Facebook offers exceptional, low cost marketing opportunities for small business. Facebook now has over 300 million users, and while that seems like an outrageous number for small businesses to be targeting, Facebook offers a very powerful platform on which to build a presence. If you’re not already active on Facebook; you should get started right away. Basic Strategy: If you haven’t signed up for Facebook yet, you absolutely should as soon as possible. Once you’ve signed up, you should also consider securing your company’s username. Be aware, however, that if you reserve your company name for your personal account, you won’t be able to use it for your Business Fan Page (more on those in the Advanced Strategy), so you may want to create a Page before registering your company’s name. Fan Pages have special rules regarding usernames, which you can read here. You should do one other thing: search for your competitors and evaluate their Facebook presence. What types of Pages have they built? How many fans or “friends” do they have? Spend 15 minutes (per competitor) looking at their posts, photos and/or videos to understand how they’re using Facebook. Advanced Strategy: You may already have a personal Facebook account, but how do you extend that presence for your business? You have several options. You can register a Business Account – which is designed for a very simple presence on Facebook. There are many limitations on such accounts, however, so you’ll most likely prefer to have a Business Fan Page. A Business Fan Page lets you create a page where customers or fans of your business can register as a “fan” — expanding the presence of your business (because your updates will also flow to their pages). You might also want to consider running hyper-local ads on Facebook. Writer, Herbert Rafael, is the Founder and Managing Director of WardrobeTrendsFashion.com (WTF) - Singapore Fashion & Lifestyle Online Magazine. This post was edited to remove a link. Please review our Community Best Practices for more information about how best to participate in our online discussions. Thank you. Please note that Community members may include only one (1) link in their signature line. Any additional links to websites, social network profiles, or email addresses will be removed.
All these comments are great. While a proper, easily navigable website for
your company is imperative, a regularly updated Facebook page and Twitter
page will compliment your site so well. It gives you the opportunity to get
noticed across so many platforms. Most consumers also prefer to read comments
about your site/business from other consumers who have used your business.
This is a huge outlet to tap into, since it is so easy to communicate with
your customers via Facebook, your customer service credibility can sky
rocket. Pinterest is another great platform to tap into, as long as it fits
your business. As one of the fastest growing social media platforms, it's a
great place to gain loyal followers.
mikeponline | Window Shopper |
6/26/2012 - 3:21 am
Facebook / Twitter these days is a must, but ONLY when used properly - make
sure what/howmuch you're sending out won't make people hit the ignore /
unfriend / unfollow etc button.
It seems to me that with the rise of free-to-play games on platforms like
Facebook, and with the micro-transactions that come with it, this is where
the money really is, and what tends to draw the most people in, with the
addictive reward system. Advertisements around those areas would likely have
the most chance for being noticed, due to the nature of those games not
absorbing the users full attention but still keeping them on the page.
Facebook is a great way to advertise, but beware, even though you may
generate many hits, consumer interest seems much harder to attract as people
are constantly doing many things and paying attention to too many things to
focus on the ads there.
Facebook is The social network, but so far, it seemed to only have paid off
for gaming and/or impulse buy business models. We'll see if and how that
changes now that they're a public company.
Flower Your Business Power | Window Shopper |
5/29/2012 - 9:45 am
I have a saying about Facebook and Social Media in general.
"Social media is like a magnifying glass. Whatever you do, good or bad, you
get it times 10"
This simply means, Facebook Marketing can only be beneficial if run with a
strategy in mind from a competent team, in-house or outsourced.
It's interesting to read all the comments about GM. Personally, I don't think
it says anything negative about a platform if a car company can't market
there. They've been throwing money away at Super Bowl ads for decades and
none of us are about to say that tv ads don't work.
Ok, that being said Facebook is about the long term. Get people to become
fans of your page and over time you can turn them into customers. It's a
process and doesn't happen over night and reminds me more of email marketing
than it does of SEO or PPC or anything else online.
