The reason behind less facebook traffic could be caused by accidentally overlooked web design issues, or slow loading speed on your website. It could be possible that there is a widget or plug-in that you added a few months ago that could be slowing down your site.
Remember, Facebook visitors mainly use smartphones, check your mobile website’s speed with Google’s Mobile Friendly Test. Another reason your Facebook visitors have been steadily decreasing could be not enough attention grabbing posts. Remember In order to get more visits from Facebook you need to catch your Facebook followers attention. Here are a few tips on how to get your posts to stand out.
- Post online offers or coupons to get your Facebook followers to visit your website.
- Have competitions or games where your followers can win prizes.
- Ask your Facebook followers questions. Don’t forget to reply to their comments.
- Post videos. Videos also help build your brand’s personality.
Make sure you are posting often. Some specific times to post are between 1pm and 3 pm and/or 5 pm and 8 pm on weekdays to get the most “shares” and “likes”. Facebook engagement is the highest on Thursdays and Fridays. If you skip a few weeks of posting it can affect your website’s Facebook visitors.
What Are Facebook Visits?
Facebook visits are the number of people from Facebook that visited your website over a specified time period.
Why is This Important?
Facebook is a great social media source where you can target a specific audience and demographic to your website. Facebook can help lower your marketing costs and bring you more traffic. As of May 2017 there are 1.94 billion Facebook users which is an 18% increase this last year. There are 1.57 billion, daily, active users. That said, more than 50 million businesses now have a Facebook page and we want to make sure your website is doing all the right things to get your share of this massive traffic source.
11 tasks to complete
- Engage your followers by experimenting with new posting techniques.
- Don’t lose followers because of your mobile site.
- Make sure all Facebook posts have good call-to-actions to encourage your visitors to complete a specific action.
- Keep your Facebook followers engaged on your website.
- Build your online visibility by consistently posting on Facebook.
- Review your competitor’s Facebook pages.
- Brand your facebook page
- Stay Engaged with your followers on Facebook
- Decide what to post on Facebook
- Decide when to post on facebook
- Advertise on Facebook
Engage your followers by experimenting with new posting techniques.
Most engaging content types for Facebook
Make sure you are posting quality content that takes visitors to a relevant and interesting page on your website. Let’s also switch up a few of your Facebook techniques and experiment with some new posting ideas.
Remember, it’s extremely important to keep an eye on your stats. Take a look at your Social Analytics in Growth Plan to see what times your followers are online the most and what types of posts get the most visitors engaged with your website. If you’re not sure where to start, experiment with a few different post times and types and watch your analytics. This takes time, but once you find out when your followers are online and what they like, they will engage more and more. In return, your website traffic and social bounce rate will improve.
Steps to complete this task
Experiment with posting times.
For a few days, post at a certain time. Then the next few days, post a different time. Check your analytics to see what times peak with the most engagement. It is easy to see when most of your followers are online, and that is usually the best time to post, but it is also good to occasionally post at very different times in order to reach people that don’t behave like the majority.
Post using the 70/20/10 rule:
70% of your posts should be your unique content that adds value and builds brand recognition. This could include tips from your business, survey questions, recent events in your business or community, and relevant photos or videos. 20% of your posts can be shared content that you really think is great. This can include sharing other people’s posts, articles, photos, or videos. Don’t forget to tag their business name when sharing. Only 10% of your posts should be self-promotion which includes coupons, discount codes, new product launches, business sales or events, and product highlights.
Post a variety photos.
Post photos of your products, services, events, happy customers, and anything else going on in your business.
Post videos or stream Live
when your followers are the most active on each platform.
You can also post a survey.
Ask your followers directly what they want to see more of and get a bit creative with the questions.
Keep Facebook visitors on your website longer by always suggesting more things for them to do.
For instance if they come to your website to learn more about a specific product or topic always suggest related products or articles. This encourages additional clicks and a lower bounce rate.
Make sure all Facebook posts have good call-to-actions
Make sure all Facebook posts have good call-to-actions to encourage your visitors to complete a specific action.
