With it’s constantly changing nature and detailed reporting functionality Facebook has become one of the best corporate tools for you to engage with your clients and prospects.
But doesn’t that go against your belief that Facebook is just for photos of friends?
You don’t have to be a megabrand to make use of this incredible platform – everyone can.
But many businesses are still asking “What is Facebook” and “How can I use Facebook for marketing”?
1 in 8 minutes spent online is spent on Facebook, couple that with 900 million active subscribers and you have a site which simply cannot be ignored. Add to this that fact that it’s free and there really is no excuse not to be making use of this opportunity.
With features such as check-in, sponsored stories, polls and apps Facebook has now reached the point where it’s like an internet in its own right and if you’re not there you may be handing a great opportunity to your competitors.
For many businesses Facebook seems to be thought of as a no-go-area because of the horror stories of people losing their jobs and the like. But the reality is that people don’t just go to Facebook for a quick look around they go and stay…and stay…and stay. And because they are comfortable on Facebook they are quite open to listening to your message.
So, if you haven’t already got a corporate page, put aside your own feelings about Facebook and give it a try.
Business benefit: If you drive people to your website, after they’ve looked around they leave. When/if they come back is entirely within their control. You have basically given away the control of your sales process to your prospect. Now contrast that with what happens on Facebook. You encourage them to ‘like’ your page by placing some valuable content in the ‘friends only’ area which is only visible to the visitor once they’ve ‘liked’ your page. From then on you can engage them at your pace. Every time you post something on your wall it will show-up on their timeline. You have retained control of the rhythm of the conversation. This will enable you to be significantly more proactive and structured in how you turn prospects in to clients.
Being clever: Give people something to talk about. On Facebook the average person has 130 friends. If you have 130 likes and you can get each of them to comment on your post/check-in (or interact in any other way) you will be exposed to 16,00 people…for free!
Most common mistake: Thinking that your fans care as much about your business as you do. They don’t! Make sure EVERYTHING that you post adds value to them and rewards them for taking the time to read it.
Top tip: Start now with a business page, upload some content to is and invite all of your friends, colleges, and family to come and “like” it straight away.
As a social media consultant and a social media trainer Facebook is one of the key platforms I work with as a tool for my clients and delegates to market themselves to find out how Facebook may be able to help your business, please visit my contact page and get in touch or to visit my Facebook page, click here.
I’m passionate about the world of social media, what it can do for business and mankind. I work with companies to help them understand what Social Media is and how they can harness its power to have more and better relationships with their prospects and customers. I help my clients integrate social media with their existing marketing and ensure that they get the best possible return on their investment. I work across East Anglia and the South East of England with clients in Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire and London.