Facebook Marketing

Have you started YOUR Facebook account?
Managed to get YOUR business Facebook page?
Unsure of what you need to do?

Facebook is one of the most powerful forms of (free) advertising today. In order to ensure benefits, you need to consider following tips to finally get some results from your Facebook page:

Link Your Facebook to Your Website � Always have a Facebook link on your business web page. Make sure all of the social media plug-ins are installed and are highly visible on your website. This lets your website visitors know that you are in fact active on Facebook and gives them an easy way to access your page. It�s also a good idea to offer your website visitors an incentive to go �Like� your Facebook page.

Spread the Word about Your Page � Simply put, the best way to gain more local followers is to let everyone know that your business is on Facebook. You can do this in a variety of ways, such as including a link to your Facebook page in your email signatures, sharing the link on your printed marketing materials, and if you have a storefront, using in-store signs to let your customers know that you are on Facebook. Always encourage people to �Like� your page when promoting it.

Share More than Information about Your Business � Remember that Facebook is a social media site where people go to be social and entertained. This means that not every post on your page should be sales pitch or even about your business itself at all. Consider sharing a great tutorial video you may have found or a news article about a topic you care about. Show them that you are a real person and not just a robot posting in hope of gaining sales. Simply put be yourself.

Make Sure You Have a Custom URL � Facebook allows you to have a custom URL for your business page. You can set this to whatever you want but make sure that you do so because it will be a lot easier for people to find you instead of using the default URL. Generally speaking, the default URL contains a long string of numbers and is not very easy to remember at all.

Take the Time to Respond to Everyone � Social media is much like building a relationship; it takes time, and more importantly, it takes interacting with each and every person who responds to any posts that you make. This is where local businesses can really make a difference on social media platforms. By answering individual questions from your followers, you create an opportunity to bond with them. This, in turn, makes them feel appreciated will go a long way into creating long-lasting, loyal customers.

Be Consistent with Your Postings � No one wants to visit a blank Facebook page or a page that only posts once in a blue moon. Come up with a marketing strategy that will focus around you providing fresh content on a consistent basis. There are no set times or rules to follow for posting because every business is a little different. Just be sure that you create a regular schedule and stick with it. This will help to keep your followers updated and entertained, which will ultimately lead to more sales.

Keep Your Page Fun and Informative � Social media is a whole different ballgame than other forms of marketing. So when it comes to posting, think about what your target audience would enjoy reading about and use that as your posts. Keep in mind that not every post should be a sales pitch as your followers could become annoyed and stop following you. Create posts that spark conversations and encourage them to jump in. Consider using polls or surveys or simply asking questions as means to get your audience involved.

Use Facebook as a Way to Show Customer Appreciation � Facebook is a wonderful outlet to let your customers know just how much you appreciate them. After all, you would not be in business without your customers, so why not show them some love. There are many ways to do this on Facebook including simply thanking them, running specials for Facebook fans only, or invite them to tell you their ideas about how to make your products or services better. Listen to them and let them know that you really do appreciate them.

Use Facebook Apps � Facebook has many different built-in applications that can help to increase your online presence and help you generate new fans on Facebook. You can promote events, run contests, conduct polls, upload and record videos and much more. Take the time to learn a little bit about these apps, experiment with them, and see which ones are right for your business. The more creative your page is, the more you will stand out from the crowd. Use these applications to your advantage.

Offer Special Content � Give your Facebook fans something unique and different from what they can already find on your website. This can be special discounts, news articles about your business, employee recognition or anything that you feel is relevant to your business. These measures will give them a personal �connection� to your business and keep them coming back for more. If you post the same information they can find on your website along with the rest of the world, they may not keep checking back as often.