7 Free Ways to Promote Your Small Business on Facebook

Let’s be honest, free Facebook marketing is a thing of the past. If you want to put your business in front of an audience that will likely be interested in what you have to offer, you need to pay for it.

But, even with organic reach declining, Facebook remains a crucial tool for marketers and businesses of all sizes and from various industries. They continue to use the platform to promote their products and services even though they need to spend a lot to get their message across.

Why is that?

That’s because even as a paid platform, Facebook generates an impressive return on investment. According to Hubspot, Facebook ads provide the highest ROI among all paid advertising channels. In short, it’s totally worth it!

As a digital marketing company in Miami, we have firsthand experience of the ROI that’s achievable using this specific digital marketing method.

Nevertheless, there are still free yet effective ways to use Facebook to grow your small business.

Don’t believe us? Read this blog to learn how you can promote your small business on Facebook for FREE!

What Are the 7 Ways You Can Promote Your Business on Facebook for Free?

1. Create a Facebook Business Page

Creating a Facebook account for your business is a free way to promote your brand. There, you can post about your products or services, and make it easier for people to discover and interact with your brand online while keeping your personal matters separate.

Of course, you can still use your personal account to promote your business to your network of friends and family if you want to, but a business page will give you access to analytics and insights you can use to develop more targeted content and strategy.  

When creating a Facebook business page, there are a few things you want to keep in mind:

• Use your logo as your profile picture.
• Use a photo of your office or your employees as your cover photo.
• Include your main keyword or phrase in your business page name.
• Fill out your :About Us” or “About Me” section with every detail necessary to provide your audience with complete information about your business. This includes your location, website, a short description of what you have to offer, business hours, and your contact information
• Claim a vanity URL to make your FB page feel branded and look professional. A good example is www.facebook.com/yourbusinessname.

2. Create a Fan Page to Establish a Personal Business Presence

If there’s anything social media is particularly good at, it’s providing brands the ability to create more personal relationships with their audience.

Having a fan page where you can showcase your professional persona allows you to create an environment where people feel like they’re having a one-on-one interaction with the person behind a brand. This can make users feel that they’ve encountered your company in a more meaningful way and that they now have a special connection with you.

You can use your fan page to connect with your audience in a more personal level, interact with them, and keep them engaged to build trust, rapport, and confidence in you and your business.

3. Build a Base Audience Starting with Friends and Family

Once you get your business page and fan page up and running, invite your network of friends and family in Miami, and even those who are from neighboring areas to like these pages.

This can help build a test audience who can help you achieve the following:

• Check what type of posts drive the most engagement, attract the most attention, and incite the most reaction. Is it photos? Videos? Infographics? Blog posts? Tips and tricks?
• Crowdsource ideas on what they want to see more from your brand, any information they want to know, or what they’re curious to hear.
• Get more people to like and follow your pages by asking your network of friends and family to share your brand on Facebook.

4. Maintain a Strong Brand Presence

Here’s a fact: People use Facebook as a search engine. Users operate the platform not just to connect with the people they know, but to also look for products, services, and to know more about a business.

This is why it’s important to maintain a strong brand presence on Facebook.

Although your organic reach is limited to the number of people who follow or like your page, every now and then, there will be prospects who will stumble upon your posts and decide to check out your page.

An inactive page turns consumers off. Why? Because there’s nothing to see! How will they know what you’re selling, what your current promos are, or why they should buy from you?

Make sure you maintain a strong brand presence by posting consistently on your Facebook page and fan page.

So, what types of content should you be posting that will engage users and drive them to interact and like your page? Here are some ideas:‍

