One of the latest features that Facebook have rolled out to business users is a call to action button. Since calls to action have always been a very important part of marketing, this is an exciting development. Let's take a look at how to create yours and how you can benefit from using this feature.
The new call-to-action button, which sits on the cover image, is designed to help businesses to achieve their primary goal in terms of marketing. You can choose what action the button triggers depending on your needs. The feature first started showing up towards the end of 2014, and it is now available for all pages. The best part is that it is so easy to create in a matter of minutes.
Setting up your new call to action on Facebook is incredibly easy. Visit your page while logged into an account with admin privileges and you should see a prompt to 'Create call to action' right there on the page. You then select which type of call to action button you want to use and enter a destination url (mobile urls are an option). The types of call to action button that you can choose from include :
Shop Now
Book Now
Contact Us
Use App
Play Game
Sign Up
Watch Video
Most physiotherapists are likely to choose either book now to instigate an immediate appointment or contact us. Once you have selected your choice and entered the destination url you will move to the next screen where you have the option of sending iOS users to your app or mobile website and on the final screen you can do the same for Android users. That is all there is to it!
Sometimes, when Facebook introduces something new we can be a little wary about jumping in, so why should the new call to action button be any different? If your clinic has been operating a Facebook page for any length of time then you will probably already have noticed a definite decline in organic reach. We are being increasingly pushed towards purchasing adverts and paying for sponsored posts in order to engage with our fans. Even functions such as 'Sign up' and 'Watch video' have been hidden from our followers behind a generic 'more tab'. All of this makes it more difficult to get the most out of Facebook.
The new call to action button goes some way towards addressing these issues. Using the call to action button it is now possible to redirect visitors in the way that will be most beneficial. If your clinic has an online booking system then you can encourage patients to make an appointment by using the 'Book Now' call to action button. Alternatively, the 'Contact Us' button can be used to link directly to your clinic's contact form.
The one downside that comes to mind is that your patients are not going to visit your page all that often. The bulk of your interactions are going to happen on your audiences' news feed. However, this is not the only way to implement a call to action. One of the most effective options is to include a call to action on your video posts. Statistics show that videos uploaded to Facebook have a 40% higher engagement rate than videos shared from YouTube. You can take advantage of this by incorporating a call to action. While uploading your video you will notice an optional 'Call to Action' link which can be used to direct your patients to where you want them to go!
Call to Action buttons have also been rolled out for Facebook Ads. Unlike the other types of CTA button, these must be paid for, but many physical therapists believe that the additional expense is worth while. When creating your ad, you can choose the most appropriate CTA, such as 'Learn More'.
Once you have mastered using Facebook's new call to action feature, you might want to re-evaluate your social media strategy to make sure that you are getting the most benefit. Talk to PatientSites today about our Social Media Plus feature and find out how it can help you and your PT clinic.