Keep Up the Momentum: 6 Facebook Marketing Strategies for Rapidly Growing Startups

Against all odds, your startup is growing. Fast.

So fast, in fact, that you’ve neglected to devise a coherent, scalable Facebook marketing strategy. You haven’t had the time.

You’ll need one soon, though. So what can you do right now to get its building blocks in place?

Start with these six simple strategies. Some you might be using already without even knowing it.

1. Feature a Different Rock Star Employee Every Week

The most reliable way to humanize your company is to feature actual humans working for it.

That is, your employees.

Create and schedule at least one Facebook post per week featuring a different employee in your organization. What’s their role (and what does it mean)? How do they contribute? What do they like to do in their spare time?

When you’re small, this might be good for just a few weeks of content, but that’s okay. You can put the campaign on hold for a few months, then circle back when your headcount has increased.

2. Link Out to Live, Original Content From Your Feed

Your Facebook page is an important source of original, valuable content for your audience. But it’s surely not the only place you post such content online.

The thing is, most of the other places you post original content online aren’t as popular as Facebook. That’s no offense to your company website or blog, merely a recognition that Facebook is one of the most highly trafficked websites in the world. Your own web properties can’t compete.

They can leverage Facebook’s steady traffic stream, though. Take inspiration from brands that do this well, like the Facebook page for alternative investment platform Yieldstreet. Yieldstreet’s Facebook feed is rich with links and plugs for original content created by its team, like webinars and case studies. You can bet the company sees more engagement on those pieces of content thanks to their placement on Facebook. 

3. Choose Your Background Photo Carefully

A picture is worth a thousand words. First impressions matter most.

You’ve heard these cliches before. You’re probably sick of them. Too bad they’re true — especially when it comes to social media marketing.

Your Facebook background photo is the first thing visitors to your page see when they visit. It could be the last image that lingers in their minds when they leave (hopefully not right away). Choose one that captures the essence of your brand and contains striking visual cues that compel viewers to look again.

Make sure your Facebook background photo is technically sound as well. Use Sprout Social’s guide to image sizing and double-check that the resolution is crystal-clear.

4. Post at Least One Branded Infographic Per Week

Your background image isn’t the only Facebook branding tool that can help catch your audience’s eye. Branded infographics do two things well: delivering actionable information to your audience in compelling visual form and reminding them who’s responsible for those insights.

If you haven’t already done so, source a professional logo as soon as you can (it won’t cost as much as you think). Then, work out a process (again, following image sizing best practices) for including it in every piece of original content you produce.

5. Connect and Converse With Other Influencers (Always Punch Up)

Facebook usually isn’t the first choice for business networking. That’s LinkedIn’s wheelhouse. But because it’s so popular and frequented by such a diverse cross-section of people, Facebook is a surprisingly potent networking platform for many entrepreneurs.

Making the most of Facebook’s built-in networking tools is a multifaceted process. One key to keep in mind: You want to “punch up” whenever possible. As on LinkedIn, there will always be Facebook users with more followers and engagement than you. You want these people and brands to notice you.

6. Set Your Ad Budget for Where You Want to Be in Six Months

Finally, a Facebook advertising best practice for rapidly growing startups. Even when funds are tight, your ad budget should anticipate future growth. That is, you need to be buying Facebook ads like a company six months (or farther) down the growth path than yours really is. That’s how you create momentum.

Make Facebook Work for You

Startups that consistently employ these six Facebook marketing strategies tend to have better outcomes than those that don’t use the famous blue network to the fullest. 

That’s not surprising. Those startups:

• Know how to engage with first-tier Facebook influencers (and actually do)
• Master their pages’ visual branding, creating lasting impressions for their audiences
• Use real people to humanize their Facebook content
• Leverage Facebook traffic to promote original content elsewhere
• Flood the zone with Facebook ads

And you can too. What are you waiting for?