Creating professional Facebook posts for your newsagency or retail shop doesn't have to be a chore. In 2026, Artificial Intelligence (AI) allows shop owners to generate high-quality, engaging social media content in under four minutes.

A few days ago, I released a social media calendar for 2026 designed explicitly for newsagents. I wanted to help shop owners get organised for the year ahead. Since then, I have received quite a few enquiries like last year, but one reaction shocked me. Several people told me it was "too much work" and that writing these posts for every calendar event would take ages.

This is not true.

Writing a high-quality post on Facebook takes less than 4 minutes. In 2026, the technology available to us now is incredible and here to save you time. Today, I will show you exactly how.

The Facebook Reality Check

Before we get into the "how-to," we need to have a serious conversation about the "where." To do this, you must have a business Facebook account.

If you do not have one yet, you are, frankly, leaving money on the table. Your business needs one. In this day and age, a retail business without a digital storefront on social media is invisible to a huge chunk of the local community. So if you don't have a page, stop reading this right now. Go make one up. It is free and essential. In 2026, businesses need a Facebook business page to survive and thrive. For the rest of you who are ready to go, let's look at a simple method to get your marketing done in record time.

Why You Can't Afford to Be Invisible

Many independent retailers tell me they rely on foot traffic. That is great, but where does foot traffic come from? Often, it comes from a Google search or a Facebook recommendation.

If a local customer searches for "birthday cards near me" or "magazines in [Suburb Name]," and your competitor has an active Facebook page with photos, while yours does not, guess where they are going?

You are not just competing with the shop down the road; you are competing for attention on the screen in your customer's pocket.

The 4-Minute Method: A Step-by-Step Guide

As we all know, things change rapidly in the world of AI. However, the core principles I am showing you here will likely remain the same for a long time. I intend to update this article when Facebook AI is finally released for business in Australia. These steps are relevant only for January 2026.

I will perform this live for my own business page to show you how easy it is. Please follow along with your own business page.

Step 1: Get Your Visuals Ready

First, you need an image. Facebook is a visual platform. Text alone often gets ignored as people scroll through their feeds. You have two main options here:
Both can be used.

Supplier Images

These are professional and clean, but they can sometimes look a bit "cold." Also, they are not from you; others have them too. What you are trying to sell is the product, not you. Plus, you may get into a copyright problem later.

Your Own Photos

These are authentic and perform better.

I have discussed how to take a photo yourself here.
A photo showing your actual shop is often better. Customers love to see the human side of a business. A photo of you, clearly standing and holding the product, works wonders. It builds trust.

I suggest you take about 10 pictures. Don't overthink it, snap away. Then, review them and select the top two.

Step 2: Open Your Business Page

Now, call up your business page on your computer or tablet. Look for the box at the top that asks, "What's on your mind?" See the red arrow 

This is where the magic starts. I have added the selected image. See the blue arrow.

You can add multiple photos if you like, but often one strong image is enough, and two is better.

Step 3: Select Your AI Tool

Now, I have decided to stick to a free AI for this demonstration. Only a few of my customers, or SMB retailers in general, have paid accounts for these services. That is perfectly fine, but you do not need to spend money to get great results, as I will show you here how to do it for free.

Select the AI that you want to use. You have plenty of options: ChatGPT, Gemini (Google), Grok, Deepseek, etc. These are all good and have free versions.

On Facebook, Meta AI is specifically designed for this task, but Facebook is currently restricting its full use on some business accounts in Australia, and it has just acquired Manus, which promises to make massive changes in AI.

Step 4: The Prompt

This is the part that scares people, but it is actually the easiest part. You need to tell the AI what to do. We call this a "prompt."

You don't need to be a computer programmer. You need to speak to it as if you were talking to an advertising agent.

Use this prompt, see the blue arrow above. 

Write a friendly but professional Facebook post for my business talking about [Product Name]. Keep it under 150 words. Use Australian spelling =====.

Using Supplier Content

Now, add a few lines about the product. If you are unsure what to say, you can use the description from the supplier's advertisement.

For my example, I want to talk about the customer-facing screens in our POS system.

I found this text:
"One of the most popular features in modern POS software is a customer-facing screen. These digital displays display detailed order information to customers, including their orders, tax, discounts, and loyalty information during the checkout process. You often see customer-facing displays in retail businesses."

I put this in, see the blue arrow above. 

Now, see the red arrow, I got a fine copy. The grammar and spelling are fine. I didn't have to stare at a blank screen wondering what to say. The AI took the facts about the screen, like how it improves accuracy and speeds up the queue, and turned them into an advertisement for my customers. I would suggest including your shop details as well.

