Est Read Time: 6 Minutes
I have had Facebook since it first started.
I am not saying this as a brag, but more of just trying to show you that I know Facebook. I watched as it evolved from only being able to ‘Like’ and ‘Comment’ on posts all the way to them incorporating ‘Reels’.
I literally remember suggesting to a friend to sign up and they asked me what the point was 😂 This is what I said, “It’s just like IM but easier.”
(IM was instant messenger for email –but you probably know that.)
I was a bit sketched out when I first signed up though, I had a random photo for my profile photo and my hometown was not where I actually lived because my mother’s wise words whirred around in my head, “Do not put personal information online. Anyone can take it and do whatever they want with it. Especially don’t put your address out there, or you’re just asking to get kidnapped.”
And quite honestly, that rings true more now than it ever did –but that’s a whole different conversation. 👀
So anyway, here are a few facts about Facebook before I dive into what it’s like to be a user on Facebook.
A Few Facebook Facts
- Facebook was founded in 2004
- It was co-founded by Harvard University students Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes
- Facebook became the largest social network in the world
- Facebook has more than 2 Billion active users
- It was originally ‘thefacebook.com’
- Facebook has had privacy issues since shortly after beginning
- In October 2021 Facebook announced a change in name of its parent company to ‘Meta Platforms’
Being a Facebook User
Before you plunge into Facebook, it’s important to understand how people use Facebook so you can properly leverage it.
I won’t lie to you, Facebook is becoming a ‘Pay to Play’ platform. It’s really hard to grow on Facebook organically –although it is possible, it takes more time and patience than using Instagram (currently).
When we think of Facebook we think about family, memes, and virtual gathers (like groups or pages). If you want to learn about something, your best bet is to look for a group or page. And let me tell you, with the billions of people on Facebook, there is sure to be a group for everything.
So if you’re going to be leveraging Facebook for your business you’ll want to consider a few things like investing in ads, going live, creating a Facebook group, using hashtags, and diving into reels! (Although full disclosure, at this moment in time I have not used Facebook Reels, just Instagram Reels, but I’m excited to start and see what kind of growth this brings! Hopefully more organic growth!)
I have a client who recently started doing lives and let me tell you 👏
Their reach skyrocketed. And we got more page likes than we had been getting on a regular week!
Quite a few people watched their video during the live and after, which was incredible because my client was a tad resistant to getting on video. But they had so much fun and their audience loved it. I’m looking forward to seeing how doing lives consistently will help with their growth!
Razzle’s Facebook page was not growing and at this point in time I don’t have the budget for Facebook Ads so I decided to focus on a Facebook Group. It’s still in the very early stages, but I’m thrilled!!
I already have more sign-ups than I was expecting and I think it’s going to be an incredible opportunity to use my knowledge to help realtors get onto social media and build up their confidence.
And now the content I’m spending quite a bit of time creating is no longer being put in front of the wrong people. I am creating valuable content that will be consumed by the people who need it and is looking for it. It was a huge reason why I decided to step back from Instagram and my Facebook page so I could put my focus on my Facebook group.
Before you can decide for sure if Facebook is the right platform for your business though, you’ll need to know who your audience is. Are they millennials or younger? Then they are more than likely not on Facebook. If your main audience is older than the millennial generation, you could have a good chance of finding them here.
However, ever since the iOS update in 2021, Facebook has been having a hard time. Costs have gone up, reach has gone down, and businesses trying to leverage Facebook are having a harder time.
I dare say it, but Facebook is becoming a crappy platform. As a user, I even find it more unappealing lately. I was already decreasing my time on social media and my phone in general, but I find it easiest to not be on Facebook…
And again, I’ve been on Facebook since Facebook opened it up to the public. 👵
Is Facebook worth the time and effort? It most certainly can be for the right people with the right audience. To help you out, I’ve included a link to a website where they share some AMAZING statistics about Facebook. [CLICK HERE TO READ] I’m sure that as long as you know who your audience is coupled with these statistics, you’ll be able to make a better judgement on what the right choice for you is.
I’m honestly not trying to discourage you from using Facebook, it is after all a social media giant, but I want to be honest with you and I want you to feel confident and empowered in your decisions when it comes to social media and your business.
Chances are, there is probably a better choice than Facebook –unless you can afford to pay to play! If you’re investing in Facebook Ads, that is a different story.
OR if you want to work on organic growth to start, I’d highly recommend going live! Teach something of value every Live. Try to go Live once a week, but if you could do a week straight of Lives and then go down and then do a full week every few months, I am certain you’ll see some amazing growth. But you need to be sure you’re providing value.
And again, as long as your audience is on Facebook. Don’t waste time and energy on a platform your audience is not on.
So take the time, be clear on who you serve and then decide if Facebook is the best place to be spending your time (and money).
Action Items
Alright, so before you dive into Facebook for your bran, I would like you to spend the week going over your ICA and ICA story. Does it feel right? Does it make sense?
Be certain of where they spend their time online. I’m sure Facebook makes their list but is it in the top three (top two is best) of platforms mostly used by your audience?
If you’re 100% certain Facebook is in their top three platforms, then you’re going to decide how you want to leverage Facebook.
Are you going to…
- Create a Facebook Group
- Create a Facebook Page
- Both 1 & 2
Once you know that, you’re going to need to figure out what kind of content you’re going to put out and how often.
Are you going to go live? –Just a side note, one of my clients started to run Facebook Lives recently and our reach and engagement spiked!!! We’re implementing regular Facebook Lives now, so we shall see what kind of growth consistent lives will do for her. So I’d recommend you give Facebook Lives a try either through your page or in your Facebook group.
Live video is intimidating as heck, I get that. But as I have learned myself, the more time you spend on camera the easier it gets! Everyone sucks when they first start doing anything, so don’t let you hold yourself back.
Schedule in some Facebook Lives and just dive in. Commit my friend, it’s going to really help your success!
[If you want to learn more about the content creation process, read one of my recent series: Content Planning]
Just to review quickly, please spend schedule time in this week to…
- Review your ICA and confirm Facebook is the best use of your time
- Once confirmed it is, decide if you’ll create a Facebook page or group or both of them
- Plan out content
- Schedule Facebook lives in your group or on your page (once a week would be great —every day for a week is even better!!)
- Show up consistently and provide value!
I am excited for you to set your foundation and get started in your social media journey. I know you’re going to do amazing!
Next week we’re going to be talking INSTAGRAM! So look for that next Monday. Until then, may you find plenty of success, prosperity, and happiness!
-Jordan
Are you a realtor struggling with your social media presence? Then we’d love to have you join our Facebook Group: Razzle Marketing: Social Media Mastermind for Realtors
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