CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – While Facebook is a powerful tool, it should never be your only marketing channel. Changes to algorithms, audience behavior, or platform policies can reduce your visibility overnight — so a balanced mix of digital, traditional, and community-based marketing protects your reach and keeps you connected to customers in multiple ways.

Here are 3 Tips for Understanding Your Facebook Business Page Data

Facebook’s built-in analytics — called Meta Business Insights — can give small business owners a clear view of what’s working and what’s not. The key is knowing what numbers actually matter. Here are three tips to make sense of the data:

1. Focus on Reach and Engagement Together

Reach tells you how many people saw your content, and engagement shows how many interacted with it (likes, comments, shares, clicks). Looking at both helps you understand if your content is not only being seen but also resonating.

Why it matters: High reach but low engagement may mean your posts aren’t compelling enough, while high engagement with low reach could mean you need to post more often or boost posts strategically.

2. Track Post Types and Timing

Facebook Insights let you see which types of posts — photos, videos, links — perform best, and what times of day get the most activity.

Why it matters: Posting the right type of content at the right time maximizes visibility without extra cost. For example, if short videos get the most clicks, shift more content toward video.

3. Monitor Page Actions, Not Just Likes

It’s tempting to focus on “likes” and followers, but actions like clicks to your website, calls from the page, or directions requested tell you more about real customer intent.

Why it matters: These actions connect directly to sales opportunities, giving you a clearer picture of how Facebook is driving business results — not just brand awareness.

Bottom line: By focusing on the metrics that show reach, resonance, and real action — and by using Facebook as part of a broader marketing plan — small businesses can make smarter, more sustainable decisions without getting lost in the numbers.

For further details or help on your marketing and social media plan, contact a media advisor at Illini Media Group.