Last week I created a blog post beginner’s tutorial for Twitter along with a short summary of why I believe it can be used as an excellent marketing tool for business looking to connect further with their customers.   Surprisingly, I feel the same way about Facebook, and here’s why:

Why Facebook?

As consumers, we have become a very visual audience.  Advancements in digital technology that are simple and accessible for almost everyone have made it important to participate to ensure your business is seen as an ever-evolving credible competitor in your industry.  Whether you’re part of a business-to-consumer (B2C), a business-to-business firm (B2B), selling products, selling services or what have you, being present and available on social media platforms is important to maintain your image.

At the same time, this technology has also made us crave personal connections with brands.  We live in an age that customers can converse directly with the CEOs of some of the world’s largest companies via social media.  This cutting-edge personal touch has raised the bar.

Think about the last time you searched for an organization on the internet and they were nowhere to be found… what impression did you get?  Digital absence can have negative connotations, especially with the younger generations of consumers who are acclimated to having access to organizations through every channel possible.  If consumers can feel a connection with a brand through a shared interest or social connection, a video of a community service project the organization participated in, a story about how their product or service helped someone in a similar circumstance etc. they will be more likely to feel loyalty to that organization.  Facebook is an excellent platform to reach consumers on that level.  File, video, and image uploading is so simple 10-year-olds do it – it’s just a matter of identifying the appealing content that will draw attention.

Not only is promoting your own brand important, but connecting with business partners and advocating for them will also improve your image.  This “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” mentality can be a great way to increase exposure.

Getting Started

Create a basic fan page.  Remember: Rome was not built in a day, your Facebook page doesn’t have to be either.  Start out with the basics:

Upload some relevant pictures/videos of examples of your organization’s signature projects, accomplishments, community  involvement etc.

Link the page to your blog, Twitter account, and website to make your other information channels easily accessible to your fans.

Reach out to your business partners, family members, friends or anyone who would be proud to be a brand advocate.  Not only should you find them, but starting to interact with them is a MUST.  One way to build your business not to to solely talk business 100% of the time – entertaining your fans will increase engagement.

Take full advantage of situations that would prove to be good photo/video opportunities to give your potential and existing customers a better idea of what your organization stands for.

Reward fans for being loyal.  Contests are a great way to interact while providing your fans with a tangible thank you.

Keep your content fresh and up-to-date.  A stagnant Facebook page is just as bad as a non-existant one.

Why not?

Give Facebook a try.  Just remember to be smart about your posts and have an open mind.  If you have any questions or would like a second opinion, let us know! We would be happy to help!

If you have already tried Facebook, what advice do you have for the newbies? What has / hasn’t worked? Have you noticed any trends?

For some more in-depth information on Facebook strategies, this article might help: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/9-facebook-marketing-strategies-to-build-super-fans/