So I pasted that text into my advertisement.

Step 5: The Result

I hit "Enter," and within seconds, the AI gave me a professional advertisement.

See the blue arrow in the image above? That is the text I cut and pasted directly into my Facebook post.

Step 6: Publish and Schedule

And then I saved it. See the image above for the final result.

As I said, the whole operation would take less than 4 minutes. I now have a professional Facebook advertisement for nothing—zero cost.

Why This Matters for Your Shop

The beauty of this method is that it is easy to repeat.

You can use the same process for holidays. For example, the Chinese New Year is coming up soon. You could take a photo of your red cards, envelopes, decorations, etc, tell the AI "Write a post wishing my customers a Happy Chinese New Year," and you are done. If in doubt, use your top-selling report in your POS System to tell you what sold well in your shop during the Chinese New Year.

Consistency is key in retail marketing. You don't need to be a professional writer. You need to do it; don't worry about perfection, as you can continually improve as you learn more.

Ready to save even more time?
Download our 2026 Social Media Calendar for Newsagents below and use this 4-minute method to fill your entire month's schedule today.

Download 2026 Calendar Here

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Social Media Calendar for 2026 below

A new year starts, and planning is key to social media success, especially for newsagencies needing community connection and seasonal trend awareness. A proper social media calendar is very strategic. It requires consistency, aligning content with local events and holidays, and strengthening customer relationships. With monthly themes, templates, and tailored strategies, you'll be ready to make each post impactful and boost customer loyalty.

I found that last year's calendar received such incredible feedback from newsagencies across Australia, so clearly filling a need and a lot of thanks, as it was a professional job. Retailers reported that it made keeping their social media fresh and relevant much easier, saving them hours each week. This year, after listening to your input, I made key improvements based on the comments I received and the pos systems for the retail shop of them, not all by the way use my POS System to ensure the calendar is even more practical and effective for your business in 2026.

So I'm excited to introduce the 2026 Social Media Content Calendar, a key resource for newsagencies to stay organised, boost engagement, and increase foot traffic year-round.

Start Planning Today

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

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Now people are looking at using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve their business. We have seen firsthand here how such AI tools can be used. I was reading a recent survey of social media (advertisers) managers by Metricool here, and I immediately saw another use of how these AI tools can be used.

Survey Insights on AI Usage

Metricool did a deep analysis, and what struck me was just how many of these people 96% were using AI to create advertisements. 72.6% doing so daily. Interestingly, half of them rely on free versions of tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Perplexity. So what they do is available to any retailer.

The first point that stands out is the efficiency gain. Nearly 79% of respondents say AI saves them significant time. Another 77.9% value AI most for generating ideas to promote products, followed by 72.5% who use it for writing content. When it comes to quality, the survey shows promising results. Of those who compared AI-generated material to traditional content, 59% found it on par, 33% deemed it better, and only 8% said it was worse. As professionals in marketing, our standards are high, so imagine how this could elevate our efforts, as we are not professional copywriters. For SMB businesses, this means producing tailored ads quickly, without outsourcing or spending hours.

Real-World Retail Example: Father's Day Campaign

Let's explore how this plays out for SMB retailers. Say you're preparing for Father's Day. You could prompt an AI tool just as I did here. Note, I use Perplexity, which we offered our readers here at a significantly discounted rate a while ago. It has a space set up for a fictional newsagency.

I liked the last idea, so I asked the AI to write a Facebook post.

Now I did like it but thought maybe I should ask for a few other ideas so I asked

I did like the post 1 idea the best, but it was a bit short so I went 

This all took under a minute to generate. If I was to post it to Facebook, I would add a quick photo from my your mobile and then I would have a decent Facebook post advertising my shop.

Practical Tips for Getting Started

Start simple

Choose a free AI tool, I like Perplexity, but Google Gemini or ChatGPT, all are also excellent.

Now experiment, like using your POS System reports to find your top ten selling products. Now ask AI to generate a Facebook post for the shop to market one of these products.

Edit your Facebook post

I find it good to ask for a few different ideas, and feel free to contribute.  

Post your Facebook post

Remember to add a photo.

Monitor results.

Track your results.

Looking Ahead: Empower Your Business

Embracing AI in advertising helps SMB retailers to compete.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

(Friendly Advice for Non-Tech Business Owners)

In 2025, it's clear that Facebook's recent changes have made it more difficult for you to reach your customers for free. Before, businesses could easily connect with their customers without any cost. While it's still possible, it's not as easy as it once was. Facebook increasingly encourages businesses to pay for advertising to reach their audience.