Yes, you need a great Call-to-Action (CTA) in your Facebook post, but you should also have one in your linked page too. Once your followers get to your linked page, give them a reason to keep exploring. Adding related articles, at the bottom of your page, can keep your Facebook visitors engaged. When sharing articles that belong to others, make sure you aren’t breaking any copyright laws. It’s okay to post their link on your website but not their full article (unless you have clear permission). Here are some tips on adding other articles to your website.
- Give credit! Don’t forget to show where the article came from and who wrote it.
- Highlight the main points. In your own words, highlight points from other articles. You can also quote from their article.
- Give your take on the article. What were your thoughts?
You can also create some of your own articles that are related to each other that your visitors may find interesting. As long as the articles are related to what your visitors are viewing, it’ll keep them clicking around your website.
Follow these best practices for web copy:
- Create concise, grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs.
- Avoid passive tense and repetition.
- Address your web visitors directly with the word “you”.
- Break content up into bullet points and ordered lists to help mobile visitors get the main points quickly.
- Use catchy headers and titles to capture and sustain your visitors’ attention.
- Don’t stuff keywords. If you are not an expert on SEO, just write naturally but be sure to include keywords at least twice on every page.
- Content should be long enough to convey real information and not just designed to get a page up with some keywords on it (blog posts should be at least 800-1000 words, website articles should be at least 400 words).
- Use real data in your content and site it when possible.
- Convey why you are an expert in your industry on every page your write.
Steps to complete this task
Have clear calls to action (CTA)
that Facebook visitors can press (don’t forget to keep it mobile friendly). Make sure your CTAs are descriptive so visitors know where it is taking them.
Create more content for your website.
Whether you are talking about other articles or creating new ones, the more there is on your website for visitors to see the more intrigued they will be by what they find.
Keep your content interesting with videos and images.
No one wants to read a large text wall, especially not on their cell phones. You can make your website more personal by creating your own videos. This will help show your brand’s personality and help you stand out from your competition. Videos earn the highest rate of engagement on Facebook, even though they are only 3% of the content.
Put Facebook “like” and “share” buttons
on all your website content so people can like a post on your website or share it straight to their personal Facebook page without a ton of effort and without leaving your site. You can create these buttons right on Facebook to copy and paste into your site’s HTML. You’ve already perfected your website content, now promote and publicize it on the world’s largest social media platform. We love free advertising!
If you have related articles on your page make sure there isn’t too much “fluff” getting in the way.
If you have ads on your page, too much going on can keep visitors from sticking around. Too many ads can also cause your website to load slower.
Consider adding a comments section.
This will keep your visitors even more engaged when they can comment and let you know their opinion. This also allows you to ask questions and receive feedback from your visitors.
Keep your Facebook followers engaged on your website
Once you get your Facebook followers visiting your website, you need to take the next step and make sure your website delivers and gives your followers what they are looking for. Here are a few basic reasons why Facebook followers may be bouncing so quickly:
- Your website is loading too slowly. Facebook users are normally on mobile and expect quick loading times. If your website takes more than a few seconds to load they will be bouncing quickly.
- If the picture doesn’t match to what your website is showing then Facebook visitors will not stick around.
- Related articles at the bottom of the page can keep your visitors engaged and exploring your website.
- Any navigational issues make it hard for visitors to look around your website. Review any new changes to ensure that they are functioning fast and correctly.
You should not be afraid of making changes and experimenting with your website, just make sure you are checking your stats along the way. Your stats can give you an indication of what is working for your website and what isn’t. It’s important to keep your visitors interested and clicking around, and this can be accomplished by giving them a good experience once they land on your site.
Steps to complete this task
First, you need to get your Facebook followers attention. Remember to keep your posts simple, and visual. Add images, videos and infographics to your posts. Check how your followers are responding; that can be a good indicator for how you should manage your posts. Make sure to look at the comments that your followers are posting and don’t be afraid to ask for their feedback every now and then!
Make sure all the photos, content, and videos you post match your website’s theme and goals. Remember, even though Facebook can seem impersonal you are engaging with and talking directly to your existing customers and potentially new ones. Don’t share or post things you wouldn’t want to show one of your customers in person. If it isn’t worth their time in “person” it probably isn’t worth their time on Facebook.
A large majority of Facebook users are on mobile devices. Make sure your website is up-to-date on mobile device updates and newest versions of mobile software (such as iOS). This will ensure that your visitors are getting the best experience possible once they are on your website.
