There is no doubt about it: Facebook is not a media juggernaut, it is the media juggernaut. The social networking platform boasts 2.4 billion monthly active users in a slew of demographics, and its user base and engagement rate increases every year. Thanks to Facebook, businesses have a chance to connect with customers—or potential customers—in more meaningful ways than ever before. But how can you do that? Here are a few tips on how you can use Facebook to help your business reach more customers.

Using Facebook to Reach Potential Customers

Did you know that 40 percent of digital consumers use Facebook to research new companies and to find products to buy? To that end, Facebook gives you a chance to reach brand new customers. Of course, this requires a bit of legwork and research on your part. Who is your potential customer? If you can answer that question, you can create content which speaks to those demographics. From there, you can use Facebook’s paid advertising to reach those individuals. Or, better yet, tag businesses or locations that these customers may frequent, and then work with those businesses to build partnerships that will benefit you both.

Keep it Up-to-Date

One of the keys to providing useful content is making sure that it is constantly up to date. This not only provides relevant information for your fans, but it also assists with search engine optimization, ensuring that users are more likely to find your Facebook page and get your business information. As such, you should always make sure you are updating your Facebook page with fresh content. Furthermore, make sure that the content is relevant to your business or community. And remember: Don’t oversell. Keep the content valuable, and it will keep your customers coming back for more.

Match Your Message

You should use the same voice and style on Facebook that you are in all other media. This applies in a few ways. First, you should keep your style and your tone the same across multiple platforms. Don’t sound “business formal” on your website and then be super casual on Facebook. That creates a disconnect and ultimately muffles your voice. Remember, Facebook is supposed to amplify your brand’s voice and not confuse it. Additionally, make sure that you use similar content. While there are always going to be differences between what you put on your Facebook page and what is in your other paid advertisements, your content should always tie back to your business and how you want to position yourself.

Advertising Potential

Facebook’s advertising platform is one of the most robust on the entire internet. With it, you can target a slew of people in a variety of demographics, page likes, locations, and more. If you properly research your target customers and tailor a message appropriately to them, Facebook will give you the chance to reach a whole new world of customers and to grow your business exponentially. It does require a bit of work and experimentation, but it’s well worth the effort.

Partnering With Local Businesses

One great way to expand your reach to new customers? Partner with a complementary business. For example, let’s say you own a restaurant, and there is a small clothing store next door. Come up with a joint promotion together—say, 10 percent off of a purchase in one location if you bring in the receipt from the other. Develop a quick graphic using any number of easy-to-use platforms, share that graphic on both of your pages, and tag each other. This will allow you to expand your business reach to a whole new business audience.

Facebook is one of the most popular websites in the world and with good reason: It allows for its users to connect with friends, to keep tabs on their communities, and to expand business opportunities in new and exciting ways. While it doesn’t require a tremendous amount of technical knowledge, you do need to understand the basic concepts of marketing in order to make this website work for you. Follow these tips, and you will be well on your way to using Facebook like a marketing pro and to significantly expand your business audience.

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