If you’re running a business, even a small business, it’s expected that you’ve got a Facebook page. However, it’s also expected that this Facebook page will be updated regularly, and that any promotions and advertising you do on Facebook will look good and be properly targeted. As you probably know, failure to post on a regular basis or posting shoddy content will likely lead to your business not being taken seriously.
While you certainly can do all of your Facebook marketing yourself, either through the website or by using the Facebook app, there are several helpful tools out there — apps, services, and so on — that can streamline the social media process and make maintaining your Facebook presence a little bit easier. Here are five such tools that you should know about
- Desk
If direct communication and engagement with your clientele is a top priority, Desk can help make those interactions smoother, easier, and more timely. It integrates with Facebook, as well as a few other social media networks, to help you address follower’s posts (which may contain time-sensitive questions or concerns) quickly and efficiently. It also includes productivity tools and allows you to sort communiques via a case management feature. Desk costs between $20 and $100 per month, depending on which plan you go with.
- AgoraPulse
Calling itself the Swiss army knife of social media managers, AgoraPulse is a suite of tools that can not only make your Facebook and other social media interactions easier, but can also rate followers based on influence, how much of an ambassador for your brand they are, and so on. It also puts all of your Facebook stats in one place, so you can quickly see your number of followers, reach, impressions, shares, growth, keyword search results, and more. It can also help you collect data and even see how your competitors are doing with their Facebook efforts. As far as cost goes, there are free tools that anyone can use, plus a tiered fee structure for the full AgoraPulse experience: anywhere from $29 to $199 per month.
- Yotpo
You’ll have to forgive the awkward name, because Yotpo is a really good solution if you’re focused on visual marketing and also want to have your customers’ reviews help improve your bottom line. Features like dynamic ads, SEO help, and total content management, Yotpo is growing quickly as more and more businesses discover that using one of their tiered plans (from $25 per month) improves their numbers — all of their numbers — significantly.
- GetResponse
While GetResponse is largely an email marketing service, it also comes with some useful features that integrate with Facebook to boost your business. Their Facebook Web Form app, for example, puts forms right on your business’s Facebook page, making it easier for would-be customers to get in touch. There are several plans, but to get the Facebook tools, you’ll need to spend at least $49 per month — which is a lot, but if you’re also looking for a service to handle your email marketing, you might get an all-in-one with GetResponse.
- Hootsuite
You probably already know about Hootsuite, even if you don’t have any direct experience with it; it is, after all, the world’s most popular social media platform. What it does is put all of your Facebook and other social media profiles on one dashboard, making it easier for you to post and schedule engagements with followers. If you’ve got multiple profiles to stay on top of, Hootsuite is a great solution. Best of all is the price: their Pro plan, which is fairly comprehensive and will meet the needs of most small to medium businesses, is just $9.99 per month.
Try Them Out
If you’re used to updating your company’s Facebook profile manually, it can be a little intimidating to start using a tool to help you out. Still, we highly recommend giving one or more of these a try — and you can do just that without any financial risk. All five of the services mentioned here offer a free trial or demo, most of them for a solid 30 days, which should give you a good idea of whether or not a particular tool is for you. Give one or more a shot, and see if your Facebook presence is strengthened as a result.