How to use Facebook Ads, Fan Pages, Likes & SEO to Make Money for Business

How to use Facebook Ads, Fan Pages, Likes & SEO to Make Money for your Business

How to use Facebook Ads, Fan Pages, Likes and SEO to make money for your business. This article features Social Media and branding strategies to increase engagement with fans, conversion rates, and growing your Facebook Like Button's number counts using viral marketing tactics and search engine optimization techniques. how to use facebook, make a facebook page, make money, tips

Facebook plays a significant role in today’s business landscape and all business with a web strategy must incorporate social media marketing to be highly successful and have a sustainable business model. Facebook claims that websites using “Like” buttons and other social plugins witness 300% in referral traffic. For example, ABCNews.com, Washington Post and The Huffington Post all said that they doubled their referral traffic from Facebook since adding social plugins.

Facebook also reports other company successes:

• Levi’s saw a 40 times increase in referral traffic from Facebook after implementing the Like button in April 2010 and has maintained those levels since.
• American Eagle added the Like button next to every product on their site and found Facebook referred visitors spent an average of 57% more money than non-Facebook referred visitors
• When a Ticketmaster user posts a specific event they are attending, or may want to attend, to Facebook, it generates $5.30 of direct ticket sales
• Eventbrite reports that a link shared on Facebook is worth $2.52 in ticket sales

According to Facebook , “like” buttons get 3 to 5 times more clicks if:

• Versions that show thumbnails of friends are used.
• They allow people to add comments.
• If they appear at both the top and bottom of articles.
• If they appear near visual content like videos or graphics.

If you are planning on generate revenues and making money through Facebook using incentivized landing pages, Facebook ads or Facebook SEO techniques, here are the most important best practices to increase your “likes” and help your brand earn credibility:

1)     Ask potential fans to “Like” you in the ad.

Give potential fans a reason to “Like” you. You can accomplish this in a few ways:

• Offer compelling content that is share- friendly and could turn viral

• Any textual content should be short and to the point

• Test your content and many images

• Use the word “LIKE” in your call-to-action

• Try different target demographics

• Test conversion rate on each of these targeting changes

• Follow the KISS principle  – “Keep it simple stupid”

Just like Google Adwords, when you have a high click-through rate (CTR), Facebook rewards you by decreasing your cost-per-click (CPC). By testing a hundred or so ad variations, you will find a few that convert much better than others. Some may even increase your conversions ten-fold! Testing is instrumental to success.

2)     2) Make your Facebook page title keyword rich, targeted towards your brand identity and goals

Since your fans will ultimately go to your Facebook page, it is important that their title of the page is highly relevant and pertains to the content you would like fans to see and engage with. Make sure all your primary keywords and brand name is in the title. It is the most important text on your page since it is what comes up in the search engine results. Treat the Facebook page title as the major headline of your page that connects the dots between who you are and what you are offering. You can refer to the title as the “textual elevator pitch” of your Facebook page.

3)     3) Send fans to your Facebook page first

If you send them to your Facebook page, you will increase the likelihood of getting “Likes.”

4)     4) If you use Facebook Ads, do NOT send potential fans to your Wall.

Make sure that all targeted traffic is sent to specific landing pages that cater the ads to increase conversion rates and the likelihood of getting the “Like” button to be pressed. A Facebook page wall does not convert as well as a clearly-thought out and targeted landing page.

5)5  5) Create an incentivized “Like” Facebook landing page using “Reveal Tabs”

An “incentivized” Facebook landing page allows you to show fans content that the public can not see unless they become fans and “like” your page. For example, you can say “Click here to find out how a .MUSIC domain can help you” or use any wording with a call-to-action to something of value that a potential fan would want. For example, fans who have “liked” get a free MP3 of a song or see a new, unreleased video. Here are the steps to setting up a Facebook incentivized page using Reveal Tabs:

• Set-up a Facebook page

• Create a unique landing tab for new visitors who did not “like” your page yet and make that the default tab for the “non-likers”

• Add a special reward (such as a free item, a discount, a coupon, a video special) to the landing page for only Facebook users. Require people to “like” the landing page before they can get the special offer as an incentive to increase your “likes” count numbers.

Here is an example:

If you valuable content, discounts or items you can give away every week, you can increase not only engagement with new and existing fans, but also boost fan growth through word-of-mouth.

Remember, fan "Likers" are important because they add credibility for your business. You can also use an incentivized custom Facebook page tab that invites visitors to click the “Like” button to receive something of value in the future. 

