At the end of the third quarter of 2015, Facebook had 1.55 billion monthly active users. We all know how big Facebook is, but how can a local Bend, Oregon business get more eyeballs on their business?
The answer is Facebook. Facebook knows the huge untapped market that’s in small to medium sized businesses, and they have announced some new technology to help these businesses.
On November 4 Facebook made an announcement that will help brick and mortar businesses learn more about Facebook users nearby their physical location.
The company is adding a new column in the Page Insights called Local. The new Local Insights will show Facebook users within 150 feet, 450 fee, and 1,500 feet of a business’s location.
Local Insights won’t show the exact user’s profile, but will give demographic information like:
-Local or Visitor
-Peak Times
-Percentage of Facebook Users Who Saw Your Ad
-Age Range
-Gender
Being able to access this data will help a Bend business that wants to understand the foot traffic that is nearby. With the shopping season right around the corner, Bend businesses should expect to see more foot traffic. If brick and mortar businesses are investing in ads on Facebook, they will be able to assess how well the ads are showing up to Facebook users nearby. If they’re not investing in ads, there is still a lot of great information provided.
Begin documenting the different types of demographics that are nearby. If these demographics fit your ideal customer, start to cater toward content that they would like and engage with.
The purpose of social media is to engage. Don’t just post your products or services, provide valuable content that your customers will engage with. Ask questions, and respond to comments and messages. The more authentic and engaging your posts are, the more social trust you build with BOTH your fans and Facebook. The average Facebook post from a page gets seen by less than 1 percent of its fans. This is called organic reach. The more engagement your posts get, the more organic reach you will get. In no time, you can expect 5-10x your organic reach just by getting more engagement.
Facebook will be rolling out the new Local Insights in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye out for it! To see if your business already has Local Insights, follow these instructions:
-Go to the Insights tab on your Facebook business page
-In the left hand navigation, look for the Local tab which should be below People
If the tab is not present, be sure to check back in the next week or two.
Like any form of digital marketing, test and refine your strategy. Develop a few pieces of content, post them, measure the results and repeat.
Blake Denman, CEO of RicketyRoo Inc.
Follow him on Twitter @blakedenman and visit www.ricketyroo.com to learn more.
