The ultimate guide to social media for creatives

The largest online platform in the world, with over 2 billion active users, but is Facebook still relevant?

Data from taken from the top page categories showed that they have experienced a decline of up to 70 per cent engagement. The worst affected in this case were artists’ pages. However, don’t be put off by the bleak stats. Facebook is in a changing state, so you’ve just got to be willing to move with it. 

Some say Facebook’s publishing tools are a little bloated, but here are a few that you should consider focusing on.

• Like Creative Bloq on Facebook

01. Facebook groups

By creating a group on Facebook, you’re able to connect one on one with your audience. You are providing them with a space in which they can discuss and share their own opinions based on a topic you’ve set. It becomes less about broadcasting and more about collaborating, and with over 400 million people in meaningful groups, it’s a great time to start.

A successful group isn’t easy. You’ve got to give a reason for people to join, and of course, it needs to have some relevance to your brand. Think about what topics you could set. This could be a theme, brand value, collaborative effort — either way, it has to have as much value to your audience as it does to you.

If you can create a home for this topic, you will have created a community with a deeper connection to your brand. This advocacy will create word of mouth, and through that, micro influencers who will become a trusted voice.

02. Facebook messenger

Facebook reported that 53% of people are more likely to shop with a business they can message directly. The best part is, there isn’t a whole lot you need to do to get this started. Make sure you’ve turned on private messaging for your page. You’re using the messenger call to action on your content, and most importantly, you’re replying.

You could explore bots. However, if you are not offering a service that requires an order status, FAQ lookup or some gimmicky interaction, don’t invest in it. Keep it human – apart from the automatic greeting, which is a great way to let people know their message has been received and when to expect a reply.

03. Product catalogue

This tool is free, and it carries over to Instagram. If you are selling products through your website or a third party site, consider setting up a product catalogue, which can be found in your Business Manager. This will enable you to tag products in posts, which comes in handy when sometimes the copy doesn’t call for a long explanation of the products featured in that post.

04. Event pages

These micro groups have come a long way since being the main source of a birthday party invitation. If you are planning on a series of events over the summer, spend the time to build out an event page for each. Cover what to expect, where to buy tickets, and most importantly, keep those interested updated on the happenings by sharing updates to the timeline.

Next page: Instagram