The real question is what type of content are you creating which would lead a
potential customer to care about you or your brand? Looking at GM's page,
there isn't anything there unique to FB.
thepublicityguy | Window Shopper |
5/21/2012 - 9:20 am
Ditto on onedesk, selvam and clevertim's comments. Also, while Facebook does
have a huge membership base, it's worth noting that your businesses can
target as hyper local as they want and also reach the right people by
identifying the interests (likes) of their target. If you're going to spend
money in online advertising, yes Google AdWords is an option, but Facebook is
another and a good one at that.
I work at Porter Novelli and also specialize in small business media
relations. Learn more about me on my personal home page,
http://kylerosenbaum.com, or find me on Twitter: @thepublicityguy.
LParker | Window Shopper | 6/26/2012 - 10:46 am
your company is imperative, a regularly updated Facebook page and Twitter
page will compliment your site so well. It gives you the opportunity to get
noticed across so many platforms. Most consumers also prefer to read comments
about your site/business from other consumers who have used your business.
This is a huge outlet to tap into, since it is so easy to communicate with
your customers via Facebook, your customer service credibility can sky
rocket. Pinterest is another great platform to tap into, as long as it fits
your business. As one of the fastest growing social media platforms, it's a
great place to gain loyal followers.
mikeponline | Window Shopper | 6/26/2012 - 3:21 am
sure what/howmuch you're sending out won't make people hit the ignore /
unfriend / unfollow etc button.
mohamedrafeekj | Window Shopper | 6/21/2012 - 3:07 am
Put Together a Killer Profile Page
Add Your Business Contacts
Start a Group
Buy Ad Space
Buy Ad Space
Promote Your Blog
Advertise an Event
Just follow the tips, it may be very much helpful for your business through
Facebook.
angelmiami | Window Shopper | 6/11/2012 - 7:42 pm
is still a MUST.
scraigw | Window Shopper | 6/9/2012 - 10:50 am
Facebook, and with the micro-transactions that come with it, this is where
the money really is, and what tends to draw the most people in, with the
addictive reward system. Advertisements around those areas would likely have
the most chance for being noticed, due to the nature of those games not
absorbing the users full attention but still keeping them on the page.
captainmo37 | Window Shopper | 6/2/2012 - 7:47 pm
generate many hits, consumer interest seems much harder to attract as people
are constantly doing many things and paying attention to too many things to
focus on the ads there.
mikesperanza | Window Shopper | 5/30/2012 - 5:21 pm
for gaming and/or impulse buy business models. We'll see if and how that
changes now that they're a public company.
Flower Your Business Power | Window Shopper | 5/29/2012 - 9:45 am
"Social media is like a magnifying glass. Whatever you do, good or bad, you
get it times 10"
This simply means, Facebook Marketing can only be beneficial if run with a
strategy in mind from a competent team, in-house or outsourced.
MarkAse | Contributor | 5/25/2012 - 1:55 pm
it says anything negative about a platform if a car company can't market
there. They've been throwing money away at Super Bowl ads for decades and
none of us are about to say that tv ads don't work.
Ok, that being said Facebook is about the long term. Get people to become
fans of your page and over time you can turn them into customers. It's a
process and doesn't happen over night and reminds me more of email marketing
than it does of SEO or PPC or anything else online.
The real question is what type of content are you creating which would lead a
potential customer to care about you or your brand? Looking at GM's page,
there isn't anything there unique to FB.
thepublicityguy | Window Shopper | 5/21/2012 - 9:20 am
have a huge membership base, it's worth noting that your businesses can
target as hyper local as they want and also reach the right people by
identifying the interests (likes) of their target. If you're going to spend
money in online advertising, yes Google AdWords is an option, but Facebook is
another and a good one at that.
Join The Discussion
You must be logged in to join the discussion. If you already have an SBA Community account, Log In to join the discussion.
New users, Register for a new account and join the conversation today!