It is recommended you add custom FBML tab to your business page. FBML (Facebook Markup Language) is Facebook’s version of HTML, the language that most basic web pages are written in. Basic knowledge of HTML is all that is needed to utilize the functionality of the Static FBML application.

Two different images should be used. One for those who visit the page but have not "Liked" the page yet and one for those have liked the page by clicking the "like" button.  The first image offers an incentive to click "Like" such as a free MP3, valuable tips, a coupon or compelling content.  The second image should feature the value proposition or gift with a clickable link to your website. Make sure you offer the link to the incentivized Facebook page in as many ways as possible:

• On your website

• In advertisements

• In your email newsletter

• In your blog

• In your Youtube videos

• On Twitter

The incentivized page not only makes your "Like" number count grow at a fast pace, it also gives potential followers a reason to revisit your page and a great opportunity to showcase your value proposition: your branded product or service. As a result, engaged fans would also be interested in visiting to your main website, where you can generate a sale.

6)     6) Create contests and competitions to increase engagement, word of mouth and “likes”

Another effective tactic is employing incentivized contests. For example, you can ask fans to post to your page’s wall and the one with the most “likes” gets a reward. This way, you can also engage with your fan’s friends. Remember: Facebook users judge how trustworthy you are by how many fans you have and how many of their friends are also fans of your page. This is the essence of social media optimization: creating a connection with others with similar interests and creating bonds between people.

7)     7) If you are going to pay for Facebook Advertising, diversify your ads and rotate them daily

Facebook users are engaged by new, updated and fresh content. This should also apply to your ads. Test, test and test your ads and when you find a winning combination, rotate them appropriately.

8)     8) Optimize your Fan Acquisition Rate with a highly converting Click-Through Rate by Testing

Just because you have a high click-through rate, it does not mean you are successful. On the contrary, this could be financially dangerous. For example, bidding on a demographic that ensures high traffic does not mean that it is highly targeted traffic that would convert into fans. The problem is that you have to pay for the clicks, even if they are not converting. Make sure you continuously test each ad and find the sweet spot with the highest fan acquisition rate and conversions as opposed to just spending money on getting traffic with no results or “likes.”

Test consistently with different ad variations to find the sweet spot. These can include variations with:

• Different pictures (4-6 photos)

• Different written content copy (2-3 variations)

• Different landing pages (2-3 variations)

• Different demographics (4-6 demographic targets)

• Different interest groups (3-4 interest groups)

However for a campaign of this testing size (a few hundred variations), you would require a few thousands clicks to test, but it will be worth it in the long run and you will be saving money instead of launching ad campaigns blindly and without a strategy behind it.

9)     9) Segment your ads: When an ad campaign is successful, place it under a separate campaign with a higher budget

Test campaigns should be placed under lower budget campaign ad groups. As soon as a test campaign is successful, then it should be separated and placed in another campaign group with a higher budget.

10   10) Update content frequently and engage regularly with fans

While the Facebook page wall is a great tool to communicate with fans, there is a more effective alternative on Facebook that converts more: The “Send an Update to Fans” email feature under the “Promote your page” text. This sends a real email, so be careful not to spam or abuse it. This should be treated as a typical email campaign. Think of building your Facebook fan base as a new email list builder with integrated social options.

It is publicized that a Facebook fan might be worth twice than what an email subscriber is worth, since you have to unique ability to reach their friends too.

There are also other ways to turn emails into fans and more “likes”:

• Include social links in all your emails
• Send an email every month about your Facebook page and tell them about your incentivized Facebook “Like” page offer

Effective ways to engage include:

1. Interact often with fans
2. Asking questions, especially with the word “would”
3. Use different kinds of media: photos, videos and content copy
4. Post interesting links
5. Keep them posted with current events
6. Plan get-togethers
7. Ask for feedback
8. Post time-sensitive news
9. Keep fans engaged by challenging them through contests, games and trivia
10. Be unpredictable and delight your fans by giving gifts, coupons. Be extraordinary.
11. Be explicit in your posts and do not be vague. Keep it simple.
12. Plan meet-ups with like-minded fans

11) Add a Facebook Like Button on Your Website

Add this code to your website:

- <div id="fb-root"></div><script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=189698987749497&amp;xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="http://facebook.com/dotmusic" send="true" layout="button_count" width="450" show_faces="false" font=""></fb:like> -