Reaching Learners on Facebook

Facebook can be a really great, cost-effective way to reach new learners in your area. Setting up a page for your CALP can be a fast and easy way to do community outreach. Once you have a Facebook page, be sure to keep it active! Make sure your posts are up to date. 

What you need to know to set up a Facebook Page:

1. Creating a Facebook "Page" is not the same as a personal profile page. Here is a very simple guide to help you set up a Facebook "Page" for your CALP.
2. Create meaningful posts. Here is a guide to help you create content that matters.
3. Target your audience. If you're offering something new and want to reach new community members, check out this post on the value of boosting your posts and targeting your audience.
4. Did you know that you can target people in your small town specifically on Facebook? Here is a guide on how to advertise on Facebook. 

Facebook Cover Photo

Once you get your Facebook Page set up, it's really helpful to have an attractive Facebook Cover Photo. It can be anything from a nice picture you snapped with your phone, to something more elaborate designed by a graphic designer on Etsy. Or, you can download this handy sample cover photo we designed for you, with the exact specs to fit perfectly on your Facebook Page. Right click the image and select "Save image as" to download the cover.

Sample Facebook Posts

Facebook posts tend to do best when they include a picture. Most CALP staff do not have Photoshop but that doesn't mean you can't have the same beautiful posts you see all over the internet. Fotojet is a free Facebook post maker. Its easy templates make creating a post as fast as 1-2-3. They even have preloaded stock photos for you to use, and all you need to do to in order remove their logo from your posts is sign up for free using a Facebook account. Below are some sample posts created with this tool.

• Before you set up a Facebook Page, plan out and create 1 – 3 months’ worth of content (posts about upcoming courses, literacy tips, stats, links to other learning opportunities, etc).
  
  
• Designate a staff member/volunteer who is responsible for regular updates (at least weekly).
  
  
• If you don't have someone dedicated to the role of managing your Facebook Page, it's easy to "schedule" your posts in advance. You can even enter all the posts you'd like to put up for a whole month or more, all at once. Check out how to schedule posts.
  
  
• If you ever need to temporarily "deactivate" your Facebook Page, you can make it invisible without taking it down permanently. Here's how.