Want to get amazing results from your Business Hour post in the North Shore Mums Facebook group? Of course you do! Read on...
With these tips, your business will show up in search results for years to come. Plus, with a few minor tweaks, you might also be able to boost the engagement (comments & likes) of your post. We're sharing some of the best Business Hour posts, so you can be inspired to try something new...
About North Shore Mums Business Hour
If you're an advertiser on the North Shore Mums website, you're probably aware that this comes with the added value of being able to post during the bi-monthly Business Hour that we host in our Facebook group. This dedicated hour is held from 8-9pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month, and is a brilliant opportunity to get extra exposure to thousands of North Shore Mums.
To ensure there are no delays with getting your post approved it’s a good idea to read the Business Hour guidelines on what you can and can’t post at this time.
It’s typical for people in the North Shore Mums demographic to shy away from interacting with commercial messages, but that doesn’t mean that your Business Hour post isn’t a marketing hero for your business. Our mums love to see what local businesses are doing and prefer to shop with businesses that support their North Shore Mums community.
Get found when people are actively looking!
Business Hour is always busy, with many members who advertise on our website posting during this dedicated hour.
If you don't get lots of comments on your post during the hour, don't despair. Business Hour holds huge long-term value to local businesses, with posts showing up in search results for many years to come.
89% of our members will use the search function before posting for a recommendation - North Shore Mums Reader Survey 2020
To ensure your post shows up in search results:
- Pack your Business Hour post full of all the relevant keywords that people might use to search for a business like yours.
- Be consistent. Post every 2 weeks. Don't forget! Set a reminder in your phone at 4pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. Make it part of your marketing strategy, and you'll be rewarded.
Your business hour posts will show up in search results, and will continue to bring you customers long after Business Hour has passed!
The image below shows the search results for "photographer" - Business Hour posts feature highly.
Tips for a Business Hour post that gets engagement:
Whilst some posts "pop" with lots of engagement from members, others can filter down the newsfeed without any comments or reactions. That's okay too!
To improve your chances of engagement, we've rounded up some examples of posts that "pop" and reasons why. So try different approaches! If you don't get strong response one week, try a different tactic the next fortnight. Mix it up, experiment, and use good old trial and error.
- Keep it fresh & relevant!
- Image matters! Choose a beautiful photo
- Create a photo collage
- Make it personal!
- Write a post that informs or shares news
- Share a customer story
- Share your successes & wins
- Ask a customer to write a review
IMPORTANT: Ensure you include your Company Name and link to your website or social media on all business hour posts!
1. Keep it fresh & relevant!
Don't always post the same message. If you've got a new product, focus your post on that particular item that week! Don't feel like you need to include every single product or service you do in the one post. Focus on one thing, and do it well. Then post about something else the next time! This helps to show the breadth of your scope.
2. Image matters! Choose a beautiful photo
Image is everything. Good quality photography is a must for any business. We have plenty of talented professional local photographers listed in our Directory who would be happy to help!
If you’re not able to hire a professional, here are some tips to get a great image with your phone or camera:
- Tips for getting the perfect professional headshot
- Family photography tips: 6 ways to get great shots
- How to take great photos at home (in isolation!): Five tips!
3. Create a photo collage
Business Hour posts are only allowed one single image... but there's no reason why you can't create a striking collage that showcases your work!
There are lots of FREE apps and websites that make it super simple to create collages, like Canva, PicCollage or Layout from Instagram.
Katherine Millard Photographer has used a simple yet eye-catching collage of five different photo shoots, designed in a landscape format. It really helps to showcase some beautiful examples of her work!
Mandala Beach House has used a simple square collage with four different images to show different rooms of the house - kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and outside dining. A picture is worth well more than a thousand words in this example! Just look how many comments and reactions this post has had...
4. Make it personal!
Introduce yourself, who you are, your vision. People like to get to know the people behind the business, eg:
Hello everyone. I am a mum of 2 beautiful boys and a pastry chef at The Green Bakery. I wanted to share a few rainbow cakes we created recently....
5. Write a post that informs or shares news
You don't always need to write about your own business. Perhaps you'd like to position yourself as a person of authority and knowledge in your industry. This Buyers Agent wrote a really useful post about the state of the real estate market on the North Shore.
6. Share a customer story
"Sharing one of my favourite cake creations from last weekend...a personalised BOOK CAKE!
Daksh’s mother approached me to ask if I could make a cake for her son’s birthday that incorporated his love for art and illustration. We came up with turning his own book illustration into cake form, using edible images to create the cover and spine and how good does it look?!! Elaine's Creative Cakes Sydney specialises in exquisite custom made cakes for all occasions from birthdays to milestone anniversary celebrations, weddings and more! Based in Chatswood with delivery available.Contact, Like and Follow me on:
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/eccelainescreativecakes/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/elainescreativecakessydney/
7. Share your successes or wins!
Don't be shy to boast about your achievements! There are no tall poppies in North Shore Mums. We want to cheer on our local businesses who are doing well.
8. Ask a customer to write a review
If you're too shy to blow your own trumpet, why not get one of your customers to do it for you? You don't need to be the one to write the post! If you've got a long-term customer who you have a good relationship with, you could ask them to post on your behalf or ask if you can share their testimonial that they may have already left you. Social proof is absolutely essential these days, and reading about other people's experiences definitely helps to build trust.
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