FACEBOOK PAGES’ CALL TO ACTION REPRESENTS A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESSES
Facebook introducing a new call to action (CTA) button for their Pages section going into 2015 represents the social network’s most significant upgrade for business in years.
The CTA button is another step in answering Facebook (and social media’s) biggest question of how to turn clicks into sales, and how friendly Facebook is for businesses.
With over 757 million users on the site, there’s no doubting the muscle of the Facebook machine. Simply put, everyone is there, and it presents the largest audience for online and digital marketers – as long as the algorithms on ads continue to improve.
If you remember, Facebook limited the organic reach of Pages last Spring, leading us to ask whether your business should pay for promoted posts. The larger question in that argument was whether Facebook was a good platform for small, online businesses.
But with the CTA button built into Facebook Pages, they’ve more than answered that question.
THE CALL TO ACTION FEATURES
Facebook Pages features seven types of CTA’s displayed on the bottom right hand corner of your profile pic:
1. Book Now
2. Contact Us
3. Use App
4. Play Game
5. Shop Now
6. Sign Up
7. Watch Video
The CTA’s can also be linked to sites outside of Facebook, meaning interested customers can purchase straight from your site.
THE SECOND CHANCE FOR PAGES
We’ve gone in depth about how important it is to have a clear “Call to Action” on your blog posts. In short, you want your readers to have a place to go to get more of your dynamic online content.
That’s what made Facebook limiting the reach of Pages so frustrating. Businesses created a Facebook community of followers who then couldn’t see updates on their feed unless those businesses paid a fee. And while Facebook will continue to limit feeds, and businesses will still have to pay for a wider reach, the CTA button is more than consolation prize.
MAXIMIZE YOUR PAGES
It’s one thing to have a CTA on your page. It’s another completely to get people to act.
So how do you get the most out of your Pages’ CTA?
I can give you three tips: first, with seven options to choose from, you need to have the proper CTA for your page. It wouldn’t make sense to have a “Play Game” button if your business doesn’t have any games to play.
Second, make sure your profile picture fits with the new button. Don’t put any important information in that section that could get blocked by the CTA.
Lastly, I recommend designing a landing page specifically directed at people coming from your Facebook Page. Your customers and fans will have had a different experience with your brand and product within the context of your Facebook community, and a new landing page will provide consistency.
WILL FACEBOOK PAGES WORK?
That’s the $64,000 question (or $10 question, depending on how much you’ve spent promoting posts).
According to The Dollar Shave Club, the new CTA button generated 2.5 times more conversion rates than previous social media campaigns over a three week trial period.
The most important feature of the new initiative is the CTA itself. It presents a clear focus for customers and fans of a Page. Before the button, the goal for pages was to increase activity, Likes, and conversation. Now, businesses can turn those engagements into sustaining revenue.
With consistent innovation towards business, it’s no wonder why Facebook was named 2014 Tech Company of the Year.
How will your business use the new Facebook CTA? Tweet us your thoughts at @NaoMediaCo!
