Facebook is the largest and most prominent social networking platform in the world and is one of those things that small business owners simply can’t afford to ignore. The majority of consumers, both local and otherwise, are on Facebook and you should be too.
Why Facebook?
Facebook can help you reach out to your customers on a direct and personal level. Your content can be tailored directly to the people you’re trying to reach and your business activity and information has the potential to reach a practically unlimited amount of people. Facebook is also a great way to receive real-time feedback from actual customers and provides the opportunity for you to respond to these issues accordingly. Facebook makes it easy for consumers to search for your business and other people are more likely to want to use your business if they see that their friends are fans. The power of a personal connection goes a long way and with Facebook, those kinds of connections aren’t too difficult to make.
I’m nervous about setting up and maintaining a Facebook page…
There’s no reason to be intimidated by the process. Setting up a business page is a bit more complicated than setting up a personal page but Facebook will walk you through the steps and you’ll be up and running in a snap. Facebook provides numbers that makes it easy to gauge your page’s reach, and also provides several in-house tools for you to increase your exposure and build important connections. Remember, Facebook builds off of interactions and not necessarily just “likes.” The more engaged and responsive you are to your Facebook contacts, the more interaction and exposure you will receive. An active Facebook page also ensures that search engines will be able to find you and direct traffic your way online.
What Else Can I Use Facebook For?
Think of Facebook as a direct line to your customers and use it that way. Promote your business with relevant content and information, use it as a place to keep customers updated on your activities and any current specials or information that they should know. Facebook is a great place to run promotions and sync up with any other social media tools you might use (think Twitter, Instagram, etc.) as well, putting your marketing efforts into action.
It’s time to get on board with Facebook, so that consumers can get on board with you.
For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. And last of all, if any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!