I’m sure you know a small business owner – hell, you probably are a small business owner if you’re reading this. So I wanted to talk to you about something that you could do that would have a real impact on other small businesses – it won’t cost you anything, but it really does help. It’s not something that is specifically a Christmas thing, but I do see it have a real impact leading up to the festive period.
Facebook Pages for small businesses
Think about the content that you may see in your timeline, maybe they’re showcasing an event they have coming up, or gift ideas for the upcoming festivities, or just sharing the products or services they offer – you’ve seen it come up, right? Ok, so what do you normally do when you see that stuff?
Ignore it!
Ok, so this is really going to sting them. It’s not ideal at all and you’re actually sending a negative signal to Facebook that you don’t like that content (and by extension, content from that creator). It’s inaction and we take that into account when choosing who else will see that content – so by doing nothing, you’re hurting that business. Humbug!
‘Like’ it
Cool cool cool. So, it’s a start, but there are actually five other emotions sat underneath that reaction button (that you think of as the ‘Like’); and yes, it does matter which one you choose.
Why does it matter which one I choose?
The reaction that is used for a post tells us a lot about your response to that content – not just literally, but emotionally. We take that into account (in combination with some other stuff) and to all intents and purposes give the content and the creator a score. The stronger the emotion, the better the score.
When you ‘Like’ something, it’s the weakest of the reactions so you’re really sort of saying “Meh – it’s ok, not great”. Now, if that’s how you feel about it, knock your socks off – but take a moment and think about everything that’s involved in the creation of that product, the business, the content, the time to post, what they need – does it deserve more? That’s your call – but take a moment to consider it.
Use a range of emotions in your reaction
If you’re doing this, awesome – you’re crushing it, and I’m sure that the Page you’re supporting appreciates it too! If you want to up your engagement game, consider the weighting of Comments and Shares. If the creator has asked a question – get involved, answer it. It not only helps that content, but it will also make their day! If you feel that your friends/connections will appreciate and value the content, you can consider sharing it too.
Top tips for helping small & local businesses increase reach and engagement
- Engage with their content when you see it
- Consider stronger emotions when reacting (a ‘Love’ or ‘Wow’ is better than a ‘Like’)
- Answer questions that they ask
- Comment and let them know what you think
- If you feel it’s appropriate, share the content or tag someone who may find it useful
If you’re interested in learning some more useful, actionable top tips related to managing, scheduling and creating content relating to the festive period, come join us in our virtual classroom – use code festivelearner to get your place fully-funded and therefore no cost to you –