Also, it got better and more complex, so now it might feel tricky, but it's still a good tool for local shops wanting to connect with their customers. Let's walk through some changes and how you can make it work for your business—no fancy tech skills needed.

Why Your Shop Needs Facebook (Even Now)

Every local business should keep its Facebook page updated. Think of it like your digital shop window - people expect to find you there. If they look, they should find you; if Facebook sees that they want to find you, it will push you.

What if your potential customers look for you and find your competitors?

What your Facebook page shows is:

You're open and active

Customers check Facebook before visiting

Answering questions quickly

Facebook likes that as do your customers and potential customers.

• A thumbs-up emoji
• All you need is a short, friendly message
• Answers to any questions, if you do not know the answer, tell them you are investigating. -Talk like a local.

Sharing what's new

Could you take a picture of what is new or your weekly special? If, for example, you have a lotto, there is no reason why you cannot post something new once a week. Someone won big in the shop; there is a good draw, your opening times, etc.

Free Tactics That Work

Post When People Are Browsing

If you share when folks are looking, Facebook shows your posts to more people.

11 AM-1 PM

Perfect for lunch break shoppers
Please don't post after 6 PM - your post gets lost overnight.

Videos Get Seen More

You don't need fancy equipment. Try these easy ideas:

• Film a 20-second video of new stock arrivals
• Record staff explaining a product's features
• Share customer testimonials on camera (This is excellent stuff in retail)
• Top products. Why not set up a free product showcase? People like to buy stuff that their peers are buying.
• Go to your page's "Shop" tab
• Snap photos of your top 5 products
• Add simple descriptions

Events

St Valentine's Day, do you sell cards, toys for pets, perfume? Snap a few of them and put them up. Cards inside and out as many people really care about the words.

Save Time With These Simple Tricks

Batch Your Posts

Pick a quiet morning to:

1. Write 3-4 post captions
2. Take photos of your products
3. Schedule them using Facebook's free tool

Check What's Working

Visit your Dashboard weekly to see what your readers like and want to see:

• Which posts got the most comments
• When your followers are online
• How many people clicked your photos

Your No-Stress Action Plan

Here is a step-by-step plan to try.

-Ask your customers to give you likes on Facebook.

Now, you can go to your top-selling report and pick your top five selling items by quantity. Take pictures of them. I discussed how to do this here.

• Add these top five products to your Facebook Shop
• Make a few Facebook posts showing these items.

Conclusion

Consistency matters more than perfection. If you wait for perfection, you will do nothing. You can always make it better later. Start small.

A single sapling becomes a forest through daily growth, not instantaneous majesty.

Facebook requires more effort than before, but it's still worth it.

​ A newsagent asked me to help him create a post for Facebook to help him market his shop for the Chinese New Year since I have qualifications in social media marketing and have done some courses on it. So here are 12, I came up with

I suggested the main picture be a close-up photo he takes of beautifully designed Chinese New Year Cards like this one. ​

Here are some Facebook post ideas to promote his Chinese New Year greeting cards and encourage customers to visit their shop. The idea is to invite people to explore their collection in the shop. They should give you some ideas

1 🧧✨ Get ready for Chinese New Year with our stunning collection of greeting cards! Whether you're wishing for prosperity, happiness, or success, we have the perfect card waiting for you.

Visit our shop today and choose yours! 🐉

2.🏮 Swipe through for a sneak peek of our Chinese New Year greeting card collection! Each design is crafted with love and inspired by tradition.

Stop by our shop to see the full range! 🌟

3.🎥 Take a virtual tour of our shop and explore our Chinese New Year greeting card collection! From bold reds to intricate designs, we have everything you need to send blessings this season. 🧧✨

Visit us today to find the perfect card!

4. Looking for the perfect way to send blessings this Lunar New Year? 🧧 visit us and browse our wide selection of Chinese New Year greeting cards—each one designed to bring joy and good fortune! 🌟

See you at the shop! 🐉

5. Every card has a story to tell. 🖌️✨ This Chinese New Year, visit our shop and find a greeting card that speaks from the heart. Whether for family, friends, or colleagues, we've got something special for everyone. 🧧🐉

Stop by today!

6. Which design do you love most for the Year of the Dragon? 🐉 Cast your vote below! 🗳️ Stop by our shop to see these designs (and many more) in person. 🏮✨

Let us know your favourite in the comments too! 💬

7. Celebrate Chinese New Year with cards that make an impression! 🌟 Swipe through to discover some of our favourite designs, then visit us in-store to see the full collection. 🧧🐉

Don't miss out on these festive treasures!

