There is a shift in the framework of how advertising is being conducted. The old mediums of print advertising, although still working just fine, are slowly being pushed aside for social marketing. Even advertising online may not be as effective as social exposure, considering that most people want control over their lives and what they see and hear.
People want to talk about things, share their experiences, thoughts, emotions and knowledge. The internet is the perfect place to do this. So a business that is able to work with that understanding will go far.
When it comes to creating a Facebook business page to join in that kind of conversation, you may still be wondering how can Facebook help mybusiness? To give you absolute clarity so you can take the next steps for your enterprise, let’s break this down.
1. The first step is to have a professional looking Facebook business page. It should match any pre-existing branding that you have. The cover image should be congruent to your local brand. That way you are instantly recognizable. Facebook, like all social networks, is about conversation. Why do people go onto such sites? because they want to find out what happened to that old friend. They want to reconnect with that person. They want to know what’s going on in the lives of their friends and family members, and they also want to network. It’s about bringing people closer together. I would venture to say that now days many people have a negative perception of large businesses, possibly viewing them as being out of touch and disconnected. A business owner that realizes this can be counteractive by being in touch and apart of the conversation and will have much better luck acquiring and keeping customers.
2. Facebook can help your business grow, because Facebook pages are designed to be grown. People can Like and share content across FB, and even Like specific pages on the social network. When this is done, every friend and family member in that person’s social circle can see what they Liked. In return, those friends and family members can Like your Facebook business page, and on it goes. Pretty soon it can have a positive, ripple effect and reach people that you would normally have a much harder time trying to access on your own.
3. The most important thing about having a business page for Facebook is that you maintain the conversation and interaction. You should share information that you know your customer base will appreciate and benefit from, whether it be your own or from another source. You should also make sure that you update your page with information from your website. This could be articles that are helpful, updates to your site, etc. The other great way to maximize your Facebook page is by letting people know about great deals, offers and events that your company is featuring.
Say your business was a local Pizza shop. You could do this by uploading images of your menu items, promote special events (Mother’s day, St. Patrick’s day, live entertainment, etc), upload printable coupons that they can bring into your restaurant, and a lot more great marketing ideas.
What happens is that you become helpful, approachable, friendly, fun to do business with and a household name, because you are letting people know that you are present. You gain trust and credibility, which may be the most important resources a business should has.
4. Another way Facebook can help your business is the fact that your page can get indexed (added to) in search engines and even be ranked on page 1. If you can manage to get it featured near the top for a certain keyword, such as “Columbus, Ohio laundromat”, then you can funnel in those leads, those leads can become potential customers, and then it’s up to you to keep them coming back for your great service.
The whole thing about internet marketing for small business is to get in front of people, show your passion, be helpful and let them know what you’re about.