We all know that Facebook and other social networking sites are a marketing goldmine. But without knowing the terminology used on these sites, do we really know what we’re getting ourselves into? Those of us who have only used Facebook for our personal pages are entering a whole new world when we start using it for our practice. The terms below just might help to demystify the Facebook lingo, whether you are just now setting up your practice page or trying to decipher the page metrics reports.
- Impressions: Impressions are the number of times a post from your practice’s page is displayed, regardless of how many clicks, likes, or shares it has. This is not to be confused with the number of views, as the same person may see a post immediately after you share it and then again after a common “friend” shares it again.
- Pageviews: Pageviews are the total number of times your Facebook page was viewed during the time period you select in Page Insights, which is the Facebook metrics reporting tool. A visit to your practice’s Facebook page indicates a higher level of engagement than those who simply like your post when it shows up in their news feed.
- Reach: Reach is the number of people who received impressions (see above) of a page post, whether they follow you or not. By analyzing reach, you can assess positive responses (such as likes and shares) as well as negative (such as posts being hidden or reported as spam). Knowing how people respond to your posts can help you determine what people like and want to see more or less of.
- Boost post: Boosted posts appear higher in your audience’s news feed, making it more likely that they will be seen. You can boost any post you create, from status updates to videos, and Facebook determines the cost for boosting by the number of people you want to reach. Boosted posts are marked as “sponsored” and appear directly in the news feed, not in the righthand column with ads and trends.
Facebook has truly mastered the art of marketing through social networking. While the terminology might be puzzling at first blush, taking the time to familiarize yourself with it will allow you to utilize Facebook to its full capacity.
With more than a decade of experience in corporate dental laboratory marketing and brand development, Ms. Ulasewich decided to take her passion for the dental business and marketing to the next level by founding My Dental Agency. Since starting her company, Ms. Ulasewich and her team have helped a wide variety of business owners all over the nation focus their message, reach their target audience, and increase their sales through effective marketing campaigns. She can be reached at (800) 689-6434 or via email at jackie@mydentalagency.com.
Related Articles
Hone in on Key Marketing Channels for Additional Growth
