There is a somewhat divided audience on the value of Facebook as a genuine business tool. Many still regard the service as a frivolous use of time that saps valuable business hours, while others utilize the social media giant as an integral part of their regular marketing campaigns.
Whichever side of the fence you sit, it is worthwhile understanding how Facebook - when used appropriately - can be a brilliant addition to your online marketing arsenal.
The Facebook Pie
While sites like MySpace are beginning to stagnate and see a decline in monthly visitors, Facebook continues to go from strength to strength. Visitor numbers in April were up over %14 on March, reaching over 100 million unique views.
Facebook can be thought of as a virtual replica of an ‘offline’ network which can be used to reach potential customers with your marketing message, in the same way you would at a conference or networking event. With the average number of friends for any given user being well over 100, the opportunity is massive, and best of all, it’s predominantly free to use.
Most would agree that a business without advertising is like waving in the dark - you know that you are there, but nobody else does. So get started now by standing on the shoulders of a social media giant:
Create a Page
Do you have a brand, a band, a company or project that has news to share and that might warrant some fans? Why not create a page to promote it? Pages are simple to upkeep, and as your fan base grows you have an opt-in market who you can target with short sharp news bursts on a regular basis. If your brand is your name, it might pay to have a full profile on facebook as well, which lends a more personal touch. Don't forget to add a button on your website suggesting visitors 'Become a Fan'
Create Events
If you have something going on, tell people! Events on Facebook are a great way to reach friends, and, provided you leave the event open to invite others, can be passed from hand to hand without your input. Referral business is powerful, and friends who recommend your event to others are a great sales tool.
Create a Group
Relatively self explanatory, the Facebook group is a collection of users who share a common interest. There is no charge for members to join your group, and users can share images, video and comments in an open forum. You can send out invites to Events and share news with your group, knowing that they opted to be part of it.
Place an Ad
If you have a marketing budget, Facebook ads are a great way to target a very specific demographic of users on the site. Their profiling is well filtered, giving you the opportunity to reach those people that match your target market best.
Promote It!
Remember how we discussed waving in the dark? This applies to Facebook campaigns too! Place icons or buttons on your company website, incorporate news about your group/page/event into your next email newsletter, and so on.
Monitor your progress
Facebook is no different to any other marketing tool. Keep track of how effective campaigns are by monitoring fans, attendance at events, ad responses, discussion about status updates, and so on.
Fun follows Function
Ultimately, we will still use Facebook to do what it was originally intended for - connecting with friends. Just make sure that you reserve those happy snaps from the office party last friday for your close pals only.
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