8. Behind every card is a story of tradition and creativity. 🎨✨ Watch our Chinese New Year greeting cards come to life, then visit us in-store to see them up close! 🧧🐉

Find your favourite today!

9. Red is the colour of luck and joy—perfect for celebrating Chinese New Year! 🏮🧧 Our vibrant greeting cards await you in-store to help spread blessings this season. 🌟 Who will you send yours to this year? 💌

Visit us today and take your pick!

10. Did you know? ✨ Exchanging greeting cards during Chinese New Year symbolizes love, respect, and good fortune. 🐉 visit us and explore our collection of meaningful designs to share blessings with those you care about most! 🌟🧧

See you at the shop!

11. 💬 'I found the perfect card for my family at our shop. The designs are beautiful and meaningful.' – Happy Customer 🌟 visit us and find yours too this Chinese New Year! 🐉🧧✨

We can't wait to see you in-store!

12.🏮 The countdown to Chinese New Year is on! Celebrate the season with heartfelt wishes for your loved ones—our shop is stocked with a wide selection of beautiful greeting cards just for you. 🐉✨

Visit us today and find yours before they're gone!

These posts will encourage customers to visit your store while showcasing the variety and beauty of your Chinese New Year greeting card collection. ​

If you sell such items, do not overthink it, do it.

Can social media marketing help your small retail business stand out? Let's explore how social platforms can amplify your unique offerings and attract more customers. Today, fewer people now walk to your shop to shop; they surf the net for shopping. Many retailers now post something on their Facebook company page every day. It is their primary communication method. Today, in business, using social marketing has never been more important—vital, I would say.

No business can afford to ignore social media as part of its marketing strategy.

Checkout statistics for social media in Australia

"85% of the eligible (age 13+) Australian population have active social media accounts and spend an average of 1 hour 47 minutes per day on social media."

Last year, in 2023, I was shocked when a client asked us for help setting up a Facebook page. We helped him out, but now the problem is that he does not know how to use it. I told him that he would do better to learn. There is no excuse if he cannot get someone to help him. Then, I gave him a few pointers. I advised him that there are plenty of good online courses and that he does not need to pay a cent for them to learn, for example, the Hubspot social media marketing course. I completed an online social media marketing course, which ultimately resulted in a social media marketing certification.
 

I thought it was worthwhile. If you know something better, please let me know, and I will tell people here about it.

Here are some advantages of social media.

1. Visibility: Social media platforms can help you get to a broader audience.
2. Cost-effective: Social media marketing strategies can often be free.
3. Customer engagement: You can interact directly with your customers, building relationships and loyalty.
4. Local Targeting: Social media allows you to target customers in your local area.

Getting Started with Social Media Marketing

Choose the Right Platforms

Not all social media platforms are the same. Ask your customers; this helps you focus on the ones where your target audience is most active. For retailers, Facebook and Instagram are often good starting points.
 

Learning from Successful Social Media Strategies

When it comes to starting social media marketing, it's crucial to learn from those who are doing it well. If you can, get an expert to help you start even better.

Study and Adapt

One of the best ways to improve your social media presence is to learn from successful retailers doing similar stuff by:

1. Identify successful competitors: Look for businesses with engaging social media profiles like yours.
2. Analyse their content: What types of posts get the most engagement? How often do they post?
3. Observe their tone: Is it friendly, professional, or humorous? How do they interact with followers?
4. Note their visual style: What images or videos do they use?

Pay attention to their social media creatives - the elements that make their posts recognizable and engaging. This will help you develop your own consistent visual brand identity.

I recommend you go to Facebook and see what a few similar businesses to yours are doing there now. Check the ones you like and take a few notes about what your business needs. Note the words they say, too. Presumably, they have experimented and found that these work. I admit that when I started with social media, I copied people in Canada; they are similar to Australia, and I found that what they did was novel and new in Australia.

So, to start, copy what they do, change it to make it yours and see how you go. As you learn more, you can adapt.

You can always experiment later with the paid services, but like anything, if you are going to pay, it's best to know a little first.

Key Strategies to Implement

Based on my observations of successful retailers, here are some effective strategies:

1. Showcase your products: Use high-quality images and videos to highlight your offerings.
2. Behind-the-scenes content: Give followers a peek into your daily operations or product creation process.
3. Customer spotlights: Feature satisfied customers using your products or services.
4. Engage with your audience: Respond promptly to comments and messages.

