Facebook can be useful for showing work, answering questions and promoting offers. That does not make it best for every business. Consider whether customers use it in a context where your message is relevant.
This article also brings together our earlier advice on business pages and algorithm changes. A change described as new in 2018 should not be the basis for today’s plan.
Make the business page a reliable entry point
Check the name, contact details, opening hours, website and offer description. Visitors should understand what you do and how to proceed. Use a recognisable logo and images you have permission to publish.
Make sure the business controls its access permissions. Agree who publishes, who responds and who covers absences. A forgotten inbox is part of the customer experience, even when the rest of the marketing is good.
Publish something worth the attention
Show what customers ask, how you solve problems and what matters before a purchase. Use local or specialist details where they help the recipient. A specific project is often easier to understand than a general claim about quality.
Plan a rhythm you can maintain. No posting frequency guarantees reach. Use responses, capacity and content quality to adjust the plan.
Understand that content is ranked individually
Meta describes how AI systems rank content on Facebook and Instagram. There are several systems and signals, rather than one simple rule ensuring that every follower sees a post.
Avoid basing the strategy on tricks to 'beat the algorithm'. Investigate which topics generate useful conversations and relevant traffic, and why. Do not confuse reactions from many people with interest from the right customers.
Separate organic activity from advertising
Page posts and paid campaigns work differently. For advertising, choose goals, budget and next steps based on the offer. A campaign generating engagement is not automatically suitable for generating project enquiries.
Use the budget guide to assess the full cost. A low cost per click only matters once you know what the visits lead to.
Take messages and feedback seriously
Answer questions clearly and move customer matters to a suitable private channel when personal information is involved. Agree who can make commitments about delivery, price and capacity. An automatic acknowledgement should describe the next step without implying the matter has already been handled.
Evaluate against your own customers
Assess relevant visits, enquiries and customer feedback alongside channel activity. If relevant responses remain low, reconsider messaging and channel choices. It is fine to prioritise other work.
Read the social media guide for businesses when deciding where to focus your effort.
