Making Facebook Work For Your Business

Making Facebook Work For Your Business:

800 million, 400 million of whom log on every day from almost every country on earth. Each one conveniently segmenting their profile into marketing gold – likes, dislikes, preferences, geography, demographics and personal statistics. Little wonder that Facebook instigated the dawn of a new marketing and business arena focused exclusively on social media, and how to use it.

The very nature of Facebook may seduce some businesses into thinking they simply can’t put a foot wrong, however they choose to utilise it. They’d be wrong. Every year, entrepreneurs fail to get out of the starting blocks by not following some simple guidelines. Don’t be one of them – our tips below will ensure your first foray into Facebook world is not the last, and instead you’ll attract fans, create a buzz and most importantly – sell.

1. Facebook ads. You might dream of your quirky video attracting a million ‘likes’ overnight for the price of a couple of minutes spent uploading it, but realistically it won’t happen. Most campaigns are backed by paid ads, and it’s good to remember that Facebook gives preferential rates to those who keep users on Facebook, rather than directing them off-site. So use Sponsored Stories rather than ads, which direct users to businesses’ Facebook pages, and have the added bonus of that word of mouth touch by being ‘recommended’ by a user’s friend.
2. Capture user leads. Facebook calls the shots on it’s pages, and one wrong move that they don’t like could result in your Facebook presence – and all your leads – gone in a flash. Whether it’s email sign-up tabs or signposting people to your website – you need a back up.
3. ‘Like gate’ your page. If users can see everything there is to see on your pages, why would they go to the trouble of liking it? What value do they get? Like gates address this by adding ‘fan only’ content to encourage likes – a video, a free e-book, what they see is up to you.
4. Quality engagement. It’s not the volume of what you post that’s important – it’s the quality and relevance. Be consistent – post something interesting and relevant at least once a day. Your fans and friends will come to rely on you for useful info – and be checking back when you’re launching that next big product.
5. Social plugins. It’s a two way conversation between your website and Facebook – or it should be. Don’t just rely on Facebook to drive traffic to your site; by integrating social plugins into your webpages you’ll get the benefit of a two-way flow of traffic. A like box – with photos of friends – and a like button to share content, as well as a comment plugin so they can post a Facebook comment instantaneously, will boost your chances of going viral.
6. Call them out. Don’t assume your fans will do what you want – tell them. If you want them to like something, or share something, say so. Trust us – it works.
7. Get competitive. Who doesn’t want the chance to win a top of the range iPad? It’s easy and quick to enter contest on Facebook, so make the most of the incentive to generate fans and buzz. A note of caution though – Facebook has strict guidelines on competitions. Don’t risk Point 2 happening!
8. Network. It’s not just about fans – it’s also about friends. Putting effort into networking and connecting with other entrepreneurs and businesses through Facebook can build reputations and create valuable new business. Always deliver value first though – a testimonial, a positive comment, a useful contact – and save the chit chat for conferences and seminars.

If you think we’ve missed anything off, let us know – and tell us your stories about how Facebook is working for your business.