Adding related articles and links at the bottom of the page can keep visitors clicking around. This will help improve your Facebook bounce rate. Visitors will become more interested in your website, but make sure that there aren’t too many distractions that discourage visitors from exploring. Remember Facebook users are normally on their smartphones viewing your website through a smaller screen. If there are too many ads it will make your visitors bounce faster.
When adding and editing your site, check it during the process! Use a website checker like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to determine any factors that are slowing down your website. This will not only tell you the issues with your mobile and desktop site but also shows you how to fix it. Slow mobile websites will be ranked lower in search engines and get less traffic.
Build your online visibility by consistently posting on Facebook
Consistency is huge within the social media world. The more consistent you are, the more you will be noticed and the more followers you’ll receive because consistency boosts your authority throughout the many social media platforms. Post often enough for your followers to see your post but don’t post so often that you’re annoying. Your posting times are also important. Post content with your viewers in mind, check out your analytics to see when your followers are engaging with your content the most.
Keep in mind, some users may not see every post in their news feed. In 2010, Facebook released a new algorithm called EdgeRank, which prioritizes posts that are shown to users so that each person is more likely to see something that they would be interested in. It calculates how recent the post is, the action that is being performed within the post (such as a like, comment, or share), and how much interaction it has already gained from other users you frequently interact with. This means users don’t always have to search for posts that is interesting to them (based on their past actions) but it will automatically appear in their news feed.
- Post things your audience will find useful (e.g. if you are a vet do a review of the cities dog parks or review dog food brands).
- Keep things timely. If you are an ecommerce store post shopping ideas for a certain demographic well before Christmas.
- Avoid generic posts such as “Happy Halloween” unless you are a dentist and want to talk about candy and oral hygiene!
- Pictures of your products and/or services in action are great (e.g. if you are a restaurant post a picture of Friday’s special).
- Pose a problem to your readers (e.g. “What would you do if…” or “One of our customers has a question, can you help?”).
- Create posts that engage your followers (polls, contests, and fan-only discounts).
- Use rich content posts (use infographics, helpful videos, and photos with text).
Power Tip: Remember to follow the 70/20/10 rule!
- 70% of your posts should be content for your followers
- 20% should be sharing others’ posts and ideas
- Only 10% should be outright promotion of your business (i.e. Come check us out at the trade show on Monday).
Complete the checklist below to ensure you’re consistent on Facebook which will increase your brand authority and reverse your negative bounce rate trend!
Steps to complete this task
Consistently post. If users see that you have not posted in weeks it will turn them off and decrease your relevancy. Create a posting schedule or calendar. Creating a Facebook schedule and theme for you to follow is the best way to be consistent with posting (For example: Monday Motivation and Expert Tip Tuesday). This is not only easier on your workload when generating content, but it also gets your viewers coming back every week. It also allows you to easily stay consistent with your brand voice or social media theme. Your brand will be easily recognizable in no time!
Experiment with different posting types. Post a variety of photos, videos, articles, and shared posts. Then check out your analytics to see which posts get the most engagement.
Post content with your viewers in mind. The less they want to be at work, the more they will be checking into their Facebook. Most viewers are on Facebook from 1 pm and 3pm and/or 5 pm and 8 pm on weekdays. On Thursdays and Fridays, engagement is 18% higher. In fact, on Fridays, Facebook use spikes by 10%, since people tend to be happier on Fridays. But keep in mind, every business is unique.
Experiment with different posting times and study your specific audience, then cater your posting schedule accordingly. Don’t just post to post. You have the potential to reach more consumers and drive higher traffic to your site when you post during peak usage times. Once you find a specific time frame that you get the most traffic, stick to that time frame.
Review your competitor’s Facebook pages.
When owning a business, constantly researching your competition and seeing what they are up to can help you stay one step ahead. Facebook is an easy place to review your competitors. There are many types of competitors out there including:
- Direct Competition: This is the competition that has the same product as you and they target the same audience. For example if you own an ice cream store, this might be the ice cream store down the street that sells a similar product to the same audience.
- Indirect Competition: This is the competition that targets the same audience but has different products or vice versa. They might be the cookie store down the street from your ice cream store. They have different products, but still fulfill the same overall need of the customer.
