ShortStack Releases FREE Facebook Holiday eBook!
ShortStack is thrilled to announce the release of our second eBook: :The Ultimate Facebook Holiday Idea Book: Ideas to pump up your business’s Facebook efforts this holiday season.” The eBook is now available to download on our Facebook Page!
Get your free copy of ShortStack’s Holiday Idea Book here.
We wrote The Ultimate Facebook Holiday Idea Book to teach and inspire businesses to leverage Facebook during this critical and opportune time.
Here’s a quick rundown of the five topics we cover in the ebook:
- IFacebook efforts that all businesses should implement during the holidays
- The advantages of using a third-party app platform
- 12 holiday-themed Facebook app ideas
- A step-by-step guide to start building your Facebook holiday app today
- A contact list of our 11 social media expert contributors
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1: In chapter one we cover Facebook holiday ideas that do not involve Facebook apps. The tips in this chapter are fundamental Facebook holiday efforts that all businesses should implement whether or not they decide to use a third-party app.
Chapter 2: Chapter two discusses “The App Advantage.” In this chapter we cover the advantages of Facebook apps and how they can help businesses take their Facebook holiday efforts to new levels.
Chapters 3-6: These four chapters are for businesses interested in using Facebook Page apps for their holiday marketing efforts. We address four holiday-themed app ideas: interactive apps, giveaway apps, non-promotional apps and charitable apps.
Chapter 7: The seventh chapter of this idea book is a step-by-step guide to build and launch your Facebook holiday app today.
Chapter 8: In the concluding chapter, we share an open letter and thank the expert contributors who so graciously provided commentary for this eBook.
eBook Giveaway Details!
ShortStack is making every Holiday eBook download count. ShortStack will donate $100 for every 1,000 downloads (up to $2,000) to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
To download the eBook and help give back this holiday season visit ShortStack’s holiday eBook app by clicking here.
“Everything Your Social Media Guru Didn’t Tell You About Facebook Marketing”
ShortStack is excited to announce the release of our first eBook! Everything Your Social Media Guru Didn’t Tell You About Facebook Marketing is now available for download on our Facebook Page!
Get your Free copy of ShortStack’s ebook here.
Everything Your Social Media Guru Didn’t Tell You About Facebook Marketing is not a screen-shot heavy Facebook guide that baby steps through the process of setting up a Facebook Page. Rather, it’s a guide for professionals looking to increase their Facebook presence and engagement, turn their Facebook business Page into a revenue source, and reach their Facebook goals.
For the users short on time, this blog includes a condensed version of the eBook with a rundown of the topics and bullets of the main points ━ perfect for an on-the-go skim.
Introduction
There is an overwhelming amount of information floating around on the Internet about how to make the most of your business’ Facebook efforts. The problem is… there is an almost limitless amount of information! Unless you’re a self-proclaimed social media guru, who has time to go through all of it? We know you don’t. So to save you some effort, we compiled some of the best tips and Facebook advice we’ve discovered during the last two years. It’s all right here in this handy eBook.
Preface
To make sure your business is poised for Facebook success, first set up a Facebook Page for your business. If you already have a Facebook business Page setup, skip ahead to the first chapter. If not, we’ve included step-by-step instructions on how to convert your Facebook profile into a Page.
Chapter 1: Set Your Facebook Marketing Goals for your Business
If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there
What you’ll learn in Chapter 1:
How to define your Facebook Page Goals
The key to attaining your Facebook Page goals is to be specific. For example, saying you want to increase your Facebook Page’s Likes by 20 percent is good, but what’s better is setting a goal to increase Page Likes from 1,000 to 2,000 in three months. Having goals that are clear, measurable, and timed will help define an actionable agenda for your business.
What to consider when deciding which tactics to implement on your Facebook Page
Whether you’re choosing to run a contest or promotion or purchase Facebook ads, use measuring tools to track your business’ progress. Your chosen methods for measuring your Facebook efforts should address the following three questions:
1. What social media analytic(s) am I interested in tracking?
2. What’s my method for tracking my progress?
3. How do I measure my return?
The value of Social Return on Investment (ROI)
Social ROI isn’t just measured in dollars ━ although it can be done by simply creating and sharing a unique URL that tracks purchases. Social ROI goes far beyond dollar signs and purchase conversions. Customer sentiment, online brand awareness, and user conversion are ROI data metrics that can also be tracked and measured.
Chapter 2: Get Facebook Fans
Being Liked makes all the difference
What you’ll learn in chapter 2:
The importance of being Liked
A Facebook Page for your business is the toll-free telephone number, website ━ and let’s not forget the Yellow Pages! ━ of today. If your business doesn’t have a presence on Facebook, then you aren’t paying attention to where people are.
Not only do businesses need to be on Facebook, they need to be likeable and Liked. A Facebook Page that is Liked by hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of people gives that business visibility, the opportunity to build relationships with people who Like the business or product, and the opportunity to reach their friends.
