Article by: Mark Thogmartin – VP of Business Development at DISRUPT Media
Back in the “good ol’ days” when Facebook was young, it was not difficult to reach your audience simply by making regular posts. The competition for space on user’s news feeds was relatively small, so more of your posts were seen by your fans. But things have changed…drastically. Organic post reach (how many of your fans see a typical post) on Facebook has plummeted to around 2% for pages with less than 10,000 likes. You may feel good about the information you are displaying, but only a tiny fraction of your fans will probably see it, and even fewer will take the time to read your stuff. What can you do?
If you want to grow your audience and funeral home business, Facebook advertising needs to be part of the plan. It’ll cost you, but the ROI on Facebook ads is, no doubt, the best bang for your advertising buck when compared to other forms of traditional or online advertising. Here are some reasons why FB ads are a good idea:
1. You can save time by posting high quality content fewer times in a week
Instead of generating 6 or 7 mediocre posts per week, create one excellent post with great content and promote it with some advertising dollars. Even though you are only making one post per week, more people will be exposed to your content. You should still put out a few other bits of information during the week as you have time, but put the bulk of your energy into that one “promotable” post.
2. You can let social sharing extend your reach
Now that you are reaching more of your fans with great content, you can expect “shares” and “likes” to increase. Every time your content is shared, your name travels with it. Friends of your fans may decide to visit your Facebook page, and they may become fans themselves. This viral engagement is the key to growing your fan base, and increasing your visibility and likability among those in your physical and online neighborhoods.
3. You can engage with the chatter that is generated
When your Facebook posts reach more people and start to get shared by your audience people will start talking about your funeral home. Closely monitor the comments that are generated, and be sure to engage in the conversation with your fans. One way to increase the chatter even more is to ask a very pertinent question, like “Was your mother one in a million?” or “If you have suffered a loss, what one piece of advice can you give to those who are grieving?” Even asking questions unrelated to your business every once in a while is a good strategy. How about “If you were a dog, what breed would you be?” When your audience is engaged with you in these online conversations, your brand awareness and appreciation will grow as a result.
4. It’s FUN to see your small investment pay off!
Everyone loves to feel good about wise purchases they have made. As you make small investments in Facebook advertising, keep track of which posts gain the most traction and invest more in those kinds of posts. If other content is not as popular, learn from it and avoid similar content in the future. Investing these kinds of dollars my feel like a gamble at first, but the thrill will increase as you see more success.
To read a case study on the benefits of Facebook advertising, check out this article: Facebook Advertising Case Study: ConnectingDirectors.com
Remember that many factors play into social media success. Image size, the time of day you post, and the length of posts all play a part in the organic reach of a post and the engagement of that post. You may be concerned about the legalities of posting non-original content, the mechanics involved, or your ability engage in online conversations. If so, you can turn to the experts at DISRUPT Media. We are the only full-service social media agency specifically catering to the funeral profession. Go to http://funeralsocial.com to find out more about the services we offer. Our clients who are a part of our FUNERAL Social Design Process are seeing an increase in post reach and engagement of over 300%