- Phantom Competition: This is the competition that has a different product and goal than you do but can still take away the same audience. An example of this would be a toy store next door to your ice cream shop. This type of competition is harder to target but still important to keep an eye on because your customers have limited discretionary income and once they spend it, it is gone. If that toy store offers a 75% discount one day, people may choose to take their kids there to buy a toy rather than ice cream.
Even though reviewing your competition is good for your business, don’t forget to stay true to your businesses brand. Social media is a good way to differentiate yourself from your competition. In the comments section of your posts, talk to your followers. Address them by their name and thank them if they are leaving good comments. Focus on your niche, but do try and get some ideas of what you can post and what will work for similar audiences on Facebook.
Steps to complete this task
First step is to identify your competitors.
Dig deep and do some research to find Facebook pages for some of your competitors. We suggest just taking a look at competition that is much like your own company first, in other words your direct competitors. This will help you see a better comparison.
Do some more research on your indirect and phantom competitors.
Although they won’t be posting the same things you are, you can still get other ideas from researching them.
Now that you know your competitors, analyze their Facebook pages.
Review their posts and see which ones get the most likes and/or shares. This will give you a good idea on what works and what you can try out in the future.
Get a feel for what strategies you should avoid.
Notice what posts had the least amount of likes and comments. Sometimes if a post has a lot of comments it’s not always a good thing. Look at the feedback that they have on their posts and what Facebook users like and don’t like.
Personalize your page.
Although you are reviewing what has worked in the past for your competitors, don’t forget to keep your brand looking unique.
Brand your Facebook page
On Facebook, your cover photo and profile photo (usually your logo) is the first impression that a potential customer will get of your business. The profile picture is your brand’s key visual identity, occupying the location where on websites you’d see your brand logo. On average, viewers look at these within 0.5 seconds or less when making a decision to like your page. Also, cover photos with faces are guaranteed to attract the most attention. Add a logo and cover to your Facebook page to get people to notice your brand.
Here are a few best practices for designing your cover photo:
- Facebook’s guidelines are pretty simple—don’t deceive your customers or take anyone else’s copyrighted images.
- Your ideal cover photo size is 851 pixels wide x 312 pixels high.
- Facebook dropped its 20% text rule in cover photos, but keep your text minimal.
- Leave a little bit of space in your cover photo in the lower left—that part of your cover photo will be covered up by your logo.
- If you’re showcasing a product, make sure that you right-align it.
- If you have a Call-To-Action button on your Facebook page, make sure that your cover photo highlights this.
- Update your cover photo at least once a quarter
A good example of a company that is incredibly successful on Facebook is Patagonia, the outdoor clothing manufacturer. Take a look at their cover photos, which are usually replaced weekly and are usually stunning images of outdoor scenes. These images are relevant to their visitors, often updated, and very frequently shared!
Steps to complete this task
Uploading Your Facebook Profile Photo:
Find the square with a picture of a transparent camera on the top left of your business’s Facebook page. Click this icon and choose the “upload photo” option and select your logo from your computer. After your logo uploads, it will appear in the box. It’s best for your business to have your logo as your profile photo so it is recognizable on any post or search result across Facebook.
Editing Your Facebook Profile Photo:
If your logo looks out of place, find the edit thumbnail option by clicking the camera icon from step 1. Then drag your logo so that it’s centered and recognizable in the box. Make sure your logo looks professional and is not grainy or low resolution. This is your business’s brand; let’s make sure it is well represented!
Upload a Cover Photo to Facebook:
Click “Add a Cover” in the lower right hand corner of the cover photo area. Choose a picture to upload from your computer. Your ideal cover photo size is 851 x 315. Your cover photo should be different than your profile photo but should still represent your company. Try changing your cover photo seasonally or when new things are happening with your business or organization. It is good to keep this fresh and updated at least quarterly.
Make sure all the photos, content, and videos you post match your website’s theme and goals.
Remember, even though Facebook can seem impersonal you are engaging with and talking directly to your existing customers and potentially new ones. Don’t share or post things you wouldn’t want to show one of your customers in person. If it isn’t worth their time in “person” it probably isn’t worth their time on Facebook.
