Why your business should have a Facebook page
Lesson 1 of 7 of our small business guide to Facebook
Using Facebook for business
Facebook is a great platform to help people stay in touch with their friends and family, but it can also be a fantastic marketing tool for businesses.
These days, more and more companies are creating Facebook pages to help them connect with existing and prospective customers.
Facebook doesn’t have to be all about the hard sell, though. After all, who wants to see constant, pushy updates from a company trying to force products on you when you’re simply browsing Facebook for photos of last night’s party?
Businesses should aim to offer their Facebook fans something of value. Useful content, exclusive discounts and (perhaps most importantly) a window into your company all help build affinity for your brand. If fans trust and like your content, they are much more likely to share that amazing special offer when you post it!
With so many active users, Facebook can be a great forum for word-of-mouth marketing, and there is no stronger recommendation than one from a trusted friend.
Facebook is a fantastic platform for allowing businesses to reach out and gain value from their fans, too. By asking fans on Facebook how they think your business could improve your products and services, you can receive extremely valuable feedback.
Engaging with your community on Facebook rather than pushing a one-way conversation to your fans will offer you the best results.
By using tools such as Facebook Insights (more on that later), you can start to build a picture of your Facebook fan base and customer demographic. You can get data on where your fans are from, their ages, when they are online, and what content they like the most.
Building a successful Facebook page is not a walk in the park. You need to dedicate a lot of time and effort to your page, but the rewards are there and your fans will appreciate your efforts.