Facebook Marketing: How to Create Your Content Marketing Plan

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*This article was last updated on 22/07/2023

With an ability to reach over 2.8 billion active users, Facebook can be a critical component of any content marketing strategy. It offers businesses a unique opportunity to engage with a vast and diverse audience. But how does Facebook marketing fit into your overall content marketing strategy?

Facebook is a dynamic platform for sharing a wide range of content, including blog posts, videos, photos, and more. It allows businesses to engage with their audience more personally and interactively. This can help humanize your brand and build a stronger connection with your audience.

Let’s see how we can engage a whole new audience.

How to Create a Facebook Business Page

Before starting marketing on Facebook, you must create a Facebook Business Page. This is your business’s home on the platform and is essential for establishing your online presence.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Facebook Business Page

Log in to your personal Facebook account. You need a personal account to create and manage a Facebook Business Page.
Click on the ‘+’ icon on the top right of your screen and select ‘Page’.
Choose ‘Business or Brand’ as your Page type.
Enter your business details. This includes your business name, category, and contact information.
Add a profile picture and cover photo. These should be relevant to your business and appealing to your audience.
Fill out your ‘About’ section. This should include a brief business description, website URL, operating hours, and other relevant information.
Create your first post. This could be a welcome message or an introduction to your business.

Tips for Optimizing Your Business Page

Facebook marketing - Can you tell the difference in quality among the four images? (Source: Gamers Nexus) — Can you tell the difference in quality among the four images? (Source: Gamers Nexus)

Once you’ve created your Business Page, you need to optimize it to attract and engage your audience. Here are some tips:

Use high-quality images. Your profile picture and cover photo are often the first things people see when they visit your page. Ensure they are high-quality, represent your brand, and fit the recommended dimensions.
Complete all the details. Your page will appear more professional and trustworthy with more information you provide. This includes your contact information, website URL, business hours, etc.
Use keywords in your ‘About’ section. This can help people find your page when they search for related terms.
Post regularly. Regular posting shows that your page is active and can help you reach a larger audience.

Why You Need a Complete and Engaging Business Page

A complete and engaging Business Page is crucial for your Facebook marketing strategy. It helps establish your brand’s identity and credibility on the platform. It also provides a hub for your audience to learn about your business, engage with your content, and connect with you directly.

Remember, your Facebook Business Page is an extension of your brand. Make sure it accurately represents your business and provides value to your audience.

How to Create a Facebook Content Marketing Strategy

Facebook marketing - Understanding Facebook marketing will help you avoid building unrealistic expectations. — Understanding Facebook marketing will help you avoid building unrealistic expectations. (Source: Sprout Social)

Creating a Facebook content marketing strategy involves more than just posting content on your page. It requires a well-thought-out plan that aligns with your overall marketing goals, understands your audience, and measures success.

Define Your Goals and Objectives

Before you start creating content, it’s essential to understand what you want to achieve with your Facebook marketing. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, generate leads, or boost sales?

Clear goals will guide your content creation process and help you measure success. For instance, if your goal is to generate leads, you might create a series of educational posts that lead up to a gated content offer like an ebook or a webinar.

Know Your Target Audience

It is crucial to understand who your audience is and what they want to see on Facebook. Use Facebook Insights to learn about your followers’ demographics, interests, and online behavior. This information can help you create content that resonates with your audience.

For example, consider investing more in video content if your audience engages more with videos.

Create a Mixture of Content

Variety is vital in keeping your audience engaged. Your content mix could include blog posts, videos, infographics, company news, user-generated content, and more. Remember, your content should provide value to your audience and encourage them to interact with your posts.

For instance, you could share a blog post on a trending topic in your industry, then follow it up with an infographic summarizing the key points, and finally, a video case study showing how your product or service can help solve a related problem.

Schedule Your Content

Knowing when to post content is as important as a regular schedule. (Source: Hootsuite)

Consistency is essential in maintaining your audience’s interest and reaching more people. Create a content calendar to plan out what you’ll post and when. Consider using scheduling tools to automate your posts.

For example, you might find that your audience is most active on Facebook during weekday afternoons, so you could schedule your posts to go live during these times to maximize engagement.

Measure Success

Use Facebook Analytics to track how well your content is performing. Look at metrics like reach, engagement, clicks, and conversions to understand what’s working and what’s not. Use this information to refine your strategy and improve your content.