Stay engaged with your followers on Facebook
A good “social care” policy entails keeping up with your followers on Facebook. In addition to calling in and emailing support questions, people often will post on a business’s Facebook timeline for help. A recent Forbes article reported that businesses with a good customer care strategy on Facebook enjoy an 8% higher customer retention rate than businesses that don’t. Every day, you should log into Facebook for a few minutes and respond to your customers that have commented. Here are some suggestions for staying engaged with customers that comment on your Facebook page:
- Mention your followers’ first names whenever they post to your timeline – if a customer says they love your product say, “Thank you, Rob!”
- “Like” all posts and pictures directed to your business by your customers
- Give your followers some insight into your business – if they mention a product they like, ask them if there are any improvements they’d like to see made.
- Respond to all reviews and posts – even the negative ones.
A great number of users use Facebook to post their reviews. In fact, 67% of users are influenced by online reviews when making a purchase. Keep in mind, not all reviews and comments will be positive. Acknowledge your negative comments and reviews immediately.
About 78% of consumers say that seeing management respond to online reviews makes them believe that the business cares more about them. Think of reviews as advertisements. Respond to each negative review as soon as possible.
Use their name, apologize, and be specific to their personal issue. Don’t forget to provide an email or invite them to contact you in other way so you can resolve the problem. Reviewers are buyers of your product or services, the language they use is similar to the one your target audience will use. Most reviews include your keywords, which of course is another reason why positive reviews are crucial for your SEO.
Steps to complete this task
When customers tag your business in their content, simply ’like’ the post or respond with a “Thank you for your business” or “Happy you are enjoying your new product, we hope to see you again soon!”
Acknowledge all happy comments and reviews. Reply with a “Thank You” message. Also, be sure to use their name, for example, “Thank you, Sarah.” You can also include a follow up questions such as “What made your experience so great?” or “Who was your helpful sales associate?”
Acknowledge all unsatisfied reviews and comments immediately. You must show them that you care enough to address the problem immediately and be willing to help resolve it. First address them by their first name and apologize.
Don’t use the same response to every negative review. Be specific and personal for each response. This shows that you care about their personal experience or problem. Then, give that user a way to follow-up with you off of Facebook. Provide an email address or ask them to “direct message” you on Facebook so you can get a better understanding of the issue and speak privately.
When you’re deciding how to reply to a comment or review on Facebook, remember that the most important thing to do is show you’re listening. Some people just want to be heard, and by acknowledging comments, you do that quickly and easily. Don’t let them build up by only responding once a week, try to do these things daily!
Decide what to post on Facebook
Not a lot of small businesses know what they should be posting on Facebook. Here are some suggestions for developing a Facebook content strategy:
- Post things your audience will find useful (e.g. if you are a vet do a review of the city’s dog parks or review dog food brands).
- Keep things timely. If you are an ecommerce store post shopping ideas for a certain demographic well before Christmas.
- Avoid generic posts such as “Happy Halloween” unless you are a dentist and want to talk about candy and oral hygiene!
- Pictures of your products and/or services in action are great (e.g. if you are a restaurant post a picture of Friday’s special).
- Pose a problem to your readers (e.g. “What would you do if…” or “One of our customers has a question, can you help?”).
- Create posts that engage your followers (polls, contests, and fan-only discounts).
- Use rich content posts (use infographics, helpful videos that you find on YouTube, and photos with text).
Power Tip: Remember to follow the 70/20/10 rule!
- 70% of your posts should be content for your followers
- 20% should be sharing others’ posts and ideas
- Only 10% should be outright promotion of your business (i.e. Come check us out at the trade show on Monday)
Make sure that you share your blog posts… this is a great way to get more traffic to that valuable content hub on your website!
Steps to complete this task
Post using the 70/20/10 rule: 70% of your posts should be your unique content that adds value and builds brand recognition. This could include tips from your business, survey questions, recent events in your business or community, and relevant photos or videos. 20% of your posts can be shared content that you really think is great. This can include sharing other people’s posts, articles, photos, or videos. Don’t forget to tag their business name when sharing. Only 10% of your posts should be self-promotion, which includes coupons, discount codes, new product, launches, business sales or events, and product highlights.
Post a variety photos. Post photos of your products, services, events, happy customers, and anything else going on in your business. Photos of people using products and services tend to get the most engagement. Most customers love being photographed and getting recognition. Be sure to tag them in a post. They’ll most likely like and share the post to their personal page.
