What is the best marketing strategy for Facebook?
As a social media agency, we see the same question in the eyes of every brand that sits at our table. Ads spent hundreds, even thousands of liras, posts spent hours thinking about, and the result… is often a disappointment. Facebook is like a bottomless pit; you keep posting something, but what comes in return? In the middle of this chaos, the famous question that everyone is looking for an answer to emerges: What is the best marketing strategy for Facebook? If there were a magic one-word answer to this question, rest assured, we would not share that secret with anyone. But the good news is that there is no secret; there is just a roadmap of cleverly put-together steps that talk to each other. This is much more than the “post, pray” model. Let’s talk about the essence of this matter, in a more ‘human’ language.
First of all: Do You Know Who You’re Talking To?
Let’s be honest from the start. Every step you take without knowing who you’re talking to is like a bullet fired into the dark. The most basic mistake most brands make is trying to reach everyone. A client of ours recently came to us and made wonderful boutique jewelry. When I asked, “Who is your target audience?” I got the answer, “All women who wear jewelry.” This is a recipe for disaster. Because we all know that an 18-year-old student and a 45-year-old executive do not speak the same language, laugh at the same things, or are affected by the same things. The basis of strategy is to find and extract your own ‘core’ audience from that huge crowd. It is to understand their troubles, their dreams, which jokes they laugh at, and what keeps them up at night.
At this point, what we call a “persona” saves lives. Instead of an abstract "woman, 25-40 years old" target, create a clear persona like "Lawyer Cari, 32 years old, works hard, has little time for herself, and wants the jewelry she bought to look stylish both at a business meeting and at dinner". That's when content creation becomes easier. You no longer post "jewelry posts"; you say, "That one touch that will help you get ready for dinner in 5 minutes after a busy day: Our earrings". This is not just a sales technique, it's the art of empathy.
Facebook's own tools are your best friend in this regard. Take a look at your page statistics, who follows you, and which content has received the most attention? This data will tell you a lot. Remember, getting to know your target audience is not a homework to be done once and put on the shelf. It should be a constant state of listening and understanding. Because people change, trends change. Your strategy should breathe with them.
Making Sales, Adding Value: Content and Community Spirit
Okay, so now we know we’re talking to “Lawyer Cari.” So what do we tell her? If you turn your page into a permanent billboard, it only takes a few seconds for Cari to unfollow you. People don’t go on Facebook to buy things, they go on Facebook to get away from the hustle and bustle of life, to chat with their friends, to learn something interesting. If you’re going to take their valuable time, you have to offer real value in return. Instead of constantly shouting “Sale!”, “Last Day!”, “Buy Now!” Be a friend who touches their lives and helps them.
So what could this “valuable content” be? There’s actually so much you can do. Here are a few simple ideas:
- How-to Videos: Practical tips for using your product. (Ex: "How to tie your scarf 5 different ways?")
- Behind the Scenes: People love to see the human side of brands. A shot from your workshop, a coffee break with your team…
- Useful Information: Information that interests your audience and is useful to them, even if it is not directly related to your product. (Ex: "Time management tips for lawyers")
- User Content: Sharing photos from your customers is the strongest social proof!
The golden rule at our agency is: Help 4 times, ask for the sale once. In other words, most of your posts should be educational, entertaining, or inspiring. You also remind them of your product every once in a while. This balance builds trust and loyalty. People prefer to buy from a friend who is always helping them, rather than a marketer who is always trying to sell them something.
And remember, your page is not a one-way bulletin board. Respond to every comment and message that comes your way. Start a conversation. Address people by name. Instead of panicking when a negative comment comes your way, see it as an opportunity. Showing that you are sincerely trying to solve the problem will benefit you more than ten positive comments. Community is much more valuable than the number of followers.
Spend Money Wisely: Advertising and Optimization
In today’s world, where organic reach is almost gone, Facebook ads are unfortunately a necessity. But that doesn’t mean you should throw your money away. On the contrary, it is possible to use every penny in the most efficient way. Opening the Ads Manager and randomly targeting and saying “Promote” is like buying a lottery ticket. Strategic advertising is a whole different world. First, clarify your goal. What do you want? Is it just to be known (reach), to attract people to your site (traffic), or to directly open wallets (conversion)? The algorithm of each goal works differently.
After choosing the goal, the target audience work we did at the beginning comes back into play. Showing “Lawyer Cari”, who entered your site and left without making a purchase, the necklace she was looking at while browsing Facebook again (we call this retargeting) is a small but effective touch that explodes sales. The only way to find what works is to test, test, and test again. Put two different ad images and two different texts up against each other for a small budget. Direct your budget to whichever one works best. This process involves some trial and error and some burning money, yes. But when you finally find the formula that works, every penny you spend will come back to you many times over. Learn to read the data, not the assumptions. The best strategy is a living, breathing strategy that constantly gets smarter with data.