• ‍Behind-the-scenes photos or clips of your photoshoot or product shoot, what goes into making your products, and what your employees do in the office.‍
• Branded graphics containing inspirational quotes, motivational sayings, facts, and more. ‍
• Questions followers might be interested in answering. It could be related to your business or something just to engage your audience. You could ask questions like “How do you prepare for Mondays?” or “Do you miss being able to go out on a Friday night? Are you #teamNetflixandChill or #teamPartyParty?”‍
• Stories about yourself, your business, what you learned through the process, or other people’s stories that inspired you. People like stories as they allow them to see you and your business in a different light. ‍
• Customer testimonials, whether it’s a photo, video, or a long status about their amazing experience with you, make sure to share it on your page.‍
• Curated product photos to catch the attention of your audience. The more they see you, the more they become familiar with you and the more they’ll likely buy. ‍
• Posts that highlight your personality. You don’t have to post about business all the time. Show the human side of your brand by posting something quirky, funny, or relatable. ‍
• Blog posts from your site or other authority sites in your industry. These posts need to either be informational, entertaining or heart-wrenching to get users to click and share. ‍
• Tips and hacks get people’s attention all the time, especially if they’re relevant or highly useful for them. ‍
• Video content that you know your audience will love. It could either be your brand story, a video presentation of your products or services, an inspirational clip from a movie, or a funny compilation of animals. As long as it’s in line with your values and brand voice, then go ahead and post it. ‍
• Feature your employees and tell your audience about them. Not only will they feel like they’ve become familiar with your business, but it also helps put a face in your brand and establish a more personal connection. ‍
• Promos and discounts to keep your audience posted about any incoming deals and promos they don’t want to miss.

These are just some of the many things you can post on Facebook. If you want more, we’ve written an article about 60+ social media post ideas. Check it out!

5. Create a Community

Another way to market your business for free is to create a community where everyone who shares the same interests can share ideas, exchange suggestions, and have a healthy conversation around a certain topic.

Say for example, you’re an interior designer in Miami. You want to create a community by inviting everyone interested in interior design, beautifying their homes, and maybe even creating DIY projects. There you can share expert opinions about how to decorate people’s homes, hacks, tips, tricks, and more. And in turn, people can ask for your advice, share their own opinions, and engage with each other.

You can use this to establish your expertise, credibility, and promote your business.  It’s a smart digital marketing strategy in Miami.

6. Join Facebook Groups

Aside from creating your own community, another way you can showcase your expertise to potential customers and build trust is to join established Facebook groups that are relevant to your business.

In these groups, you can engage with other users in the comment section, share your genuine thoughts, or give advice about certain matters. You can also extract information from these groups about what your ideal customers think, what their preferences are, what interests them, and more.  

Just remember to avoid promoting your business because it might turn them off and think that you’re only there to sell. Promote only when they’re asking about it.

7. Run Facebook Contests

If you spend a lot of time online and follow brands and business pages, we’re sure you’ve come across social media contests before. They’re a great way to get people’s attention, incentivize them to follow you, and spread the word about your business - all for free!

When done correctly and effectively, contests can help you achieve the following:

• Increase your following
• Boost engagement
• Build a community
• Spread brand awareness
• Boost sales

How exactly do you run a successful Facebook contest? Here are some best practices to follow:‍

• ‍Read up on Facebook’s rules about running contests. Facebook has set up guidelines you need to follow if you want to run contests on the platform. Make sure to go over it in advance. ‍
• Set a goal. What is it that you want to achieve from running a contest? Is it to gain more followers? Get more leads or spread brand awareness? Objectives are very important because they determine your course of action.  For example, if your goal is to generate leads, then you need to include a form on a landing page to achieve it. ‍
• Create your own terms and conditions. Set clear rules participants must follow to avoid any confusion. It should also include a disclaimer that Facebook is in no way associated with it and that Facebook has no access to the information gathered through your contest.‍
• Choose a prize your audience will rave about. If you really want to make a scene on social media, go bold with cash prizes or an all-expense-paid trip. Then again, you don’t have to go to that extent if you don’t have the budget. Find out what will entice your ideal customers to join. For instance, if you’re trying to promote your waxing salon, your prize could be a free waxing session. ‍
• Promote your contest across your social media accounts, especially in your Story. This will help people know about it and urge them to join. ‍
• Use a branded hashtag to keep track of the conversations that go around your brand or contest. ‍
• Measure and track results to gain insights on how you can run more effective contests next time and refine your strategy to achieve the best outcome.

Looking for the Best Digital Marketing Company in Miami?

Effective digital marketing in Miami can take your business to the next level. Whether you’re marketing your business on Facebook for free or running paid ads, both offer a huge potential to help promote your business effectively, attract leads, and allow you to connect with your audience in a more meaningful and personal way.

At Digital Resource, we consider Facebook marketing as a crucial part of our overall digital marketing strategy. If you need professional assistance in making the most out of your Facebook page, we can help!

Check out our client testimonials to know how we’ve helped other small businesses in Miami succeed in marketing their company online!