Post videos or stream Facebook Live when your followers are the most active on Facebook. Facebook has placed a larger emphasis on video content with the introduction of its Facebook Live streaming feature, so it’s important to keep an eye on how your video content is performing versus other types in order to discover what your audience engages with the most.
Vary your types of post to keep your Facebook users engaged. Post a wide variety of photos, videos, text, and articles. Experiment with the different types at different times so you can get a better understanding of what your audience likes.
Decide when to post on Facebook.
About 75% of clicks on your posts happen within 2-1/2 hours after the post is made. Here are some guidelines for when to post on your Facebook business page:
- Post between 1 pm and 3 pm and/or 5 pm and 8 pm on weekdays to get the most ‘shares’ and ‘likes’
- Post your photos and videos on Thursday and Friday, since Facebook engagement is highest on these days.
- As a rule of thumb, think about your followers—the less they want to be at work, the more they will be checking their Facebook.
Power Tip: The best time to post on Facebook will depend upon your specific business:
- If you’re a flower shop, schedule a post for Monday mornings when that new inventory comes in.
- For your blog, you might want to offer followers a ‘sneak preview’ of that post coming out on Thursday.
- If you’ve synced your Answer Engine account with Facebook we will tell you the best days and times for you to post, based on when your followers are most active
Steps to complete this task
Post content with your viewers in mind.
Most viewers are on Facebook from 1 pm to 3 pm and/or 5 pm to 8 pm on weekdays. On Thursdays and Fridays, engagement is 18% higher. In fact, on Fridays, Facebook use spikes by 10%, since people tend to be happier on Fridays.
Create a posting schedule or calendar.
Creating a Facebook schedule and theme for you to follow is the best way to be consistent with posting (For example: Monday Motivation and Expert Tip Tuesday). This is not only easier on your work load when generating content, but it also gets your viewers coming back every week.
Experiment with different posting times
and different types of content. Every business is unique, so study your specific audience and cater your posting schedule accordingly. Don’t just post randomly. You have the potential to reach more consumers and drive higher traffic to your site when you post during peak usage times.
Advertise on Facebook
Did you know that Facebook is the 2nd most visited website behind Google? With 1.79 billion monthly active users, advertising on Facebook can make your business boom! Here are some of the benefits of using Facebook ads:
- Facebook ads let you add more content than Google Ads.
- Ads posted on Facebook let customers directly engage your business.
- Facebook has a huge audience.
- It’s easy to track spend, performance, and ROI.
- Facebook has advanced targeting options.
- Facebook lets you choose between CPC and PPC cost structures, letting you make Facebook ads affordable for your business.
- We run a lot of Facebook ads for businesses and find the CPC tends to be lower than Google’s PPC – most likely because they aren’t as competitive yet!
Visit the Facebook advertising page to learn more about launching your first campaign: https://www.facebook.com/business/.
Steps to complete this task
You first need to recognize your business or advertisement goal
or the reason you’re running the ad. Do you want more Facebook followers? Do you want more website views?
After you’ve solidified your goal, you need to understand whom you want to reach.
Facebook’s targeting is one of their best features. When choosing your audience, you can target based on user behaviors, locations, interests, education level, job titles, and so much more. You can also use a custom audience by uploading your contact list or build a lookalike audience, which uses your customer’s information to find people similar to them on Facebook. There are many options to help you reach more users, faster.
Scroll to the bottom of your Facebook business page and click “Create Ad” and select “Create Ad”
again to get started. You can then select your marketing objective, choose your audience, format, budget, and duration.
Choose your ad format.
There are many different formats you can use to convey your message to your specific audience. You can advertise using a video, photo, carousel, canvas, or even a slideshow. Use whichever format you think will present your information in a way your audience will respond to.
Set your budget.
You can set up a daily or a lifetime budget. You’re in charge of your Facebook ad and Facebook will never charge you more than your budget.
Facebook also offers Audience Insights.
This gives you information about three groups of people—people connected to your Facebook page, people in your custom audience and general people on Facebook. It allows you to create content and ads that resonate and easily find more people like the ones in your current audience.
Facebook Marketing
Learn more about Facebook Marketing .
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