Social networking sites have become some of the most influential online sources for world events, politics, products, organizations, artists and more. And, of all the available social networking sites, Facebook is arguably the most ubiquitous social networking site in the world, influencing and facilitating millions of decisions about service providers and product purchases. And now both B2B and B2C businesses are finding creative ways to leverage the authority, trust and persuasiveness inherent in this important platform.
Marketing on Facebook has a viral effect - information spreads through networks exponentially. So, the primary goal of creating a Facebook page, or any other social networking profile, is to develop a community through interaction with current customers as well as prospective customers. And, building your fan base is the first step. You can start by connecting with friends, family and current clients or business associates and inviting them to be fans of your company's Facebook page. When a Facebook user becomes a fan of your business, their friends on Facebook (some of which are likely potential customers) will see a message in their home page and have the opportunity to become a fan of your page as well. Here are a few tips:
a. Encourage visitors to "Like" your page
b. Partner with other brands or organizations to spread the word
c. Expand the reach of your brands through ads
d. Use social plug-ins on your website
e. Encourage physical check-ins at your business location
1. Create a Dialogue. Creating compelling content and interactions on your Facebook page is the best way to entice Facebook users to become a fan of your page. The goal should be to turn away from the typical monologue of mainstream marketing and turn towards creating a dialogue with customers. Once your Facebook page begins to develop a following, it is crucial to continually update it with new events and news to continue to build your fan base and keep current fans interested and engaged. In fact, consider creating a content calendar that strategically schedules messages and allows you to regularly updates your fans with information about product launches, upcoming events, seasonal specials and more. Find the right rhythm for the content updates and consider special weekly features found only on Facebook. Here are a few best practices:
a. Keep it human
b. Be timely and relevant
c. Share new and exclusive content
d. Encourage fan participation
e. Reward your fans
f. Schedule time for Facebook daily
2. Offer Special Deals. Another way to encourage participation is to offer special promotions available only to fans of your Facebook page. You can send a message to all of the fans of your page with a special promo code for a freebie or invitation to an exclusive event. Then, use the Wall or Notes section to publicize the winner of the promotion. Consider posting daily deals - that are available only on Facebook - in your store. Or post special, exclusive offers on Facebook that have to be redeemed by visiting your store location.
3. Acquire New Fans. Once you've built your baseline network on Facebook, consider investing in Facebook ads. Remember, Facebook has the global scale of television, the precision of direct marketing and the intimacy of word of mouth marketing. So, consider using ads to help spread the word about your business to the friends of your current fans. There are four basic ad formats - basic ads, application ads, Like ads, and event ads. The last three include a social context allowing you to track and measure all the friends that have connected to your business.
The most successful business pages (if you measure success by the number of fans and level of interaction) are those that foster and encourage customer comments and reply to those comments sincerely whether they are positive or negative. So, don't be afraid to go out and join the community, interact with your customers, and most importantly, listen to what they are saying about you, your organization, and your competitors.
Good luck!