We’ll start with a quick poll to get a feel for how much time everyone spends on social media each day. Olivia, on average, how many hours do you think you spend? For me, it’s probably between one and two hours, depending on the day. With a three-year-old, there isn’t much extra time, so I’d say closer to one hour. That seems to be the consensus so far, and I’m about the same. Between kids and sports, it’s hard to find the time.

I’ll give the poll a few more seconds. Thanks so much for joining us today. I see we have 32 people on the call, which is great. I’m going to close the poll now, and it looks like most people are spending about one hour per day on social media, which is pretty average compared to overall data. Let’s jump right in.

Facebook is the most popular social network in the world, with over two billion daily users. People spend almost 20 hours a month on Facebook, which lines up closely with our poll results. Seventy-four percent of adults use Facebook, which means that about three-quarters of your clients are already there. If you’re not, you’re missing out on that attention, and your competitors probably aren’t. More than half of users rely on Facebook to research companies, so when someone hears about you, there’s a good chance they’ll look you up there first. If you’re not present, you lose that opportunity. Forty-three percent of users also say they use Facebook to get their news, which creates another opportunity to expand your reach by sharing relevant and valuable content.

Now let’s talk about the benefits of Facebook marketing. One of the biggest advantages is widening your reach to a large audience. There are a lot of people on Facebook, and much of that audience may be untapped for your business. Many people still rely on traditional marketing methods like business cards and community events, which are great, but it’s important not to limit yourself. Social media is now a major part of everyday life, and when used correctly, it’s an incredibly effective way to network and promote your brand.

Another major benefit is boosting brand awareness. Social media is an easy and affordable way to market your business and get your name out there. When you stay consistent with your colors, fonts, language, and style, people begin to recognize your brand quickly, not just online but in the real world as well. That recognition helps keep you top of mind. It’s also important to remember that it often takes multiple touchpoints before someone becomes a customer, and social media is a great way to create that first interaction.

Generating leads is one of the most popular reasons people turn to social media marketing. While purchasing leads can be helpful, it’s often not the most cost-effective option. Posting about your business and the services you offer allows people to find you naturally. You lose a lot of potential if you don’t allow people to reach you through social media. Many users prefer filling out a contact form rather than making a phone call, and Facebook makes that easy. You can also run paid ads and target audiences based on age, interests, and location. You can retarget people who’ve visited your website using a Facebook pixel, choose where your ads appear, and control your budget and timeline. If ads feel intimidating, boosting posts is a simple way to extend the reach of content that’s already performing well.

Relationship building is another key benefit. Your Facebook page often serves as a first impression of who you are and what your business represents. Think about how you research a restaurant, a contractor, or even a tattoo artist. You want to see reviews and get a sense of who they are before working with them. The same applies to your business. When people scroll through your page, they start to feel like they know you, which builds trust and strengthens relationships.

Driving traffic to your website is also incredibly valuable. Many of you have spent a lot of time and effort building your websites, so social media becomes a natural way to direct people there. You can guide users to contact forms, service pages, or your About Us section to help them better understand who you are and what you offer.

Before setting goals, it’s best to conduct a social media audit to understand where you currently stand. I recommend looking at your follower count, how often you post, how much engagement you receive, and the types of content you’re sharing. This gives you a clear baseline and helps you adjust your strategy moving forward. From there, it’s important to identify what matters most to you. Are you trying to generate leads, increase brand awareness, or accomplish something else? Once you know that, you can build a solid foundation.

A great way to set achievable goals is by using the SMART goals framework. For example, setting a goal to receive ten contact form submissions per month is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. We’ve included SMART goals worksheets in the handouts section to help you build your own.

One thing I can’t stress enough is patience. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Building a strong page takes time, testing, and ongoing optimization. What works for one business may not work for another, so it’s important to experiment and adjust.

We ran another poll to see who already has a Facebook business page. If you don’t have one, there’s a step-by-step guide in the handouts to help you get started. A business page is very different from a personal page. Business pages allow reviews, ads, and visibility in Google search results. If people are adding you as a friend, that’s a personal page. If they’re liking or following you, that’s a business page. You can share business posts on your personal page to expand your reach, and don’t forget to include your business address to add legitimacy.

When it comes to creating a content calendar, I recommend following the 80/20 rule, with most of your content being educational and a smaller portion promotional. Engagement posts are also important, but it’s best to avoid controversial topics. Posting consistently helps with relationship building, and I personally like to plan content a month in advance to account for holidays and events. Scheduling tools are incredibly helpful, especially if you don’t have time to post daily. Facebook’s built-in scheduler works well, and tools like Buffer offer additional features, including analytics and story scheduling.

Using a mix of media is essential. A combination of videos, articles, custom graphics, and high-quality images keeps your content interesting. Tools like Canva are great for design and stock photos, especially if you’re new to graphic design. Some of our best-performing posts are about our own team and company culture, because people enjoy seeing the human side of a business.

When it comes to engagement, it’s important not to get discouraged. The average engagement rate on Facebook is under one percent, and that’s normal. Just because someone doesn’t like or comment doesn’t mean they aren’t seeing or appreciating your content. Images tend to perform better than links, but a healthy mix is still important. Facebook Insights, which is free, provides valuable data on reach, engagement, audience demographics, and content performance. These insights allow you to see what’s working and adjust accordingly.

Facebook’s planner makes scheduling content easy. You can view your posts by week or month, schedule content in advance, create ads, and even get inspiration from upcoming events. Drafts allow you to save posts without scheduling them right away. Together, the planner and insights tools make managing your content much easier.

To wrap things up, it’s important to post regularly, test different days and formats, respond to comments, and handle negative feedback professionally. If you’re in a regulated industry like Medicare, be sure to follow compliance guidelines. Avoid confusing personal and business pages, don’t rely on low-quality images, fact-check your content, and keep personal drama off your business page.

We received several great questions. Yes, the webinar is being recorded and will be shared afterward. When someone likes your post, Facebook is more likely to show them your future content. Posting daily is not too much and is actually encouraged. Business page ownership can be transferred, though it requires specific steps through Meta. Medicare agents should not directly message clients, but other industries may allow it. Reputable newsletters and trusted news sources are great places to find articles to share. Facebook also offers excellent resources for ad creation and targeting. For images, Canva and licensed stock photo sites are recommended, and it’s important not to pull images directly from Google.

If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you so much for joining us today, and I hope you have a great rest of your day.