the easiest way to get likes. However, your pool of Facebook friends is finite. Even if all of them like your Page, you won’t be anywhere near the number of likes that you want.

(Note: Facebook campaigns are all about quality over quantity when it comes to fans, so don’t dwell on the numbers, but they can be a good indication when you’re starting out of how well you are doing at gaining exposure.)

The most effective way to get people to like your Page is to have your fans invite their friends. There are many different ways to do this — just remember that liking your Page isn’t allowed to be a criterion for promotion eligibility, and users don’t have to like your Page to see your timeline.

You can, however, link the number of likes to the value of a coupon like Healthy Choice did, or you can provide exclusive content via third-party apps that require a like to view (more on that in part 3).

What rings true in life rings true on Facebook — people are always more likely to trust their friends over an ad, so leverage like invites as much as possible.

Fan Activity

One of the most common ways that your content will be exposed is through the activity of your fans. As they comment on, share, and like your content, their friends will see that activity in their news feeds. A share is more likely to be seen than a like or comment since it holds the same weight as something the user posts himself.

It used to be that these functions were off-limits to promotions, but now likes and comments are allowed to be used as criteria for promotion eligibility.

Of course, your feed can’t be promotions 24/7, so creative and original content is imperative. The more engaging a post is, the more likely your fans are to interact with it in a way that their friends will see. Go back to Part 1 for a quick-and-dirty list of tips for deciding what to post on Facebook.

Ads

Another option to gain exposure for your Page is to create an ad. Facebook has two main types of ads available: adverts and promoted posts.

An advert appears in the right-hand pane underneath the activity feed. These ads are usually purchased on a CPC (cost per click) basis, meaning Facebook will show the ad as much as it wants and you pay for every click that it gets.

The other type of ad Facebook offers is a promoted post. To create one of these, you simply create a normal post and then select the “boost post” option.  You can enter whatever budget you want and it will tell you how many people you will reach by promoting to the friends of your fans.

This option is often the best because, like when fans invite their friends to like your page, their name is associated with the post when their friends see it, adding trustworthiness to the post. It will appear in their news feeds organically, with only the caveat “Suggested Post” to differentiate it from any other post they actively subscribe to.

By the time you explore utilizing like invites, fan activity, and ads, your brand’s Facebook Page should be experiencing some growth. Exposure to your Facebook Page means exposure for your brand as a whole. And when your brand is getting exposure and traffic is being driven to your website, your Facebook marketing efforts are a success.

Check in next week for Part 3!

About the Author: Samantha Gale is a social media and content marketing specialist working for 60 Second Communications, a full-service marketing agency working with brands around the globe.