Facebook has launched a new button for Pages which will allow your nonprofit to extend “calls-to-action” to social media as well.
Rolled out over the Christmas holiday, this tool offers set options for up to 7 “calls-to-action”:
- Contact Us
- Sign Up
- Watch Video
- Use App
- Shop Now
- Book Now
- Play Game
While currently geared towards business pages, with an emphasis on purchases or reservations, this little button features prominently right next to your page’s Like button. As a page admin you can link out these “calls-to-action” to your organization’s website, event page, Youtube channel, online store, or online newsletter.
Make sure to track how many hits you get with different “call-to-action” choices via Facebook analytics delivered on a weekly basis to your admin account. Experiment with how each button speaks to the audience that your nonprofit is trying to target on Facebook. For example, if you’re trying to reach a more media-savvy generation, why not create a video specifically for this link to introduce new visitors to your mission and work?
Because of the prime location for the “call-to-action” button (it’s practically overlayed on your Facebook cover photo) you should consider using this banner photo to draw extra attention to your chosen theme. See an example using a graphic arrow pointing at the button here:
Now that you’ve caught people’s attention with this “call-to-action” button focus on where you’re directing them to. If the idea is to increase your mailing list or newsletter sign-ups, direct them to that page on your website and make sure that the CRM tool your organization uses is integrated into your site, to make this process as automated as possible. Once people click on that button, the next page they see should be eye-catching and simple enough to navigate that they successfully convert into new contacts or supporters.
You can see that designing a landing page specifically for your “call-to-action” button might be a great idea, depending on your organization’s resources and IT support.
A study has actually shown that landing pages convert your “call-to-action” audience to like your page at a higher rate (47%, vs. 23%). Just make sure that your website has an SSL certificate (which can be purchased with your hosting provider/server) to ensure that the page is secure– this is a Facebook requirement to display your landing page.
Although options for “calls-to-action” are currently limited for organizational Facebook pages, you can ask fans to donate, register, and get involved by creating custom tabs. Tabs traditionally include “Timeline”, “About”, “Photos”, “Events”, etc., however with the help of a web developer (or someone who can code html) your nonprofit can create custom apps to replace the pre-set options on your page. Or, you can add existing apps, such as Social RSS, which allows you to publish your blog in a tab on your Facebook page. This can be an alternative to having posts appear in your timeline, and gives fans the option of viewing blog posts separately from content on your wall.
Another way to incorporate “calls-to-action” on your page is via posts themselves. Watch this video that explains how to add a button to convert viewers to “Sign Up” and more right inside post content, or read step-by-step instructions here.
Interested in amping-up your nonprofit’s Facebook page and making the time spent on social media more worthwhile? Contact Elevation to inquire about our graphic design services and web solutions for landing pages and custom cover photos.
