Some may say “it’s a TikTok world” nowadays, but I say: it totally depends on your niche! For many businesses, Facebook is still the most successful social media platform and there is certainly still very real validity in using it. Let’s dive into the current 2024 algorithm and the best practices for how to use Facebook for your business!

How to Use Facebook for Your Business (in a TikTok World)

It’s important to acknowledge that the social media platform most successful for your specific business is totally dependent on your niche and your target audience demographic. For many of my clients, Facebook is their most successful, while other clients see more success on Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn. Determining WHO you are talking to is the most important step of all, ensuring that you pick the right platforms for your business to begin with.

As we dive in, I want to give a little refresher on the 2024 Facebook algorithm and what that all entails. Here’s the four ranking signals that Facebook’s algorithm uses to sort content and decide which content to deliver higher up in a user’s feed, as worded by Hootsuite:

Who posted it: You’re more likely to see content from sources you interact with, including friends and businesses.
Type of content: If you most often interact with video, you’ll see more video. If you engage with photos, you’ll see more photos. You get the idea.
How likely you are to engage with the post: If the algorithm thinks you’re likely to comment, like, or share a post, then it’s more likely to show it in your feed.
How interested will other people be in this post: If the Facebook algorithm determines that a post will generate meaningful interactions between users, such as comments, shares, and replies, it will be ranked higher.

Now that you have a better idea of the algorithm, here’s a handful of ways that your small business can show up on Facebook and increase your positive marketing results overall:

Optimize all page information

Not only do you want to select which category of business you belong to, but you want to make sure that ALL of the fields on your page are filled out correctly and updated accordingly. For example: Hours of operation, price range, description, the list goes on. Facebook can be used as a search engine for individuals looking for services and it pays to be optimized.

Utilize a keyword strategy

Bouncing off of the above point, utilizing keywords is the name of the game in 2024 and beyond. Make sure that your descriptions on all social media profiles (and post captions) have searchable keywords and phrases. For example, when I’m writing a social media post about this blog post, I’ll make sure that the key phrase “how to use Facebook for your business” and keywords like “Facebook marketing tips” are included. This is where the future of marketing - and search - is headed. There’s no better time than the present to jump on the keyword bandwagon.

Don’t forget the call to action

Add an action button to your page with a clear call to action - you can choose from buttons like “Learn More”, “Book Now”, “Start Order”, “View Shop”, the list is endless! There’s something for each type of business and this clear call to action can help you convert customers/clients much easier.

Encourage those 5-star reviews

Had a happy customer or client recently express their joy with you? Ask them to solidify that feeling into a tangible review that future customers/clients can discover! Facebook contributes to your business’ overall SEO or “Google likability” when your page has a populated review section. Social media does count towards your overall SEO! Utilize your Facebook page as a place for social proof, where people can discover businesses that their people love!

Post a variety of content types

The algorithm will ultimately reward you for testing out different types of content, so be sure you’re posting Reels (short-form videos), longer videos, static images, multi-image posts, etc. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Leverage UGC (user-generated content)

The talk of Facebook at the moment (and of Gen Z in general!) is UGC (user-generated content). This type of content features imagery and video content created by everyday people and at times micro-influencers, aimed to more authentically connect with an audience that values trustworthiness and realness above all else. UGC posts can increase your click through rates (CTRs) by a crazy 300% and is quite a low investment for a high return!

Take advantage of Facebook Groups

A fabulous resource on the platform is Facebook Groups! These groups can allow you to make connections with others in your niche, as well as potential clients/customers, both authentically and intentionally. You can make your own group for loyal fans of your business (VIP groups), as well as join others. If Facebook is a top platform where your demographic of people is hanging out, there’s no reason to not be utilizing Groups as well!

Crossposting is not a crime!

A side note for the end of this post: it IS completely okay to crosspost your content and create the same caption and imagery across Facebook and Instagram, etc. However, you ideally want to make sure you are customizing the posts for the unique, differing platforms, for example: not utilizing a bunch of hashtags on Facebook, or links on Instagram. I couldn’t live without the marvelous social media scheduling platform Later that allows you to customize the same post for various platforms within the software - this is THE easiest process, as opposed to individually making the same post three to four times! Such a time and headache saver. Yes, you will want to indulge in unique content for each of the platforms that won’t be crossposted or reused (if you have the time and manpower to do so), but don’t feel badly if all you can do is a single message across multiple outputs for now. Having consistent, informative/entertaining posts is key.

I hope this post inspired some shifts in your strategy and gave you a little boost of motivation! If you’re stuck on anything in particular, I’d love to help. Drop me a line if you’re looking for a collaborative partner for your social media marketing efforts!