Utilizing Facebook as a Small Business

In my opinion, small businesses really have the opportunity to take off on Facebook. It appears that more and more people are beginning to “like” their favorite local restaurant or hang out spot to receive updates on events and coupons. However, most small businesses believe they don’t have the right content or tools to generate enough followers on their fan page. This is where RESEARCH would come into play. With any type of tool or industry, it is always best to research what kinds of promotions you are able to do and how you can utilize Facebook to your advantage. You can find this type of info anywhere on the Internet. Facebook even offers tutorials and helpful tips on their website as well.

One time I was eating at a favorite restaurant with my friends and they asked us to “like” their Facebook page to be eligible to win a $150 coupon. We all “liked” their page later, but then the restaurant never put out any interesting content or promotions after the coupon winners were announced. This is a common mistake that many small business make on Facebook.

An important concept to remember when being a small business is to give your audience a unique reason to visit your Facebook fan page. This may include certain types of promotions that require your audience to leave a status comment to be eligible to win. It is engaging and their friends can see that they posted as well.

KEEP THEM COMING BACK!

Check out the article below by Ashley Butler on Friend2Customer, to learn more tips to help your small business become social media savvy.

Have a question? Leave a comment!

Facebook’s New and Improved Small Business Site

Facebook has completed renovations on its Facebook for Business website with the intention of helping small businesses grow their influence on the social networking site. The changes are geared to encourage small to midsized businesses to advertise on Facebook, but even if you’re not purchasing ads there are still a lot of useful tips and tutorials. It’s a good resource for information on current product launches, advertiser best practice guides, and success stories.

Below are some quick tips for small businesses provided by Facebook:

• Mix up the content on your page with photos and videos. Facebook research shows that photos and videos are also more likely to be shared, commented on, and liked.

• Be sure to fill out your business hours on your page. When you do this, people can more easily see when you’re open (there’s a green dot on your page when you’re open).

• Find ways to make sure you know people are coming to your business because they found you on Facebook: whisper codes, unique Facebook links to your website, friend referrals, exclusive Facebook discounts. Also, put your Facebook URL on more of your in-store materials – receipts, napkins, brochures, etc. — to increase fanning of your page.

• Use page insights – it’s free, and it’s instant market research on who your fans are and what type of posts are resonating with them the most, so you know how to keep them interested.

• Promoted posts are also an easy way for businesses to turn their page posts into ads without leaving the page. Ads can reach more of a business’ fan base, plus friends of those fans, to increase awareness.