Most businesses do some sort of marketing on the internet these days. It makes so much sense. You can reach a larger audience with less effort and a reduced budget. Some of the easiest and least expensive internet marketing platforms are the various social media boards. Without having much in the way of internet savvy, you can craft a Twitter message, an Instagram photo montage or a Facebook post that lets people know who you are and what your business is. What happens, though, when those aren’t reaching people the way they used to?
Probably the most widely-used social media board, Facebook has become a bit controversial. While it started with the altruistic purpose of helping people connect and communicate, it’s evolved considerably and not always for the better. That said, Facebook is a great marketing tool, especially for small businesses, because it’s so cost-effective. When your customers like your business and your posts, their friends see that. Because of the mysterious Facebook algorithms, your posts may become lost on your customer’s pages. If you’re not reaching people anymore or if you need to find new clients, it may be time to employ a strategy called lookalike audiences.
Recreating Your Relevance
Never heard of a lookalike audience? You’re not alone. Facebook lookalike audiences are unique. They are people who have never heard of your business before but who have similar interests or habits to customers you already have. For example, if your business is veteran-owned, supports veterans’ non-profits and produces products made in the USA, your customer base will be people who value or support these ideals. Your lookalike audience will be people who follow one or more branches of the US military and has perhaps liked posts from companies like Oscar Mike, Til Valhalla or Nine Line Apparel. Part of the Facebook algorithm is to track people’s likes and follows. You could get a completely new set of customers based on that tracking.
Legwork
In order for Facebook to work its magic on your behalf, you have to have collected some data on your customers already. An email list works – as long as the email address your customers give you is the same one they use for Facebook. If you track your webpage visitors, that information is also practical. The last category of useable information is from converters: those people who come to your website to browse and then actually buy. Zuckerberg’s subordinates can take any of these three types of people and create a whole new list of potential customers for you.
Sometimes it pays you to take your social media marketing to the next level.
