To Facebook Your Business Or Not?
To Facebook or not, I’ve had that conversation over and over again the past few weeks. My answer is, it depends. If you’re a business that focuses on female consumers, the answer most definitely yes. Just since September, the number of women on Facebook has increased by over 165% (Pew Research study). And over 45% of all Facebook users are now over the age of 26. Kids are not happy that mom has taken over Facebook. No more beer bong photos from college. Women prefer talking to their friends on Facebook over sharing emails. So Facebook can be a great connection tool for you and the best part, it’s free. It just requires some time and thought.
Rule One: Facebook is a female conversation tool. But the key to that is it is a conversation. The focus of Facebook is people, not things. I recently got a friend request from a car dealership and not even one that I do business with. That is not really a great way to use Facebook. What I would suggest to businesses that want to connect to their customers is do it through your people. If I would have gotten a request from the salesman that I like, I would have said yes. So remember, Facebook is communication, keep it person to person.
Rule Two: A recent study by Participatory Marketing Network shows the top reasons people join a fan page are:
• Getting news or product updates (67%)
• Having access to promotions (64%)
• Viewing or downloading music or videos (41%)
• Submitting opinions (36%)
• Connecting with other fans (33%)
It’s all about new and exclusive content. They want to stay connected to you so give them a reason to check in.
Rule Three: Facebook is the new water cooler. People at work use Facebook as that little break-time fun. So make sure you are giving them something fun or useful. Funny comments, a useful or interesting web post, a fun video, funny photos, a way to win something from your business only on Facebook, stay engaging so your potential clients/customers connect with you.
Rule Four: Facebook is not just another place to repurpose your website material. But it is a great way to drive website traffic. In other words, don’t just copy and paste your website material onto your Facebook page. But, do use it as a way to announce new additions or points of interest on your webpage with a link. For example, one of my clients uses photos from their customers and posts them on their webpage. They take the most interesting photo and post it on their Facebook page with a like back to their website. Create some intrigue but don’t fill everyone’s page with things that people are not going to relate to. Less is better!
Rule Five: Get creative. The people who are on Facebook are active. A study by Netpop found the typical social network user addresses 110 people per week on average. Become part of that conversation. It is really easy to create apps, design fun Facebook events and start Notes about your city or things happening in your community. Facebook is interactive, it makes people feel connected. But you have to create things to get your customers to participate.
Facebook is just one more tool you can use to make your business part of your customers daily life. But it is not a form of advertising. Facebook is a connection tool so be very selective and careful about what you post. It is a great way to take the back door into your customers’ lives and let them know what you are doing that might interest them. Just make sure what you are posting is actually interesting and not the copy from your newspaper ad. The quickest path to being “de-friended” is to become a shameless promoter.
Remember, Contagious Marketing is giving people a reason to talk about you and recommend you. Think about how your content fills that need as you design your Facebook strategy. And if you need help, email me at dianehansell@mac.com, or better yet, Friend Me!
Copyright 2009 Contagious Connections/Radio One 2 One LLC. All rights reserved.
Rule One: Facebook is a female conversation tool. But the key to that is it is a conversation. The focus of Facebook is people, not things. I recently got a friend request from a car dealership and not even one that I do business with. That is not really a great way to use Facebook. What I would suggest to businesses that want to connect to their customers is do it through your people. If I would have gotten a request from the salesman that I like, I would have said yes. So remember, Facebook is communication, keep it person to person.
Rule Two: A recent study by Participatory Marketing Network shows the top reasons people join a fan page are:
• Getting news or product updates (67%)
• Having access to promotions (64%)
• Viewing or downloading music or videos (41%)
• Submitting opinions (36%)
• Connecting with other fans (33%)
It’s all about new and exclusive content. They want to stay connected to you so give them a reason to check in.
Rule Three: Facebook is the new water cooler. People at work use Facebook as that little break-time fun. So make sure you are giving them something fun or useful. Funny comments, a useful or interesting web post, a fun video, funny photos, a way to win something from your business only on Facebook, stay engaging so your potential clients/customers connect with you.
Rule Four: Facebook is not just another place to repurpose your website material. But it is a great way to drive website traffic. In other words, don’t just copy and paste your website material onto your Facebook page. But, do use it as a way to announce new additions or points of interest on your webpage with a link. For example, one of my clients uses photos from their customers and posts them on their webpage. They take the most interesting photo and post it on their Facebook page with a like back to their website. Create some intrigue but don’t fill everyone’s page with things that people are not going to relate to. Less is better!
Rule Five: Get creative. The people who are on Facebook are active. A study by Netpop found the typical social network user addresses 110 people per week on average. Become part of that conversation. It is really easy to create apps, design fun Facebook events and start Notes about your city or things happening in your community. Facebook is interactive, it makes people feel connected. But you have to create things to get your customers to participate.
Facebook is just one more tool you can use to make your business part of your customers daily life. But it is not a form of advertising. Facebook is a connection tool so be very selective and careful about what you post. It is a great way to take the back door into your customers’ lives and let them know what you are doing that might interest them. Just make sure what you are posting is actually interesting and not the copy from your newspaper ad. The quickest path to being “de-friended” is to become a shameless promoter.
Remember, Contagious Marketing is giving people a reason to talk about you and recommend you. Think about how your content fills that need as you design your Facebook strategy. And if you need help, email me at dianehansell@mac.com, or better yet, Friend Me!
Copyright 2009 Contagious Connections/Radio One 2 One LLC. All rights reserved.
Tags: business, facebook, linkedin, marketing, networking, small, social
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bonnie on -
Hi Diane,
I had resisted using Facebook because I thought it was for the 'kids'. But the more research that I do the more that I see it is evolving into a useful business tool. I appreciate the rules that you have outlined above. They will help me navigate the FaceBook scape.
Sincerely,
Bonnie
Polished Professional Image
Feel free to check out my profile and invite me as a friend
Be sure to visit online at www.polishedprofessionalimage.com
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Permalink Reply by Jubilee Jones on -
Great advice! Thank you Diane for putting this together :D
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Permalink Reply by Niche on -
I really think that getting ones business on social networking sites like facebook and twitter is a very important step. The power of social media cannot really be understood until you use it properly. The potential for new clients and website visitors is tremendous. In my experience, I wouldn't call facebook one more tool in your arsenal, It is a major must have tool
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Permalink Reply by Phyllis Klein on -
Thanks Diane. I set up a profile for my business (Goodheart & Associates, Inc.) as a second page or related page to my personal profile. I thought it was under the Public Profile section. The strange thing is I can't find it unless I go to a link from one of my friends. Any suggestions? I started using the page as a place to blog (under the "Boxes" heading, but that seems to be all I can find.
Partnering for your success,
Phyllis Klein
Certified Power Networking Facilitator and Coach
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Permalink Reply by Tamara Roe on -
Since I was into social networking before I joined Facebook, I already saw the value in the platform that Facebook has, both for personal use and for business use....
There are definitely do's and don't's with Facebook, but I definitely see Facebook being very beneficial for business. However, there are many business platforms. It's just a matter of preference as to which medium each person prefers.....
Thanks for sharing....
Tamara
Let's Get Growing
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