Getting started on Facebook for your business can be a scary thing. For one thing, Facebook is always changing the rules. 5 months ago, we were building landing pages to encourage people to like our pages when they came there for the first time. But, then Facebook told all business and brand pages that they had to switch to Timeline and the landing pages were a thing of the past. Also, there's the matter of opening up your business in a way that gives your fans a peak behind the curtain to see what your company's really about. This kind of transparency makes some business owners uncomfortable.
Yet, Facebook is a place you want to be, if you own your own company – especially if you're a small or medium business. The fact of the matter is your customers are already there, even if you're a B2B company. In fact, about 70% of all businesses have a Facebook page now. It's a place to connect with your customers and get their feedback. It's a place where you can build a community around your brand. And it's actually a place where you can convert leads to sales, if you do it right.
So, do I think Facebook is right for your company? Probably. There are sure to be a few that I would say, maybe not. But, for most, it's a place you want to be. The reasons for being there and what you do once you're there will vary from business to business, but there are plenty of good reasons to create and run a page for your company. Last week, I presented on this very subject to a roomful of business people at Macomb-OU INCubator's Lunch & Launch series. I went through the whys and moved into some ways to best use Facebook to meet your business goals. Here is the slide deck of my presentation. Take a look.
I hope that give you some good ideas and food for thought. If you need to know more, just let me know. You can contact me through the comment section below, via email, twitter or Facebook. All my contact info is on the last slide.
Mike McClure, ECD and Social Media guy, mikem@yaffe.com