My Personal Experience

When we revamped our social media strategy for our POS company, we started by studying successful tech companies and local retailers. We noticed that posts showcasing real-life applications of our software received the most engagement.

We began creating short video tutorials demonstrating how our POS system solved common problems for retailers. These videos attracted potential customers and provided value to our existing clients. We also started featuring customer success stories, significantly boosting our credibility and engagement rates.

Measuring Success

To ensure our strategy was effective, we tracked KPI metrics. Most social media sites give you this stuff for free.

By consistently applying these strategies and measuring our results, I know we significantly improved our social media presence and, ultimately, our business growth.

Remember, the key is to start with observation, adapt strategies to fit your unique business, and consistently measure and adjust your approach. With time and effort, you can develop a solid social media presence that supports your shop and have much fun doing it.

• Engaging: Use high-quality images and videos for your products; your suppliers have this; ask them for social media content. I am sure they have a social media manager who can help you get effective social media. Alternatively, explore online image generator options to create professional visuals tailored to your brand, ensuring your posts stand out and attract more engagement.
• Informative: Share tips, how-to guides, and product information.
• Authentic: Show the human side of your business.

Consistency is Key

To keep your marketing campaign going, you must maintain a regular posting schedule and commit to best practices in social media management.

Leveraging Social Media for Your Shop

Here are some ways to use social media to promote your retail shop:

1. Showcase your products: Show photos and videos of your products. If you get new gift items, books, or pets in your shop, take a picture and share it online. 
2. Share customer testimonials: These bring trust by highlighting positive customer experiences.
3. Provide customer service: I have clients whose staff, when they are not busy behind the counter, are answering customer inquiries on social media.

Be a marketer (an influencer).

Measuring Your Success

Measure the effectiveness of your social media marketing, and keep an eye on these KPIs:

Conclusion

"It's 2024, and the retail landscape demands a modern approach. Social media marketing stands out as a game-changing tool for small retailers looking to scale their business and highlight their POS software capabilities. Create a compelling online presence that works in tandem with your physical store by carefully choosing your platforms, developing captivating content, and actively engaging with your audience. The secret to thriving? Begin with manageable goals, maintain regularity, and always focus on enriching your audience's experience.

Let your social media shine!

In today's marketplace, businesses must leverage every marketing channel to captivate their target audience effectively. Each channel offers distinct advantages and considerations.

Your POS System will give you details on what is selling now. Use that info to start your message.

Let us explore the compelling features of SMS, email, and Facebook/Instagram marketing, weighing their costs and benefits to help you make informed decisions for your business.

Some studies show that people who read business messages do give businesses a high success rate. The big problem with electronic messages is getting people to read them.  A typical rate today is about 22% open rate, with about 55% of those who read it action it. 

The fact of life is that you often get what you pay for in advertising. Hold this thought while we go through some options.

The Appeal of SMS Marketing

SMS marketing is probably the dearest electronic marketing option in our client base. Still, it provides some intriguing options with several compelling features that appeal to businesses seeking to engage their customers directly and instantly.

Immediacy and High Open Rates

SMS marketing will capture customers' attention immediately. Typically, they are read within minutes of receiving them. Additionally, SMS campaigns boast impressively high open rates, often exceeding 90%, surpassing email and other marketing channels.

I have a client who has a sandwich bar. Come to 2:00 p.m. if they are looking at a heap of sandwiches that will be dumped if not sold. They send out specials by SMS. Email will not help much if you need to move those sandwiches in less than an hour. Only SMS can do it.

The Cost Considerations of SMS Marketing

Here's a typical breakdown of the expenses for prepaid SMS bundles that would be valid for 12 months of purchase:

Once purchased, it is really about using them or losing them. I had a client who lost when they weren’t using as much as they thought they would.

As you can see, the SMS cost is higher for companies that send a few SMS messages. 

Many would consider $600 a year justified to send 1,000 SMS messages monthly to engage with their customers directly and immediately.

The Power of Email and Facebook Marketing

While SMS marketing offers unique advantages, email and Facebook marketing present compelling alternatives that can deliver substantial results without breaking the bank.

Cost-Effectiveness and Scalability

One of the most significant advantages of email and Facebook marketing is their cost-effectiveness, especially compared to traditional marketing methods or SMS campaigns. These options do not incur much cos, making them convenient for businesses with limited budgets. Email and Facebook marketing are highly scalable, allowing you to reach a larger audience without a huge additional cost. There is no cost for most of our customers; it’s free of charge. It's pretty hard to argue with that!

