Create a Facebook Marketing Strategy for Your Newspaper or Magazine

Sitting at the kitchen table enjoying breakfast with a newspaper and coffee just doesn’t happen anymore. It’s more like a Starbucks coffee in one hand and tablet/smartphone in the other when it comes to reading the morning news. Most of the time, the information people want can’t be found in physical newspapers anymore. They are on websites, particularly online newspapers and magazines. Here are some ways you can market your newspaper or magazine using Facebook so it can become part of someone’s morning routine online.

Facebook – Where People Turn to First

Some people aren’t even going straight to their favorite websites when they wake up their tablets and smartphones. They go to Facebook first. On Facebook, they can catch up on what their friends are doing and see the latest news because they have liked their favorite news sites.

That right there should spark your interest. People are seeing content from news sites on their Facebook feed. When they see something interesting to read, they click on it and are led to that website.

Facebook figured this out not too long ago, and they changed people’s newsfeed to cater to that. They made their newsfeed more news friendly for users. People are now starting to see more newspaper type content. There are more images, videos, and the headlines are bigger. These posts are attractive, and that’s why you need to start marketing your news or magazine site on the social network. It also brings up the important point of why good design is important for online newspapers and magazines. It can really make or break your site in terms of traffic and engagement.

Facebook marketing basically facilitates referral marketing in an obvious way in which you can intervene. In most businesses, referrals have some of the highest conversion rates which is fairly intuitive. Think about it, which is more convincing to you: A billboard advertisement for a car, or your friend saying, “Man, you have to get this car I bought, it’s so great in every way!” I’ll be your friend is much more convincing than a road sign (hopefully). By tapping into the network of friends you are basically inserting yourself into a referral marketing position.

What You Need to Do

The first thing you need to know is that Facebook wants quality content that users will want to see. Therefore, it is vitally important to figure out how to create content that converts. You must use the best photos for your stories. You must also incorporate videos into your posts. This is what users want, so it’s what you need to provide. These mediums are much easier to digest and get to the point faster for your readers. And when we’re talking about the top of the funnel you want to use something that is concise and gets to the point for your reader. Otherwise, they will go somewhere else and forget about you.

There is one particular feature on Facebook that has some publishers working harder at their marketing. That’s the “All Friends” feature. Users can select to have their newsfeed only show their friends’ posts. This means that your posts may not be seen. There’s a solution for that though. You need to encourage your fans to share your content. When a friend shares content from a brand, all of that person’s friends see your post. As more people share your posts, you’ll receive more brand awareness. Be sure to include a call to action when asking to share content. Typically, users/readers need a little push to do so.

When you’re devising a marketing strategy, don’t forget that less is more. On Facebook, people are quick to unlike a page if there are too many posts on their newsfeed from it. In other words, please, don’t spam your audience. There is more than enough of that on the internet already. Quality content matters most. If you can’t post quality content three times a day, you may just need to do it once a day. If you can’t post something useful once a day, you may just need to post two, three or four times a week. The point being, in this game it’s quality not quantity that will facilitate your success. If you post one great piece of content in a week it’s better than ten lousy ones.

Be creative with your Facebook marketing, it will certainly be more interesting and appealing. If you have a print version of your newspaper or magazine, connect it online by asking fans some questions. Use the answers in the print version. People will feel as though they are celebrities when you do this because they love to see their name or comments in print. Use multiple mediums to your advantage.

Your goal with Facebook marketing is to present your brand in front of as many people as possible. One of the reasons Forbes.com is so popular is because people see its content everywhere. They see it on Facebook, Twitter, and quoted on thousands of websites. This is what makes a brand successful. When a brand is visible and produces fresh content people want to read, it succeeds with online marketing.

Takeaways for Facebook Marketing

• Use high quality photos and videos
• Only post valuable content
• Encourage fans to share your posts
• Connect digital and print versions
• Present content on Facebook and other websites

Facebook marketing, like other forms of online marketing, takes time. Nurture your brand and be patient. As more and more people learn about your site, you will start to see higher traffic numbers to your site and more fans on your Facebook page.

How do you feel about Facebook marketing? Is it an effective means of marketing for Newspapers/Magazines? Any businesses? Let us know in the comments below!