Q3 • 2023


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by an audience that may never have come across your Page otherwise. About 20 percent of all the content that users see in their main feed today is from people and pages they are not connected to. We do have the option of viewing content just from individual feeds, such as Favorites, friends, groups, and Pages. I think Facebook just threw us a bone with those extra feeds; they’re visible mostly on mobile. In any case, companies don’t really have to keep up to speed on every algorithmic nuance, because in today’s world, organic reach is still very low— about 6 percent for Facebook business Pages. Some Pages may experience a lift in reach by publishing more Reels.


Q: Audience Insights inside Meta Business Suite is a little-known resource for marketers. How do you advise brands use it?


MS: They really ought to tap into it. You can see the current demographics of your followers on both Facebook and Instagram, and the data provided can be helpful to simply inform you on whether your ideal customer persona is following you and if there are other types following you. The insights show age, gender, top cities, and top countries. Then you can also start drilling into the demographics of your potential audience across all Facebook, worldwide. By adjusting the filters, you can see at a glance the audience size and demographics of specific interests and potentially use this in your ad targeting. Brands and marketers would definitely do well to use these Audience Insights tools to get a better sense of the potential performance of their ad campaigns.


Q: Can you really acquire leads through Facebook?


MS: Absolutely. Businesses and brands of all sizes acquire leads on a daily basis through effective Facebook advertising. A great example is Carol Tuttle, a best-selling author and creator of the online makeover system Dressing Your Truth. She and her team do an excellent job of offering compelling lead magnets and engaging


organic content as well as consistently running targeted ad campaigns, all of which generate qualified leads and sales.


Q: Should marketers combine Facebook with other social media for best results? If yes, what other social platforms complement Facebook?


MS: Yes, 100 percent. Never, ever rely exclusively on just one platform, even Facebook, with its almost three billion monthly active users. I strongly recommend also including Instagram in your marketing mix, then at least one non-Meta-owned platform. So that would be YouTube for sure, and most every brand ought to have an active presence on LinkedIn, especially if you’re in a B2B environment. Perhaps include TikTok, if it’s a match for your target demographic and on-brand for your needs. Twitter seems to be an acquired taste these days but can still provide upside.


Q: Finally, AI is all the rage at the moment, and Meta tells us that AI can be a valuable tool to marketers on its platforms— supercharging brand creative, etc. How do you see AI changing Facebook marketing strategies going forward?


MS: Mark Zuckerberg announced back in February that Meta has a new “turbocharged” focus on AI. One of the key areas Meta is working on is baking generative AI into its current products, giving users the ability to create written, image, and video content without leaving Facebook or Instagram. I predict that before long, we’ll be able to create AI-powered content right inside Meta Business Suite. Zuckerberg often feels like he’s behind when there’s a big-sea change happening, so the company will hustle and forge ahead very quickly to play catch- up. Meta has actually led the way with some AI-powered developments over the years, such as its algorithmically controlled feeds. However, generative AI is a whole new arena for many social platforms and businesses alike. ■


How to Prep Your Facebook Marketing Strategy—Even with Limited Resources by Mari Smith


Social media marketing has never been more complicated, and it can be incredibly overwhelming to start from scratch and build a presence on Facebook. I recommend my evergreen three-part social media success formula:


Content + Community + Conversion = Results Then rinse and repeat.


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Content—It all starts with great content. People don’t engage with a blank Facebook wall,


so mapping out a compelling content strategy is the fi rst step. This should include a mix of video, images, plain text, and link posts.


Community—This part might come later down the road, once you’ve established a bit


more of a presence. Often the best place to create a thriving community is via a Facebook group. In fact, some small-business owners start with a private Facebook group (rather than a business Page) and invite friends, colleagues, clients, and prospects to join and participate in the discussions. A group’s purpose can be to provide helpful tips, off er educational content, spark conversations, be a think tank, and more.


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Conversion—This fi nal component is the one that’s most often missing from the


social media strategy of businesses of all sizes. It’s all well and good to spend time creating amazing content, sparking some engagement, and building community, but ultimately, all that online activity has to translate into the all-important business metrics, which are traffi c, leads, and sales.


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