Rich Multimedia Content and Engagement

Email and Facebook marketing campaigns enable you to showcase your products or services through rich multimedia content, captivating visuals, and engaging storytelling. This approach captures your target audience's attention and fosters deeper connections and brand loyalty. Make sure you take photos. 

Targeted Reach and Personalization

Both email and Facebook marketing platforms offer robust segmentation and targeting capabilities. Most people find that a standard message to all works, but it's nice sometimes if you have a good list to tailor your specific audience segments. This personalisation level enhances your communications' relevance and strengthens customer relationships.

ROI (Return On Investment)

This is tricky. So many factors come into it. However, we can discuss general differences between SMS, email, and Facebook marketing regarding how quickly you might see results.

• SMS Marketing: SMS boasts high open rates, meaning you'll likely see a faster response to your promotions. Did that afternoon text about discounted sandwiches go straight out of your inventory? The ROI for that campaign is pretty clear!

• Email & Facebook Marketing: Email and Facebook marketing rarely provide immediate sales figures; unlike SMS, they can be incredibly effective in building brand loyalty and driving long-term customer engagement. The ROI might not be as instantly measurable, but loyal customers who return for repeat purchases are a valuable asset.

Pro Tip: Use Unique Discount Codes!

Here's a powerful strategy to track the effectiveness of each marketing channel: assign a unique offer for each campaign. This allows you to see what is working. 

Conclusion

Today, in retail, you must leverage every available channel to captivate your target audience effectively. 

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director at POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience. He consults to various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

The Facebook page for our company went down, as many of you are aware. We were informed that an account associated with that page had been the target of an attempted hack. As a result, we immediately disabled our POS Solutions page while we reviewed their security measures. We decided to keep our page down even though we know this will be inconvenient for many of you; we want to ensure our page remains secure. It's now back up. Once we digest it, I will brief you on what the hackers did, give us a week. It is weird.

Also, consider following us on Twitter for the most recent information and updates if you want to reap the benefits of social media. Keeping in touch is easy with our Twitter account.

Conclusion

Consider this an opportunity to review your cyber security and exercise caution when using social media.

A modern business needs an online presence. The best and fastest way to make such a presence is a Facebook Business Page, and it is free.

Despite what many of you hear from news outlets using overseas information, Facebook in Australia figures are slightly up.

- 6 in 10 Australians use Facebook

-1 in 2 Australians uses Facebook daily

It makes sense for businesses to establish a presence on Facebook to get more customers.

On Facebook, David can compete with Goliath as the page is the same no matter what size you are.

Need help in setting up a Facebook Business Page? It is easy. To start, all you need is a few photos and supply them with a few details. If you are still unsure well for our customers, we provide such a service for free.

In all your communication, e.g. email, you should include your Facebook page address. Every one of your customers should know of it. Push it. As you name spread Facebook will push the word out to relevant people, that is how their systems are designed.

Here are some ideas on what to write about

1) Most industries have a trade cycle, a trade show for the public, etc.

2) Look on Facebook at what other retail stores like you do, take notes of what they do and change it to your needs.

3) Google can be used to generate ideas. Put in a few words applicable to your business and see what comes up. What comes up is what people are looking for now.

4) Almost all businesses have stocktaking sales, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Xmas, etc.

5) Suppliers often notify you of their seasons and promotions. Often they provide free marketing aids, too, like photos and information.

6) If one of your suppliers suddenly grows in the market, write about how good it is and that you have these products.

7) Suppliers often have new products. Write about them. Tell them how it can help bring value to their lives.

8) School holidays often supply marketing opportunities.

9) You can check your sales reports to see when your business is busiest. Try and find out why and let people know what you have at that time.

10) New products in the shop work well too. Take a photo. Most of us have a smartphone that takes excellent photos. Please take a quick snap, add a few words, and you have done it.

11) Best sellers are also good. Go to your top-selling report, check out what is selling now well and let your customers know that you have it.

12) Your community and local area can generate ideas too. This makes you relevant to the local people.

13) Temporary Service Changes, for example, if your business is temporarily closed or you are now offering new or changing services.

14) Testimonials from happy customers are a proven way to grow revenue. Today something like 92% of people checks testimonials before buying something. I look at reviews before often buying nowadays.

15) A customer tells you are interesting story to do with your shop or products, if it is interesting to you, it probably would also be to your customers too.

16) A simple SWOT analysis can generate many ideas.

17) Tips and extra uses for using the products you market can be used.

Nothing here costs you anything.

