Get the Most Out of Facebook for 2014
Yep. Facebook is a moving target. Just when you figure it out, they change the game.
We’ll also confess that we’re bigger fans of blogs or building communities of interest for your social media program than we are of Facebook.
That said, Facebook is probably still useful to you and because so many people are on Facebook, you’ve got to be there anyway.
Here’s how to get the most out of Facebook in 2014
At least until Facebook changes the game again.
1. Establish a Facebook lead funnel
Attract fans interested in your cause via two type of ads:
- Sponsored Story for an Action or Like
- Ad Offering Value for an Action or Like
When running Facebook ads, if you can offer something of high value for an email address via your ads right away, such as “register for a free event” or “make a donation” “get this t-shirt,” by all means, drive that contact to your website first and foremost. You save time and money in your cultivation funnel this way. However, it usually has to be a really, really, good offer or highly relevant to convince someone to donate or join without some level of cultivation.
You may have to cultivate a “Like” first by creating an offer (free ebook) or a campaign, such as a “Like This Page” to donate $1, to attract the “right Likes.” Quality matters so much more than quantity here.
Whether you advertise for click-throughs to capture an email address right away, or to capture “Likes,” use Graph Search to target your ads to:
- Users who like similar Pages and with similar interests
- Lookalike audience based on your core email list
- Similar pages & interests + lookalike audiences
2. Collect email addresses
Even though reach is down, your Facebook content still has to provide value. That value might be “insider” information, or breaking news, or inspirational messages, or tips and tricks for managing your disease. Once users are Fans, periodically offer them something of value in exchange for their email address. Host a webinar. Offer an ebook. Send a reminder to sign up for your newsletter. While we’re finding Facebook “Reach” down, conversions at this point are remaining level or slightly up so this step isn’t just valuable …
This step is everything. By collecting email addresses, you can reach your supporters (potential donors) with your promotions in two places: Email and Facebook.
3. Make sure that 50% of your posts link back to a web page…
Where your fans can organically make a donation, buy merchandise, sign up for your newsletter, get safety tips, sign a petition, or some other action that captures their email address.
4. Convert that lead
Generally speaking, you want to convert this new lead within a 30 day period or they go cold. We find a Welcome Series of three emails is highly effective. Generally speaking, the first email welcomes your new lead to your organization and offers value or makes them feel important to the cause. The second email might be a survey to pin point your new lead’s specific interest–that informs the third email. Third email is the “ask” to convert them into a donor, activist, volunteer, or event participant–based on their interest (that you found out in the second email).
5. Post More Frequently
Reach has dropped to somewhere between 8% – 9% for any of your posts, so it’s perfectly acceptable to increase the frequency of sharing. Re-purpose and reword the same content. Change the image to the same article. Use a different tag line. Don’t use a photo, just post a link. Feel free to post more frequently than you have in the past. Jon Loomer says “Your fans aren’t online every day and most won’t be on when you post. So it’s completely acceptable to post throughout the day.”
