As a business or startup in Zimbabwe, I would put to you that having a Facebook page is imperative. Here in Zimbabwe, the majority of internet users are on Facebook. If you are to reach out to a broader audience then have to be on Facebook. That is what makes having a Facebook page such a big for Zimbabwean enterprises. Unfortunately, many Zimbabwean businesses or entrepreneurs go about their Facebook pages the wrong way. There are vital considerations you must adhere to when building and managing a Facebook page. Let us delve into how you can effectively build and manage your Facebook page.
First Things First – It Is A Page (Not A Profile)
I am choosing to talk about this because some business people or entrepreneurs make this mistake. Separate your personal Facebook profile from your startup or business. When we are talking about a Facebook page we are not referring to a personal Facebook profile. Make sure you are conscious of that distinction. You cannot be having a personal profile as a platform for your startup or business. I do appreciate that some startups or businesses are premised on the individual. However, you must still have a separate Facebook page for the enterprise. It all sounds obvious but I have noticed some people miss it.
Pay Attention To The Things People See First
On your Facebook page their things people will see first. Rather I can also say there are things that people should see first. These are profile picture, cover photo, call to action (CTA), about section, and so on.
Profile Picture And Cover Photo
The photos you put up must communicate your brand. Most people are not aware that dimensions matter when putting a profile picture and cover photo. I will not get into the technicalities but I will just give a solution. To use appropriately dimensioned pictures use Canva. Canva is available for desktop and mobile as well. Use that app or software to create your images for the profile picture and cover. In Canva there are templates that you simply choose; you will find templates for those two there.
Call To Action (CTA)
Facebook pages have a CTA feature that you must leverage. Some of the CTA options you can choose from are Sign Up, Contact Us, Send Message, WhatsApp, and so on. Make sure you incorporate that on your Facebook page. This CTA features help in redirecting page visitors to where you want them to be.
About Section
I am surprised when I see some Facebook pages without anything under this section. Typically this section must have a brief overview of what your page is about and what you do as a startup or business. It must also include links such as your website, and other social media platforms you are on. You must also include active contact numbers that people can use to get in touch. You can add email addresses and hours of operation as well. Your About section must contain basic details about your enterprise that people would normally look for.
Pinning Posts
This is vital to things that people see first on your page. This can be a post you made that performed quite well in terms of engagement. It could be a post that carries vital information that you feel page visitors must immediately see.
Prioritize Visuals On Your Page
When it comes to posting content you have the option to choose from text to images, and videos. Never make the mistake of focusing most on just text. Images and videos are most engaging. The latter is much more engaging so invest time, resources, and effort into producing and posting video-based content. You do not necessarily have to come up with expensive and sophisticated videos. Canva can be a great place to come up with visually appealing videos. There are numerous video templates to choose from there. You must also take advantage of live streaming. Studies have shown that people are more likely to watch life as opposed to a pre-recorded one.
Be Systematic And Strategic About Your Posting
Making posts should not just be random – it should be deliberate and calculated. The overall aim is to post regularly and consistently. That is where data analytics comes in to help you. When you post, especially boosted posts, you get to access comprehensive data analytics. From there you will learn a lot about your posts. You will get to figure out which posts performed the best and you can infer why. This will help you take note of what is the most engaging type of content, which times are the best to post, and which days are the most strategic to post. This will provide you with an empirical basis for how best to pick and schedule your posts.
These are the basic things you must adhere to in effectively building and managing your Facebook page. Do not forget what I once talked about – A/B testing. It is essential to this journey because it is a process that takes time. You must do A/B testing to try to determine which types of posts perform the best. The overarching consideration is that you must be customer-oriented in all that you do.