Final notes:

a) Try to engage your audience.

b) Avoid the knockers. You will make mistakes; we all do. There is always some knocker who thinks they know it all. This is life. You are in business; you need a hard head to pick yourself up and improve.

c) The important aspect is keeping the content fresh.

d) Use Facebook's statistics to see how you are going. If something does not work, try something else.

e) Avoid politics; 50% of people will not like whatever you say.

f) Put someone in charge that likes Facebook. It will not be a job for them but a pleasure.

Try it and grow your revenue and meet customers in a new way.

Many of my clients do use Facebook marketing. When asked, they will say for them it is the cheapest and most profitable form of advertising. That is why they use it.

The first question that many who are not using Facebook advertising will ask is, can they get more people onto their Facebook business page without paying? This is tough as you will find that even with those who liked your page, few get your latest updates.

Although Facebook sees itself as an advertising medium, its main hook is for family and friends. These get priority. What is left, hundreds of million organisations worldwide with Facebook pages are all fighting to get noticed. Now a few years ago, Facebook changed their systems so that unpaid got less to try to get people to pay if they wanted to get people to see their latest stuff. This means you are competing with all these people in a smaller space.

So those that use Facebook today, what they see is what Facebook thinks most interests them. If Facebook feels what you posted is of little interest to your public and does not invite meaningful interaction, they will not display it. 

Your content has to be good to show up if you do not pay.

It is not so easy if you pay either, but that is a story for another post.

Now if you do want to use Facebook you need to test and continually review what is working. No point in using Facebook measures as really who cares how many likes you get in business if no one comes and importantly buys. So put in Facebook if possible a rarely used phone number and/or email address. Most email systems support disposable addresses without needing to register them first. This is perfect for this task.

Next is what you need to know is who did respond to your Facebook post.

Luckily our point of sale software has a very advanced system for doing this. What you need to do is enter into the POS system a Promotion ID.

Firstly you need a Promotion ID here are some tips:

- Make a unique ID for each different promotion. This will allow you to distinguish each promotion. Don’t reuse or recycle these IDs for different promotions. If you feel you must use the same ID  add a date or year after it, eg add say F2Nov2021 (F=Facebook, 2/Nov/2021 if it was first live today).  

- Once you make an ID, don't change it. 

- Do not use spaces, it can be confusing, e.g. a person was looking at Jan  2019, and it sometimes worked, and sometimes it did not. What we found was the ID was Jan 2019 (One space no, two spaces which he sometimes used)

Now in Detailed Transaction Entry see the red arrow, below for more details.

Now you see the Promotion ID. 

Enter the code when putting in the sales.

Now you can watch the transactions based on this code, letting you recognise whether you are receiving value for your efforts.

If your store has a Facebook page, please consider the recent High Court ruling. 

Now, if you post or share content on this Facebook page and allow comments, you may be responsible for the statements made even if you do not know of these comments.

One solution is that you can disable comments, but this is not what any of us want to do, so we are introducing on our Facebook page more surveillance in case.

Under the new defamation laws in some states, you must get a "concerns notice", and only then do they have 15 days before they can file a lawsuit. So you get some time to plead your case. You may want to check on this in your state. However, even if this is true in your state, I am unsure what happens if the affected person is in Western Australia and you are in NSW. In which case, you may not be given a grace period. I am not a lawyer, so I cannot answer these questions.

But, if you receive one of these notices, I firmly recommend that you take action.

If you are not using Facebook to generate more sales, you are already behind. 

An active Facebook page for a modern business is now essential. 

Let us start with some figures. 

There are now approximately 25 million Australians.

There are now 16 million active Australians on Facebook. Some of these have a few accounts, but clearly, most Australians have a Facebook account. 

According to best figures for Jan 2021  {link was removed}

60% of Australians use Facebook
50% use Facebook daily

As a rough value, it is almost certain that yesterday over half your customers were on Facebook. Today they will be on too and tomorrow and so on. That is a lot of people. 

Why not try to reach out to them? Do you know it can be free?

Why not regularly try inviting them to your business?

Looking to go forward

Check out a few similar businesses to yours on Facebook.

Check the ones you like.

See what they are doing on Facebook now.

Please take a few notes about what they do. 

Now give it ago. 

It is not hard.

It can be a lot of fun too.

If you need a hand, well give me a call.

Note: I have done a webinar on the basics of how to market your shop free online in your market space if there is enough interest, I am happy to do another one. 

Hot point for discussion today is that neither Facebook nor the Australian government was bluffing. Both are now busy blaming each other. 

