MERA guest editiorial
Facebook Basics to Grow Your Business
D
espite what you might have heard, Facebook isn’t going anywhere, and neither are its millions of users. I know what you’re thinking – are all of those
people actually doing anything on it? The answer is a resounding yes. Every 20 minutes 1 million links are shared, 2.7 million photos are uploaded and 10.2 million comments are posted. In total, more than 30 billion pieces of content (news stories, photographs, videos, events) are shared on Facebook each month. Plus, with over 70 percent of all Internet users in
SUZANNE MARTIN CMO, REVENEW
the U.S. on Facebook, there’s a very good chance that your customers are on Facebook as well. If you’re not already, it’s probably time you started to put a little bit more time and energy into your Facebook marketing efforts. If you don’t already have a Facebook account for your busi- ness, don’t worry; it’s easy to get started. To set up your business page, log into your personal Facebook page, go to facebook. com/pages/create and select the appropriate category for your business. Be sure to fill out as much information as possible, including your company’s website, logo, other social media pro- files, address and telephone number. Once the page is built and filled with all of the basics, you’ll need to add some followers so your posts reach people. Get people to “like” your page by posting the link to your new Face- book page on your website and other social media profiles that you may have. You may also want to add a link to your page in your email signature or even send an email out to your customers and business partners letting them know about your new Face- book page and what types of information they can find there. Now that you have a Facebook page and some followers, it’s time to start building your brand’s digital presence and driving sales. To do this, you need to keep your fans interested by shar- ing great content. Post news, pictures of your store and staff, videos, special offers
and even special holiday hours on your page to keep customers informed about what’s going on with your business. Drive sales by sharing pictures and information about your products to entice people to come into your shop and purchase. If your business has a blog, be sure to post your blog articles on your page. Facebook is also a great place to show off the human side of your business. Share employee accomplishments and
58 Mobile Electronics August 2014
anniversaries, post pictures from the latest company outing or charity event you took part in. These posts are highly engaging and help your fans to view your company as more than just a business. The opportunities for content to post on your page are endless. It’s important to think about what your fans are interested in and post content that they would like to read or engage with. While there isn’t a golden rule about what to post, images draw atten- tion to your posts so that your content is less likely to get lost in your followers news feed, so when pos- sible, include an image with the content you share. In addition to sharing your own content, it is equally important to ‘like’ and share others’ posts as
well. A simple place to start is to share interesting articles from news outlets and trade publications. Whether it is a new product video from one of your brands or a photo from last month’s big conference, take the time to make a comment on others’ post and engage with them. Doing this will not only build relationships, but will also increase your company’s presence as well. Other than the sheer size and popularity, one of the greatest
advantages Facebook has over other marketing channels is that it is completely free to have a business page. That means you can reach and engage with your customers, promote your business and drive sales for free. And who doesn’t love free marketing? If you need another reason to spend some time nurturing your
Facebook Page, consider this: All content posted on your page gets indexed on Google, making Facebook a great way to get your business found on the number one place people search online. Facebook also easily integrates with other social media plat- forms like Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and even Vine. Cross promoting will drive more eyes to your other social media pro- files, and more traffic for your business. If you are willing to spend a little money, Facebook ads can be a great way to reach more people. You can run Facebook ads to gain followers, build awareness, promote products, drive sales and more. Best of all, ads can be highly targeted at your target market based on demo- graphic information, location, member behaviors and interests. You can even create ads that are targeted at your customers and prospect list! If you don’t already have a Facebook page for your business, don’t wait. The most important thing to do is just be active and engaging and you’re sure to see the benefits.
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