It boils down to this. Facebook is all the rage now, a social networking site that has grown so fast over the past year (over the past few months!) that it has beat MySpace as the world’s number one social network. There are currently about 130 million active users, a number that is still growing at a staggering rate. If you want to grow your business, the opportunities to promote yourself and your products or services are extensive. It is definitely the kind of marketing tool you should have under your belt. However, like similar social networking sites, it takes time and effort to master all of the features, applications, and marketing possibilities that Facebook offers. |
Here are some very useful tips that will help you exploit the potential Facebook offers to reach new customers, promote your business, and drive traffic to your website.
Put Together a Killer Profile Page
Create a profile page that will look attractive to your customers or business contacts. It doesn’t necessarily have to be professionally designed, but simple and effective. You should provide enough information to peak the interest of your target market and your profile page should be created with this goal in mind.
Add Your Business Contacts
Many business owners, professionals, and entrepreneurs already have a Facebook account. Invite your business contacts and customers to add you as their “friend” and invite those who do not have an account yet to get their own. This way, you can build a Facebook community around your business.
Start a Group
Another great way to create a Facebook network around your company. Use the site’s Groups feature to network with your business contacts. This feature also allows you to reach your target market as you join existing groups or create one just for your business.
Buy Ad Space
This requires a small investment, but it is still a lot more affordable than traditional advertising methods. Facebook provides you with the tools to create your ad and target it to a specific age group, gender, and location. It even gives you the choice to pay per click (CPC) or impression (CPM). Finally, you have the ability to track your ad’s performance.
Post in Facebook Marketplace
You can promote and sell your products in the Facebook Marketplace for free.
Promote Your Blog
If you have a personal company or business blog, you can easily import it into your Facebook notes. Each of your blog postings will then appear in your news feed and that of your contacts. A fantastic way to keep your business contacts up to date with your blog.
Advertise an Event
Facebook has developed a free application called Facebook Events, which allows you to promote meetings, conferences, marketing event you may be hosting, product launches, and your company’s achievements.
Now you have some great tools to get started. As you get used to Facebook, explore all of its applications, add-ons, and possibilities; exploit its potential to the fullest and take your business to the next level. Some of our clients get about 1,000 visitors from Facebook every month using these techniques and you can achieve the same results.