With over 1 billion active daily users on Facebook, the platform has become one of the top places to market via social media, if not the top platform. Pew Research states that 83% of women and 75% of men use Facebook. With such significant usage stats, the odds are high that you will reach your target audience with Facebook marketing. The ‘Digital Future in Focus’ report by ComScore discovered these active users access Facebook an average of 8 times a day, giving marketers plenty of advertising time.

According to Inc.com, you have eight seconds to grab your potential customer’s attention. Make the most of it with these Facebook marketing do’s and don’ts.

Facebook Marketing Do’s

1.  Keep it short. Less is more in the case of social media marketing. Choose quality words rather than quantity for higher engagement. Think Twitter, which shows you can make an impact with 140 words or less.
2. Post frequently. Posting more often, 3-4 times a week, will increase your marketing reach. Keep the audience informed by posting photos, promotions, and special offers. If you have a yearly event coming up, post previous year’s pictures and build the hype. Create eye-catching coupons and other offers. Offer a Facebook live mini-workshop. Be sure to provide any relevant links for more information.
3. Be genuine. Everyone likes to feel they are valued. Connect with users in a non-robotic way and keep the conversation genuine. Let them leave the conversation feeling they matter.
4. Get feedback. Listening to your users is the best free research you can get. Understanding what your customers think works well, what doesn’t, and what they need, you can develop new products and improve on existing ones.
5. Respond. Always respond to customer’s questions and feedback. Don’t get tired of answering questions. Every new question is a potential new customer. Also, never forget to say thank you to each user.

Facebook Marketing Don’ts

1.  Always sell. Always use the 80/20 rule when marketing on Facebook. Be engaging with 80% of your posts being content related. This could be anything from photos of events to recent consumer articles. Save the selling for only 20% of Facebook posts.
2. Spam your audience. Don’t over post and annoy your audience. Keep posts positive and informational. Avoid oversharing details or ranting about customers, competitors, or employees.
3. Talk politics. Never talk politics in Facebook posts. You may lose potential customers whose opinion differ from yours. These types of posts can get messy and antagonistic very quickly.
4. Go dormant. The less you post, the less value for future posts from Facebook’s algorithm. Keep your rankings up by posting consistently and so users don’t forget about your page.
5. Ignore. Ignoring a comment or complaint may only add fuel to the fire. Respond promptly with your email and settle the matter privately.

Engaging in positive Facebook marketing tactics is the key to social media success. Follow these tips wisely and reap the rewards, both online and offline.