For example, if your videos are getting a lot of views but not many clicks, you should include more vigorous calls to action in your video descriptions.

Align Your Facebook Strategy with Your Overall Plans

Your Facebook content marketing strategy should not exist in isolation. It should be a part of your overall content marketing strategy. This means the goals you set for your Facebook marketing efforts should align with your broader marketing goals.

For example, if your overall marketing goal is to increase brand awareness, your Facebook strategy could focus on reaching a wider audience by boosting posts or creating engaging content that encourages shares.

Remember, a successful Facebook content marketing strategy is not set in stone. It requires regular evaluation and adjustment based on your performance and the changing preferences of your audience. Always be ready to learn, adapt, and improve.

Create Brand Style Guidelines for Facebook Marketing

Brand style guidelines are a set of rules that define how your brand presents itself to the world. They cover everything from your logo and colors to your voice and typography. Your Facebook marketing campaigns must have clear brand style guidelines.

These are crucial for maintaining consistency, building brand recognition, and fostering trust with your audience.

What to Include in Your Brand Style Guidelines

Your brand style guidelines should cover all aspects of your brand identity. Here are some key elements to include:

Logo: Provide guidelines for using your logo, including size, placement, and variations. Also, specify where and when to use different versions of your logo.
Color Palette: Define your brand colors and provide the exact color codes. Specify primary and secondary colors and when to use them.
Typography: Specify the font for headings, subheadings, and body text. Also, provide guidelines on font size, line spacing, and letter spacing.
Imagery: Provide guidelines on the images to use, including style, composition, and subject matter. If you use filters or overlays on your images, specify these too.
Tone of Voice: Define your brand’s tone of voice. Are you formal or casual? Friendly or authoritative? Your tone of voice should reflect your brand personality and resonate with your audience.

Applying Your Brand Style Guidelines to Facebook Marketing

Once you’ve created your brand style guidelines, it’s crucial to apply them consistently across all your marketing efforts, including Facebook marketing. Here are some tips:

Consistency is key: Make sure all your Facebook posts align with your brand style guidelines. This includes your text, images, and even the tone of your interactions in comments and messages.
Train your team: Ensure everyone involved in your Facebook marketing is familiar with your brand style guidelines and understands the importance of following them.
Review and update: Regularly review your Facebook content to ensure it aligns with your brand style guidelines. Also, remember that your brand style guidelines should evolve with your brand, so review and update them as needed.

Remember, your brand style guidelines are not just rules—they reflect your brand identity. By creating and following clear brand style guidelines, you can create a robust and consistent brand presence that resonates with your audience and sets you apart from the competition.

Diversify Your Marketing Plans

While Facebook marketing can be a powerful tool for reaching and engaging your audience, it shouldn’t be your only content marketing channel. It’s crucial to balance it with other marketing efforts. This will help ensure the stability and effectiveness of your overall strategy.

Risks of Relying Too Heavily on Facebook

Facebook’s algorithms and policies can change, affecting your reach and engagement. For example, in early 2018, Facebook updated its algorithm to prioritize posts from friends and family over business content.

This led to a significant decrease in organic reach for many businesses. If you rely too heavily on Facebook, such changes could significantly impact your marketing efforts.

Importance of a Diversified Content Marketing Strategy

Just as you diversify your investment portfolio, you should diversify your content marketing strategy. Different channels have different strengths and reach different audiences. By diversifying, you can maximize your reach and effectiveness.

For instance, while Facebook might be great for reaching a broad consumer audience, LinkedIn might be more effective for reaching professionals and B2B buyers.

Similarly, while social media is excellent for short-form content and engagement, your website or blog might be better for long-form content that establishes your authority.

Final Thoughts on Mastering Facebook Marketing

When done right, Facebook marketing can be a powerful tool in your content marketing arsenal. It offers a unique opportunity to engage with a vast and diverse audience, humanize your brand, and drive traffic to your website.

However, success on Facebook comes from something other than random acts of content posting. It requires a well-thought-out strategy that aligns with your overall marketing goals, understands your audience, and measures success.

As you embark on your Facebook marketing journey, remember these tips. They’ll help guide your strategy, engage your audience, and ultimately, achieve your marketing goals. Happy marketing!