Tips for Using Business Facebook Pages

Here are a few useful tips for business owners looking to effectively use Facebook (FB).

Every business seems to want a Facebook page. Creating a page is easy, using one effectively to promote your business takes a bit of effort.

Know your Destination

Before you start using your FB page, understand what your goal is:

• Do you want to increase sales?
• Should it promote your business?
• Will it be a vehicle to reinforce your existing customer relationships?

Those three goals cold be rewritten as

• Marketing - Do you want to increase sales?
• Advertising - Should it promote your business?
• Customer Relations - Will it be a vehicle to reinforce your existing customer relationships?

You might be asking what is the difference between Marketing and Advertising - if so check out this web page:  Marketing vs. Advertising, it has an explanation which I like.

Marketing: Getting People To Spend Money

If your goal is to use your Facebook page to increase sales, and that is the singular measure that you are going to use, I must warn you that you will be disappointed. Having a Facebook page in and of itself will not increase sales.

Facebook Excels at Advertising and Customer Relations

You can use Facebook to promote your business or increase your clients' engagement with your business. But to do this, you need relevant content for existing potential clients.

How Do You Find Content?
If your company doesn't create content on  regular basis, I would suggest that you start with Google Alerts. You can create alerts related to your customer's interests. When you run across an interesting article post a description and link to that page.

Does your group or organization put up content (video, blogs, music...) regularly? Use FB to tell people where to find this content.

Offer short book reviews on related topics - and links to the books or complete reviews on your blog.

Even if you are note creating content, eventually you are going to find the desire to create content - blogs, articles or new content for your website. When you do, make sure to use your FB page to help promote this new content.  

An Example That Works
Mentor ATA has a facebook page that does a good job interacting with their current clients. (My son just started their Taekwondo kids program in May, 2010.)

They put content that interests their base.

• Updates (including video) about their participation to the World Championships.
• Information about upcoming tournaments.
• Dates for Belt Testing
• Summer Camp Registration.

Mentor ATA also posts articles that might be of interest to a wider audience, but still fits in with their business.

• Information about bullying.
• Links to "Stranger Danger" videos.
• Video links for Noah Ringer "Last Airbender", who is an ATA student.

Promote Your Facebook Page

Many people feel that since FB is social media they don't need to promote it. Their fan base (should it now be called likes) will grow on its own as word spreads. While this is true, to a limited extent, you can boost your page's fan base by promoting it on your website, twitter account or other places were you come in contact with the public.

Not Just Coupons

Don't rely on coupons, they are not social media. Unless you are offering a fantastic deal, you are not likely to get anymore traffic or increase in fans.

The exception to this rule is if your business is driven by huge discount sales. If people shop at your business because they expect huge discounts, then Facebook can be a great place to offer extra discounts to your loyal customers.

Facebook Is a Tool
Remember FB is a tool, not a strategy. Keep in mind what you want to accomplish with  your page and as always remember your audience.

Next week I'll talk about other ways to use FB to promote your business or interact with customers.