With all of the social and digital media tools available today, wading through the options is daunting enough personally, much less for business purposes. But these tools not only provide a great way for people to connect with current and long-lost friends, relatives and former classmates, but also for businesses to connect with a variety of audiences, including customers, investors and employees.
If you’re looking for new ways for marketing to employees, customers and other groups Facebook may be a great tool for your business. As one of today’s most popular social networking tools with 175 million active members, Facebook offers businesses the opportunity to set up a no-cost fan page that can quickly engage their specific target audiences.
Be aware, though, that as with any social networking tool, Facebook requires attention, upkeep and ongoing networking just as with any successful professional relationship. It’s important to keep in mind, too, that Facebook is not a venue to sell more widgets, but an opportunity to join the conversation and engage with fellow networkers about your company and industry for feedback and insight. Listening is just as important as participating.
In addition to offering access to millions of members, the great news is that setting up a Facebook page can be very simple and allow other Facebook members to become fans of your page. Once they are fans, your company name and logo will appear on their Facebook pages. Companies that have jumped into the mix by developing Facebook fan pages include Southwest Airlines, Ernst & Young, the Travelocity Eco-Bunnies, Harley-Davidson, Reebok, W Hotels Worldwide and Jeep.
Following are some quick tips for setting up and maximizing a page for your business.
- Determine a name and category for your page. Whether you want it to be the actual name of your company, or something that represents your company, choose your page name as well as your category carefully as they will be permanent and the goal is to attract fans who are truly passionate about your business and its industry.
- Add photos and video. Adding colorful photos or graphics can greatly enhance your Facebook page and show your business’ true personality. Your company logo, photos from company outings, of customers, your company in action or videos of your latest products are just a few examples of the content that can easily be added. Giving your fans a sneak peek into your business adds excitement and offers them a flavor of who you truly are.
- Add company-specific information. Make sure to add links, whether to your Web site, product pages or other social media tools such as your company blog, Twitter feed or YouTube videos. It’s important to also add basic information such as your company address and phone number so that people know where you’re located and how to easily contact you outside of Facebook. Also, are you a travel company that offers great deals or a retailer introducing a new product line? Be sure to include information that lets your fans know what you’re up to.
- Explore the applications. Facebook offers tens of thousands of applications that can enhance your fan page, and it also offers the opportunity to create applications that reflect your company, creating the opportunity to further spread across Facebook users’ pages. Whether you’d like to develop a poll, offer the ability to make reservations or enable maps to your company locations, adding applications improves your page and engages your fans.
- Keep updating. It’s important to remember that your Facebook page is a living document. Adding new content such as upcoming events, a contest, new photos and new product offerings gives fans a reason to return to your page, share your information with fellow Facebook users and add their own posts. It’s also a great way to attract new fans. Build brand advocates by allowing fans to add their own content and continue to engage your fans on a regular basis. Let your fans know that there are real people behind the page ready to talk and listen.
Once you’ve conquered the tasks of creating your Facebook page and committing to regular engagement, Facebook offers a variety of other business tools you may want to explore to further enhance your company’s social networking experience. Businesses can develop and optimize advertising opportunities while utilizing Lexicon graphs to effectively track Facebook user trends. Draw Facebook members back to your Web site through a sharing capability that allows your content to be easily linked back to Facebook, and the recently launched Facebook Connect platform allows users to directly connect their accounts and information to your Web site.
Developing a Facebook fan page is only the first step in what can become a multi-functional tool for marketing your business to build buzz, gain brand advocates and help meet your business goals.
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