The true value of social media
In short, Likes give you the opportunity to share your message and communicate with people who are already your fans, and place your Page in front of people who otherwise may never know about your business.
How to increase Page Likes starting from scratch [8 Steps]
1. Lean on your established presence
2. Take advantage of Facebook’s free tools
3. Run promotions
4. Be relevant
5. Invest in cheap, effective Facebook ads
6. Purchase Facebook Sponsored Stories
7. Create an exclusive air about your Facebook Page
8. Keep content fresh
Chapter 3: Manage and Maintain Your Facebook Page
Managing admins and posting questions that inspire engagement
What you’ll learn in chapter 3:
How to manage a Facebook Page with multiple admins
If you manage your Facebook Page as a team, things can go awry if certain guidelines aren’t set up. To lower anxiety and feel more confident delegating Facebook control to others, here are four tips that will help:
1. Have a Facebook training session
2. If you’re not sure, ask!
3. Define the voice of your Facebook Page
4. Delegate Facebook Tasks
Chapter 4: Tactics for Increasing Fans and Engagement
Quality of content counts!
What you’ll learn in chapter 4:
The do’s and don’ts of constructing an engaging Facebook post
This section includes 15 engaging phrases to use in a status update, along with six elaborated tips on what not to do when constructing a Facebook post.
Tips for getting your content seen in the News Feed
* Don’t over-share
* Vary your posts
* Timing is everything
* Use Facebook’s new features
How to choose an image for the best post engagement
* Show a human (or at least part of one)
* Use candid photos
* Have a good message
* Post photos that are likeable and shareable
* Know your business
Tips for writing a Facebook post with the perfect call to action
* Ask a question
* Provide some information
* Always provide a link
* Keep it positive
* Don’t bother yourself with a word limit
* Visuals always help
Chapter 5: Use Facebook Apps to Take your Page to the Next Level
How Apps work and what they can do for your Pages
What you’ll learn in chapter 5:
What is a Facebook Page App?
When Facebook rolled out the new Timeline profile design for business Pages, the term “tab” was forced into extinction and replaced by the word “application.” With Timeline, apps look more sophisticate, similar to a content page on a traditional website.
The 5 traits of a great custom-built Facebook application
1. It has a clear purpose
2. It should be functional
3. It should match your other branding efforts
4. It offers Incentives
5. It’s relevant
How Apps work, and how they can work for you
There are other apps, called Facebook Page apps, that you can use as tools to help you build Fans and increase engagement on your Page. By default, your Page has a few apps, like Photos, Likes, Locations, Events, Videos, and Notes. But with custom Facebook Page app builders you can create additional apps to install to your Page. The uses and capabilities of these apps can include contests and promotions (which we will discuss in depth in the next chapter), polls, maps, order forms, how-to videos, frequently asked questions, and more.
Chapter 6: Using Apps to Increase Fans and Engagement
Hosting contests and promotions are easy ways to be more likeable
What you’ll learn in chapter 6:
How to run a successful Facebook contest/promotion
Before you even start setting up your contest, take a look at the following 10 things you can do to make your contest successful:
1. Define your Contest Goals
2. Choose a contest that fits your audience
3. Set your Budget
4. Make it Social
5. Keep it Simple
6. Pre-Launch
7. Day of the Launch
8. Announce the Time
9. Announce the Winner
10. Post Contest
The three types of advertising on Facebook
If your budget allows, Facebook Ads are a great and affordable way to dramatically increase your reach. You can create ads for your Page, or for your promotion. There are basically three avenues of advertising on Facebook: Facebook Ads, Promoted posts, and Sponsored stories.
What fan-gated incentives are best for earning more Likes?
To drive up Facebook Likes, many businesses build custom applications (explained in chapter 5) and use fan-gating as way to limit the visibility of an application’s content until a user becomes a fan. Fan-gating is a great tool for increasing Page Likes, but its effectiveness is only as good as the incentive promised. Here are great fan-gated incentives that work for both product-based and service-based businesses.
* Promotion/Discount codes.
* Whisper Codes
* Industry tips & success advice
* Infographics
* Exclusive content
Ways to decrease fraudulent contest voting
1. Write a clear set of rules for your promotion
2. Notify participants that a fake Facebook profile violates Facebook policy
3. In your Rules, state that voting counts for a percentage of the contest
4. State that you reserve the right to adjust votes if fraud is suspected
5. Log everything!
6. Require email addresses for giveaways
Chapter 7: Never Stop Learning
Recommended resources
What you’ll learn in chapter 7:
The best online resources for information about social media
There are so many resources available to help newcomers get a grasp of social media it can be overwhelming. This eBook is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg! So to help keep you in the know with what’s going on in the world of social media, we’ve provided a list of reliable news sources.
* AllTop
* Mashable
Glossary
51 Common Social Media Terms
From Affinity and Algorithm to Open Graph and Social Capital, the Glossary of 51 Common Social Media Terms that concludes the eBook has definitions that every Page admin should know, plus examples of the terms in everyday use!
