There's pros and cons to this type of Facebook post. The pro, well, you're making an attempt to create business. The cons? How do you set an expiration date on that? Even if you indicate one in the post, there could be that customer that just says "oh, I didn't see that". Further, how do you keep track of it? Are you going to write down on a sheet of paper every time someone comes in and says "Hey, I saw this post on Facebook". Also, not everyone wants to mention that. People want to present coupons and get a deal, they don't want to announce that they're getting a deal.
There is a much better way to accomplish what you are trying to do. You may have seen it, used it, tried it, but here's how to get the most out of the post type called "Offer". Watch the video below to see an example or read below.
Why should you create a Facebook offer post, instead of just making a regular post with the content that of a coupon style:
- If for nothing else, when you create a Facebook offer, it's highly trackable.
- From your insights tab, you can see how many people have redeemed your coupon.
- The customer who redeems the coupon receives an email back that they can just present (or print).
- You can boost this specific type of post as a "get coupon" type of boost.
- Guaranteed more tacos.
Now that we know why should create a Facebook offer, here's a quick guide on how to do so.
1) From your business page, under the new post area you are presented with 8 types of posts initially.
You will need to click "See all" to reveal the offer post.
The next (obvious) move is to click on "Create An Offer"
You are presented with several options here for creating your offer.
1) Headline
First thing you want is to create your headline or what the coupon is. Keep this short. There's no limit that I've seen, but less is more.
As with any Facebook post, you need to create content that will stop people from scrolling past it.
Ask: "What would stop me from scrolling through my own news feed."
2) Dates
You will need to set an expiration date for your offer. When it expires, the offer will simply just no longer be anywhere on your timeline. This is another great reason to use offers, there's no need to worry about expired offers on your Facebook page that are still visible.
3) Photo
It's not required, but you really should include a photo. Again, think of "thumb-worthy" content - what will stop you from scrolling down the phone. Quick and easy way to create a great Facebook graphic? Use
Canva. They offer a free online tool to create awesome social media images. Check out more
free social media tools
that we recommend using.
From here you can either publish the new offer right away, or you can click the down arrow to choose a future date of publishing.
Alternatively, you can also boost the offer. Here's some good information on
Facebook Advertising.
Here's what the offer will look like once it is published:
What happens when someone clicks on "Get Offer" ?
What's great is that Facebook already has their email address so it automatically populates it and alerts the user to check their email.
It will look like this in their email:
There you have it. No more creating posts that sounds like you're begging for business. Remember, Facebook is a personal space for people. They don't want to scroll through a bunch of people begging for their money.
When you create content that stops people from scrolling and makes a connection with them, they're more likely to engage my accepting the offer, sharing, commenting or liking/reacting to the post.
Using the offer post will increase engagement because it's clear what the intent of the post is. For those looking for a deal, they will be inclined to respond.
Have you created any Facebook offers that you have found successful? Would love to hear from you.