Clearly, Facebook, are more concerned about larger jurisdictions than the Australian government. US, UK and European Union as well as talk in many countries like Brazil and Indonesia. For example, Australia has 14 million Facebook users, and Brazil has over 130 million. To agree with the Australian government could cost Facebook billions of dollars. So Facebook has blocked content from a range of Australia organisations. Besides news, they also stopped a range of sites, e.g. Harvey Norman, Bowel Cancer Australia, University of South Australia and realestate.com.au. This will be a blow to many of these people. 

Still, how does it affect us?  

The first point is that none of that money Facebook was to pay was intended to go to my clients even though the online availability of news has affected many of them too.  

Those who run a Facebook page for their business will need to select where they get their news they share carefully. Currently, Facebook does not tell you that it does not share; it just does not share the page. As many pages are affected beside news sites, you may not know it was not posted to your target market. What you need to do is once you post to Facebook go back into your personal page and see if it was shared with them. If it was not, then you need to search for a Facebook allowed site with similar information. 

It will affect many of the online promotions until the advertisers adjust.

Other then that can you see any effect? I can't so let us move on.

Update: 

This video I think shows well Facebook's position.

I saw this on my facebook page, and I think it is an excellent idea for my clients who have businesses that are local to do. Have a read, and I will take you step by step through the process.

What has happened is that Facebook has recently just rolled out a feature that allows you to invite everyone to like a page that you found. This is what they are asking everyone to do.

If you go to a Facebook Page, in this case, I will use Ingleburn newsagency for the example, but what I suggest you consider is doing this for your shop.

On the left-hand side, you will see "community" (which I have circled in red with an arrow). click that

Now on the right-hand side, you will see this.

Now click "See all Friends" where the red arrow is, click that.

This is what appears.

Now they press the red arrow, and then the green arrow and the invites are off.

See how you go.

If you want to learn more about Facebook marketing, click here.

Note: If you still have not got a Facebook business page and are unsure about how to set it up, and your a client of ours, contact us, and we will set one up for you free of charge.

I was listening to a video newsletter. In this video what the presenter did was did an interview with a small business owner who owns and runs a successful lotto agency in Dandenong. 

She is clearly an experienced business owner, running a business not too dissimilar to many of my clients. Now, what when asked did she think was so important to her business success. Her response was social media in particular Facebook and Instagram and being involved in the local community. When I looked up her business Facebook account, I could see that yes she was regularly posting information relevant to her customers on the latest in lotto and her community. Clearly based on her interview here, it is working for her business. 

Too many people today have not caught on that the traditional methods of marketing advertising or direct mail are less effective. Today much of the world largely connects, as she states through the social media community.

PS: What is weird about social media and shows how different it is, is although I do not know her or her business, through social media, I can see that she is a friend of a very close friend of mine. It is a small world.

What is amazing with such powerful tools like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, Pinterest, etc which are free to business what amazes me, is too many business people do not use it. Yet the reality is that these have fundamentally changed the way we are now connecting, communicating and collaborating.

If you have one of our websites, it is easy to automatically connect these social media to your site.

Here are some benefits of doing social media:

Customers: 

It can bring more customers to your shop. Most people are looking regularly at their social media accounts if you are there, it brings your shop to their attention.

Create more Sales:

Have something to sell them, why not offer them something. New products are coming in all the time. It does not have to be earth-shaking, a new shipment of pet food, a new range of cards, some cooking pots that are now on sale, some new magazine, etc 

Cost: You cannot beat FREE. 

Builds Relationships with your Customers: People on social media are communicating. You can answer questions, give advice on a product and talk to potential customers quickly and efficiently. 

Still unsure

The first point is to look at facebook to see what similar business to yours are doing. Then if you like what you see and want something similar and need help and are a supported user of ours, we do offer a free setup of a facebook account for your business.

You have a Facebook page for your business!

The way Facebook works is that the business pages are connected to the person who created it. So if you got someone to make you a facebook page for your business, that Facebook page is linked to their account, it is their property. Now say they leave your business, there can be problems as even if the person gives you admin access to that page, as it is still technically connected to and owned by them. In today's case, the separation has not been a happy one, and they refuse to even talk to the owner of the business.

The only way around this if they wish to continue with Facebook is to start a new page and start again. They then have to report to Facebook that the old one is impersonating the business which is messy as I am sure that Facebook does not want to get involved in disputes regarding the admin position of this page.

If you have such a Facebook page now, make sure that it is linked to your account. Also, consider giving someone else your passwords just in case something happens to you, and so the business can still use its Facebook page. If you are reluctant for some reason to do this, consider setting up a “legacy contract” for that someone who will take over an account is for some reason you cannot.